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Microsoft Censoring Blogs on MSN China
jdfox writes "The BBC is reporting that Microsoft is censoring blogs on MSN China. The words 'freedom', 'democracy' and 'demonstration' are reportedly among the words being blocked.
But the article also points out that Microsoft is not the first corporation to censor content when the Chinese government requests it." Slashdot covered this story a few days ago too.
This story is a dupe....reported previously as "Microsoft Bans 'Democracy' for China's Web Users" on Saturday, June 11th.
Dupes are nothing new here, but the following is what really boggles me...
From TFS:
Um...OK...if you know it's a dupe, why is it still being re-reported?
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
Yes, but what of fr33d0m, d3m0cracy, and dem0nstrat1on?
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
..they'd simply pull out of the Chinese market.
But whats human rights and freedom when theres
market share and online presence at stake. Right?
The words 'freedom', 'democracy' and 'demonstration' are reportedly among the words being blocked.
What about 'linux', 'google' and 'apple'?
"On this site in 1989, nothing happened." - Tianenmen Square plaque
All movements for social change begin as missions, evolve into businesses, and end up as rackets.
Yeah, that's pretty shitty, but I wouldn't say it's Microsoft's fault. If they want to do business in China they have to comply with Chinese law. Chinese law's kinda oppressive. News at 11.
Wow, so Microsoft is responsible for the lack of human rights in China? But China is awesome right? I mean, they use linux, how can they be bad?
I bet they only use linux for the good stuff, and then they switch over to a MS box when they need to do some oppressing.
... that the dollar is more important than freedom or principles.
I guess it shouldn't be any surprise the Microsoft and other companies are anxious to help China maintain and strengthen it's totalitarian government, since it's the government that controls the purse strings.
It should give all of us in this country pause. Microsoft obviously has no issues with a government that has it's army fire upon students demonstrating for democracy. It's a short step from there to helping an American administration (of whichever party) do the same thing in this country. Considering how much money Microsoft was saved by the hand slap it got from Justice after being convicted of monopolistic practices, I would assume Bill Gates feels deeply indebted to the present administration.
Apparently, even Google, a company that claims it's unofficial motto is "Dont' Be Evil", doesn't feel like it has a responsibility to behave ethically.
It wasn't defense spending in the U.S. that caused the fall of Communisim in the USSR, it was blue jeans and walkmans -- simple economics. It became glaringly obvious to everyone in communist states that they were being deprived the advances that were cheap to citizens of democratic countries.
The Chinese have never been stupid or foolish. They learned from the lesson of the USSR and they are modernizing their economy in order to prevent a similar revolution. It is unfortunate that companies like Microsoft, Google, and Walmart are so quick to help them.
China is still a totalitarian government. China allows the use of slave and prison labor to produce goods which show up on American store shelves. Ever wonder why goods made in China are so inexpensive?
The American government and businesses are not just hurting the Chinese people by helping such a government; they are hurting American citizens. We are losing jobs. We are becoming a nation that produces nothing but Reality TV shows. Worse the lesson to our children is that freedom only counts until someone offers you more money.
These companies argue that by doing business with China, they are improving the lives of ordinary Chinese. How can we trust them? There have been numerous stories about the use of prison labor and child labor to produce goods bound for America. Can they really know that they are helping the average Chinese when China does not have a free press that can report how things actually are? I sincerely doubt that the workers in China are getting the same wages and benefits that American workers would get. I wonder if they are even getting enough more to substantially change their lives.
If you are going to stand for freedom, you have to do it all the time, not just when it's financially attractive.
-All that is gold does not glitter - Tolkien
www.ra
We Are Microsoft -- your political, sociological and economical distinctiveness will be added to our own... Resistance is futile...
Peter Corcoran
This is not aimed at you personally. Whenever China and Human Rights appear on slashdot I find the post is more often than not actually about politics rather than Human Rights
/rant
Before you start throwing stones at China consider that over the past 30yrs the Chineese Govt has dragged 600 million people above the $1/day poverty line and significantly improved the standard of living of hundreds of millions more. Not so long ago parents in the West used to say "eat your dinner, there starving in China", (well at least mine and J.Lennon's did). If we were to confiscate the income of the richest 500 people in the world we could do the same thing for another billion.
Does this mean China is a nice place to live? do the means justify the ends? (re: "enemy combatants", "confiscation from the rich", "population control"). You can argue about history, politics and philosophy all day, but one thing remains indisputable. Over the last few decades they have done more than anyone else to relive the needless suffering of 1/5th of the worlds poorest people. The worldwide reduction in the incidence of starvation since the 1960's is almost entirely due to Chineese peasants having enough to eat. Personally I don't think the Chineese give a flying-fuck about what MS thinks because they will simply pull the plug if they don't play nice.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.