Comments on: Is Chinese web censorship effective? http://futurismic.com/2009/06/04/is-chinese-web-censorship-effective/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Lorin Kundert http://futurismic.com/2009/06/04/is-chinese-web-censorship-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-48392 Lorin Kundert Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:03:59 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7678#comment-48392 Not really effective at all, I have been in China since July and have no problem bypassing the firewalls, the Chinese people are not stupid and do the same just as easily. Not really effective at all, I have been in China since July and have no problem bypassing the firewalls, the Chinese people are not stupid and do the same just as easily.

]]> By: Rick York http://futurismic.com/2009/06/04/is-chinese-web-censorship-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-32081 Rick York Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:02:56 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7678#comment-32081 So, I have grown up in the Stewart Brand, Whole Earth Generation. I have heard "Information Wants To Be Free" from the time both Brand and (I think) Howard Rheingold first said it. Information might want to be free, but if any government or other entity wants to limit that freedom, the technical tools to do so now exist. No government can completely close off its citizens. But, it does not have to. All it really needs to do is make it extremely hard, major geek hard, to access outside information. Most people in most places - and I include the US in that - lack the time, the energy and the capacity to get at the truth. Even at its most repressive the Soviet government could not suppress the samizdats completely. But they did not need to. I suppose the only thing we can really do is keep pushing. Between ubiquitous personal intrusion, corporate control of most sources of information and the vast majority of westerners' willingness to abandon their personal liberty this is not going to be an easy job. But, we have no choice. Our very knowledge of the truth requires that we spread it. So, I have grown up in the Stewart Brand, Whole Earth Generation. I have heard “Information Wants To Be Free” from the time both Brand and (I think) Howard Rheingold first said it.

Information might want to be free, but if any government or other entity wants to limit that freedom, the technical tools to do so now exist. No government can completely close off its citizens. But, it does not have to. All it really needs to do is make it extremely hard, major geek hard, to access outside information.

Most people in most places – and I include the US in that – lack the time, the energy and the capacity to get at the truth.

Even at its most repressive the Soviet government could not suppress the samizdats completely. But they did not need to.

I suppose the only thing we can really do is keep pushing.

Between ubiquitous personal intrusion, corporate control of most sources of information and the vast majority of westerners’ willingness to abandon their personal liberty this is not going to be an easy job. But, we have no choice. Our very knowledge of the truth requires that we spread it.

]]> By: Jess http://futurismic.com/2009/06/04/is-chinese-web-censorship-effective/comment-page-1/#comment-32074 Jess Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:09:12 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=7678#comment-32074 I have a hard time believing that the web ban (though a problem in and of itself) will keep citizens from discussing the massacre. People will find ways, even online...but its sad and scary that something as mundane as the internet could potentially be a dangerous game for chinese citizens. Will China ever find democracy? I have a hard time believing that the web ban (though a problem in and of itself) will keep citizens from discussing the massacre. People will find ways, even online…but its sad and scary that something as mundane as the internet could potentially be a dangerous game for chinese citizens. Will China ever find democracy?

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