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We're Staying In China, Says Microsoft
ericb tips an article at the Guardian which begins:
"Hopes that Google's forthright stand on censorship in China would inspire other companies to follow suit appeared unfounded today, with the move instead threatening to widen the rift between some of the world's most powerful internet companies. Microsoft, which has considerable interests in the country, including its Bing search engine, responded directly to criticism by Google's co-founder Sergey Brin, who this week accused the company of speaking against human rights and free speech. Brin, who pressed for the closing down of Google's self-censored Chinese search engine, said yesterday: 'I'm very disappointed for them in particular. I would hope that larger companies would not put profit ahead of all else. Generally, companies should pay attention to how and where their products are used.' Microsoft rejected Brin's critique, saying it would continue to obey local laws on censorship in China."
Really Google? How about human rights and free speech abuses abuses in Israel, Iraq, Zimbabwe or, most importantly .
As soon as google is out, bing will move in. Bill Gates wants to be seen as some kind of third world savior but in the end, he's just another capitalist with money to burn. Nevermind the human rights violations who Google, Dell and others are standing up against. To microsoft, it's *only* about money and always has been and I'm not surprised.
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I think Microsoft probably follows Commodore's Jack Tramiel policy: "Business is war," and in war anything is acceptable. Therefore they would view Google's leaving China as a victory, even if it means going-to-bed with the Chinese Socialist government.
Just like Google thinks that business is war too, then. They weren't going anywhere in China and decided it was too much trouble staying there. Remember that Google pretty much stopped gaining market share from Baidu. They did the next best thing - make it a PR campaign and try to gain love in western countries. Why do you think they're only bitching at China in English blogs and are now blaming Bing for staying in China? It's all PR.
How the hell does someone who is 6 years old know anything about what's going on around them anyway, especially issues of politics and governance? All he knows is what his parents told him, and given that they defected they were probably traitors anyway.
Microsoft gets it. You will follow our laws if you want to do business in our country, otherwise you can GTFO. If Brin wants to lose money on purpose for a farcical and irrelevant cause, he can do so by all means. Google's shareholders won't be so happy with him.
If Google hadn't initially complied with Chinese authorities, then his words would have substance. As it is, he is just a hypocrite. In actual fact, he, like the vast majority of corporates, only cares about the mighty $$$. He sounds like he is just whining about his company's inability to operate offshore.