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China Forces Websites To Register

Rodrigo Strauss writes "The Inquirer has the story that individual owners of websites and blogs must register with the government or face a shut-down. Apparently they will begin monitoring of all sites, both commercial and personal, beginning this month. Site owners have until the end of the month to register. The BBC has the story as well." From the BBC article: "'The internet has profited many people but it also has brought many problems, such as sex, violence and feudal superstitions and other harmful information that has seriously poisoned people's spirits,' said a statement on the MII website, explaining why the new rules were necessary."

15 of 587 comments (clear)

  1. The Chinese Internet by 14erCleaner · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder how long it will be until China just disconnects itself from the global Internet?

    --
    Have you read my blog lately?
    1. Re:The Chinese Internet by brickballs · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Yea, I could see this possibly going the way Australia did with guns:
      First they forced everyone to register, then
      about a year later they forced everyone to hand over their guns.
      they already knew who had what because of the registration.

      FYI, Australia now has insanely high crime rates.

      to sum it all up: this is bad

      --
      "What does slashdotting mean?"
      "You've never heard of slashdot?"
      "I know it makes websites not work."
    2. Re:The Chinese Internet by brickballs · · Score: 4, Interesting

      yup.

      I forget where I heard this argument, but its actualy rather interesting:

      By some people (legaly) carying concealed firearms they are actualy helping others who choose not to cary weapons. This is because a criminal is now less likely to atack because there is a chance that their chosen target is armed, even if the target is in fact unarmed.

      When it is illegal to own a gun, the chance of the target being armed greatly drops and the atacker becomes more bold.

      --
      "What does slashdotting mean?"
      "You've never heard of slashdot?"
      "I know it makes websites not work."
  2. Not unlike the rest of the world..? by xiando · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Most of the worlds people who want to run a website are required to host it somewhere, and the hosting provider usually requires a billing address.. So the rest of the world are also not free to publish what they want anonymously, at least not truly anonymously, unless they are using Freenet or some other clever way to hide their identity. Registering with a provider is obviously better than registering with a government, but it is still registering... This being said, I do not quite understand what the China government thinks they are accomplishing here. It is the Internet, what prevents a citizen of China to host a anti-China website anywhere else in the world? I am sure at least some of the non-China hosting providers in the world are unwilling to provide any foreign government with customer information when asked...

  3. Not that big of a deal by nurb432 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You cant practically run a 'normal' site anonymously anyway:

    - You register and get a Domain name..

    - You use your ISP's service..

    - "free hosting", still can track your IP..

    Guess its time for them to start using FreeNet. This is exactally the type of reason it was created.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  4. Middle east by 3770 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why don't we hear more about these things happening in the middle east?

    Some of the goverments there have even more to lose by their citizens seeing information from the outside world.

    Maybe it is because the general public in those countries not normally having Internet yet?

    --
    The Internet is full. Go Away!!!
  5. Re:Very true. by amliebsch · · Score: 1, Interesting
    (Look at the list of books banned in various parts of the US - "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe"???)

    Only in America does "Not in school library" = "banned".

    --
    If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
  6. Re:superstitious by mikers · · Score: 2, Interesting

    China _is_ 1984.

    1984 was Orwell's take on what Stalinism would look like in, well, the west.

    Last I checked, China is run by a Communist party (who has outlawed any opposition parties) and behaves much like (not exactly like) ex-Soviet communist states: secret police, limiting movement of citizens, tight control of media, deliberate misinformation to control citizens, imprisonment of large numbers of political prisoners, carefully limiting foreign visitors and tracking their movements in the country.

    Freedom is somewhat opposed to the aforementioned list. See any of those things going on in the US? Not sure what freedom is?

    If you need proof of tight control of media, look at your own quote.

  7. How to Help? by jekk · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I really feel for the plight of the Chinese people, and I believe that the ability to speak anonymously and read freely would go a long way toward enabling them to improve their government. But is there anything that I, as an internet-savy geek, can do to help?

    For example, I would gladly cooperate in a massive DOS attack on the great firewall servers... but it wouldn't work (firstly because they'd just block it, and secondly because taking them down would only isolate China, it wouldn't let info in and out).

    I would run a freenet server, except that (please correct me if I'm wrong here) my understanding is that with today's design the authorities can tell that freenet is being used... which is enough to silence people even if the authorities can't tell WHAT it was used for. My understanding is that freenet is being altered to meet this challenge, but that it's not there yet.

    So is there anyone out there in China.... no, make that anyone with a FRIEND in China who has suggestions of how I can help?

    1. Re:How to Help? by DigiShaman · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I know someone living in Shanghai. When we talk over AIM or MSN, she explicitly states she does not want to talk about anything political. I asked her why. She said "Because it's best if I don't" or "Please don't ask me ok?, I shouldn't talk about such things". Needless to say, she is scared shitless about the government and the fact she might have her connection monitored via sniffing of packets.

      I'm not sure if the government can or would do this to such a degree, but the idea of talking about chinese politics has her spooked. And the fact she is spooked gets me worried too about the entire chinese population being oppressed.

      But...then came Skype and the tune changes. Because our VOIP connection is encrypted in real-time, she sings like a bird about her opinions of the chinese government. When she talks to me over Skype, she can't stop ranting and raving about how fucked up it is.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
  8. Re:superstitious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I like how feudal superstitions rank amongst the top threats to a Communist government.

    Well plenty of people consider a feudal superstition a big threat to the USA government as well. The extent to which Christianity has pervaded a supposedly secular state is disturbing. For example, interfering in court decisions because of superstition. Or preventing people from holding public office unless they pledge allegience to the superstition.

  9. Re:Very true. by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think you'll also find that censorship occurs in all countries, and that much of it is ludicrous. (Look at the list of books banned in various parts of the US - "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe"???)

    Do you really fail to see the difference in a school or city banning a book, and a state or federal government banning a book.

    How many books has the federal government of the US banned?

    Zero.

    Americans, especially, are bad about seeing the defects in others and ignoring their own.

    "Especially"? No, not especially. Everyone on earth, in general, is bad about seeing their own defects. Or did you think that Bible quote you mentioned was aimed at Americans? No, not "especially."

    --
    Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
  10. Re:Ok, how many patents do YOU own? by Steepe · · Score: 5, Interesting

    OK, just for the sake of this is fun now, I'll bite again.

    First off, its not my damn fault your broke, and feel slighted in some way because no one will give you anything. Its not my responsibility to give you anything, ever.

    I started out I am sure exacly like you are now. my parents never had any money, I lived in a little shotgun house for quite a while, then a house that was right on the river that flooded about every 3rd year the rest of my childhood. But did i slop around in the same squallar I had grown up in, to work a deadend meaningless job until I died, raising my own kids in the same squallar? Nope. I joined the army, put every dime possible into my GI bill (5-1 match at the time) and when I did my time I went to college. I got myself an edumacation, and then started working my ass off to get ahead. (no one ever gets ahead sitting on their behind) I still work for "the man" in a good paying job, and have a side business of my own. (no patents through that business) I make a lot more from my own business, and am probably going to be quitting this job soon. This year I will earn around 250,000. I earn more in a month that my father did at retirement. My kids go to good schools, they have college funds, and I don't feel the slightest bit bad about having "made it". I worked for and earned EVERYTHING I have. NOTHING was given to me ever. Its been a fight, I had to shed a wife who was holding me back with the "we can't do it" attitude, (I was making 60k at that time, had the ideas that are now making me a quarter of a mil a year and could not get her to buy into it)
    I do hold one patent, that I am still not doing anything with. (I think it cost me total of like $300 including the patent search) I have several copyrighted things (I mentioned copyright because YOU did.)

    My advice to you, quit with the "everyone hates me I have no rights and the world is out to get me" crap and fucking do something. If not, then don't fucking cry about how its unfair I have something and you don't. I busted my fucking ass and missed out on a lot of drugs I'm sure your taking to get where I am. so fuck you for thinking it was given to me.

    --
    Just three more hours seapeople and you can finally take me away from this crappy God Damned planet full of hippies
  11. Re:Actually by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Hello, moderators, there was Morse Code in that post you just modded to oblivion because you didn't catch it. .... = H
    . = E .-.. = L .--. = P

    (etc)

  12. Re:Ok, how many patents do YOU own? by pipingguy · · Score: 2, Interesting


    This year I will earn around 250,000. [...] (I was making 60k at that time, had the ideas that are now making me a quarter of a mil a year and could not get her to buy into it)

    Do you find that 250K/year is now enough income?

    Since you mention that you grew financially out of a poverty situation, have you determined that you are now OK, money-wise?

    Just asking, since the pursuit of money can be an end in itself so they say.

    Having earned it is much better than having been given it.