SMS, SARS, And Censorship

angkor writes with a link to this article about "How SMS messaging in China forced the government to acknowledge the 'fatal flu in Guangdong.' And the steps the Chinese government is taking to make sure it does not happen again."

Comments

I can see their reasons

[Keri Immos]

Well, I think it's perfectly understandable that the Chinese government block these SMS messages. It allows them to control their own country, instead of having to deal with rumor-spreading rabble rousers. Also, 120 million people hearing about this via SMS is small compared to the overall population of China, which is somewhere a little above one billion. That's a similar percentage to the 20-some million in the states who have heard about the penis length crisis.

China shops at Villian Supply

[Michael's a Jerk!]

The Good folks at Villain Supply are selling a VAGUE, PANIC-PROVOKING COMMUNICABLE DISEASE for a mere US$149,999.99.

As the age of SARS has proven, nothing scares the gullible, scientifically illiterate population like a vague, panic-provoking communicable disease. Just tack a scary acronym onto any poorly-defined set of flu-like symptoms, and watch the fun begin.

Your Vague, Panic-Provoking Communicable Disease comes with several medical journal articles identifying the disease in the most non-specific terms possible, a batch of press releases, and 25% ownership of a face mask factory.

Mod me down if you must, but I couldn't resist.

Re:China and Human Rights Abuse

[gazbo]

You're new round here aren't you.

On Slashdot, deaths, famine and the routine detentian and torture of political prisoners, breaching basic human rights, is insignificant next to the fact they can't "share" music on Kazaa.