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Outrunning China's Web Cops
conq writes "BusinessWeek has an interesting story on an outfit, DIT, that provides people in China access to censored sites. To do this, 'the company distributes software, called FreeGate, which disguises the sites a person visits. In addition, DIT sends out mass e-mails to Chinese Web surfers for clients such as VOA, which is banned in China. The e-mails include a handful of temporary Web addresses that host off-limits content and springboards to other forbidden sites.'"
OK, I have to go with Communism being more evil than spamming (mainly due to that little "one hundred million people killed by it" problem). On the other hand, Spam has certainly inflicted more personal harm on me than communism in the last ten years...
Crow T. Trollbot
I wonder how they'll feel when some chinese people end up in jail for using their service.
While some of these companies offer services aimed towards the people of China and ignoring federal regulation (which combined is generally a good thing), the hammer will be brought down and somebody will have to pay for this!
What I don't understand is why an alternative 'internet' has been setup yet, using encrypted/disguised routes to the western world in a P2P fashion. If there's one niche in which open-source software can prosper it's going to be here.
Anyways, the main point I'm getting at here is that the Chinese government will choose somebody or an organization as an example of what will happen to future law-breakers/benders, but it'll still continue..
Is it acceptable to send unsolicited email in the name of "freedom"?
Just a minor nitpick, the article doesn't say that the emails are "unsolicited". It states that VOA sends out "mass mailings" which is a very different thing. If all mass mailings were spam, then Lockergnome would have been indicted years ago.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
This is one thing which has disuaded me from trying something similar. This is likely to be a serious offense in China and in the future it is actually going to be more difficult to avoid going there for one reason or another.
I can see several chinese cities becoming transport hubs along the lines of Singapore or LAX before long. You don't want to have to spend the rest of your life avoiding places like that.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
No, unfortunately. They won't.
//I'm going to get angry drunk tonight. How 'bout you guys?
We're stuck in an endless cycle of civilization -> golden age -> corruption -> dark age. Forever waging war on ourselves.
I assume you're an American, and that is why you cannot see the parallels between China and America. Label somebody who points out those similarities a "troll" all you want. That doesn't change the fact that such points are completely correct.
If you're a frequent reader here, I'm sure you've heard all about the problems associated with the recent elections in the US. While there will always be difficulties with any election, especially when electronic voting machines are used, a republic cannot function when it experiences the severe issues it has during 2000 and 2004 elections. There are many worldwide who question the legitimacy of the last two American regimes.
Regardless, what we all know today is that neither America nor China stands for freedom. What they do stand united in, however, is perhaps best described as fascism, even if they are self-described as "communist", "republican" or "democratic".
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
there's no guarantee that you still won't received unsolicited commercial email.
True, but as long the content you signed up for in the first place is still there, and as long as as you preceive some value by being on the list, and as long as the administrator removes you from the list at your desire without sending any further unsolicited mail, is that a problem at all?
No. It's the same arrangement we have for TV, radio, magazines and news papers, the web, etc... Most people's heads don't explode when they view an advertisement on any of those media. If advertising is needed to subsidize the value you receive from any media, and you like it anyway, what's the problem? Maybe it would be nice for a mailing list with some commercial traffic to put a disclaimer on their site saying so, but that's as far as they should have to go.
Well done you just failed at it all.
Heres a hint : If you want to by pass laws and help people, don't scream and shout abut it. The more news you make the easier it is to get heard..
So nice try, but next time keep it under hat and print off copies of sites and nail them to walls. You'll be harder to catch and spreading the news beyond the few in your group.
I like muppets.
Life is full of risks and so is trying to access banned items. Yes this might just be a honey pot, Or it might not. If you are truly interested in freedom, you are going to have to make a choice: Surf the web and risk getting arrested, or continue to be a sheep.
Freedom or George Bush
Earlier this week, I read an article in the paper about Iran whining about some cartoon that picked on Muslims. But that wasn't the important part.
The important part of the article was the large photo of protestors, with their signs, but 5 of them in the front had one in English:
"OUR RELIGION DOES NOT ALLOW UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM OF SPEECH. PLEASE RESPECT THAT."
As Americans, we VALUE the rights that we have. HOWEVER, we must also respect other societies' views, even if they are detrimental to human rights. If we expect to do business in another country, we MUST follow their laws. If the people of the oppressive country do not like this, then THEY THEMSELVES MUST REMEMDY IT.
We have the right to inform. Google, Yahoo, MSN, and the others should simply say "Due to your government's regulations, this search result has been censored." We DO NOT, however, have the right to violate that government's laws and expect to continue to do business there. Google is not an army, it is a business.
Next time you are in a "random courtesy roadblock" remember what you said and contemplate the fourth amendment. If you still think you are "free", just keep driving, don't stop for officer friendly. Next time you hear of someone put on the "do not fly" list, contemplate that no one outside of the goose steppers can get any information on it, and if you wind up on the list you have no recourse other than "not flying". No charges, no judge, no jury, no explanation,at no time. Next time you find yourself at the receiving end of an eminent domain seizure, for a dime on the dollar, just so a few local millionaires can make more money with a new strip mall, remember, you are "free" to say "no". Oh wait, you can't, you lose!
I could easily spend the next few hours adding to this list, these few examples should be enough for even a pea brain to consider. Just because some place "over there" is suckier than your place you are currently at, doesn't mean the place you are at has to necessarily be "wonderful" and "free". Surprise! BOTH places might be clasified as "not free".
In a sense, Falun Dafa is very revolutionary, just not in the way the CCP claims it is. Likewise, true Christianity is very revolutionary, and activities of christian groups are heavily restricted in China...
Falun Dafa is also like Linux. Certain recent leaders of the CCP claimed that it had some sort of secret, central backbone, because that's how the CCP itself was for many years. However, it doesn't, no more that Linux has a secret backbone. Anyone who's studied Falun Dafa could go teach a new science based on it at any moment.
I repeat, I am not associated with Falun Gong, but I think your statement that "Anyone associated with falungong seems a little bit shady" is misinformed or disingenuous. Certain elements in the Chinese government (who, we hope, will be corrected by the Chinese people) are a little bit shady, or perhaps very corrupt; however, I'll avoid making blanket statements because I haven't yet been physically present in any part of China.
Unfortunately, that doesn't usually work in countries ruled by repressive Communist regimes :-)
Or simply in countries ruled by repressive regimes. No need for them to be communist to censor the crap out of the country.
Visit http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/growingbettersoftware to download your free copy of the book
Wow the bleeding heart Americans/Westerners who die at nite thinking how much the Chinese are suffering.
Actually I couldn't give a flying fuck in hard vacuum about Chinese suffering. I just don't care. Heheh. What I do care about is another shitpot dictatorship destabilising a region that contains places I do care about.
The Chinese people do know one thing for sure, that its better to be ruled by Chinese dictators rather than US thugs.
So let me see... you're entire argument amounts to getting the best daddy in prison? Thats it? Better to be porked by this guy, because the other guy has a bigger john? You fail at life, I'd take it as a kindness if you stop breathing my air now, ktnx.
Those days are over so grow up and accept the reality.
Reality, yes, thats something that China is big on.
how much XYZmart sells "made in china" stuff in the US, its obvious that without the cheap chinese goods and their style of governance, half the American consumers would be dead.
Woah slow down there sparky. Here is a little history lesson for you. It used to be "made in Japan". Now its "made in China". In five years, it will be "made in Vietnam". Its already one third cheaper to pay people in vn, who also have a higher level of English literacy. And as for style of governance, the Japanse democratic approach enabled them to take advantage of their boom while they had it. In China, with all the wealth at the top, when the boom ends (2-3 years) the entire thing will collapse over sidewys, just like the last time.
not even one protesting against the brutal exploitation of deadly-cheap labor that american/european enterprises indulge in these 3rd world countries.
They want western wages, let em come to the west and compete with the superb local workforce. Until then, they are paid a fine wage by the standards of their homelands. Hell, I can't even own land in most of those countries; does that seem right to you?
Back in the washing machine, troll, your brain is safer there.
What he can't kill, he has sex on. Trent.