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Over Half a Decade, China Closed 130,000 Internet Cafes

Posted by timothy on from the of-by-and-for-the-people's-assembly dept.

angry tapir writes "China shut down more than 130,000 illegal Internet cafes in the country over a six year period, as part of crackdown to control the market, according to a new Chinese government report. Internet cafes in China are highly regulated by the government, which can issue and revoke their licenses. Authorities have made it illegal for Internet cafes to serve minors under the age of 18, stating that the Web's content could endanger their well-being."

121 comments

  1. Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by virb67 · · Score: 1, Informative

    How is China different than Gaddafi's Libya? Oh right, it's far worse. But they have no oil. And they're not weak. And they allow the West to exploit their their people, as long as the CCP get their cut.

    1. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by iamhassi · · Score: 1

      "And they allow the West to exploit their their people, as long as the CCP get their cut."

      And they will destroy themselves. How long will 2 billion people live under such oppression?

      --
      my karma will be here long after I'm gone
    2. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I know China is far from perfect, but to compare the Chinese government currently to Gaddafi who is using aircraft and tanks to obliterate Libyans is a stretch.

    3. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Last time i checked China has not tried to mass bomb cities of their own people, Yes they're not without their human rights abuses but they are small time compared to the psycho running Libya

    4. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Gaddafi is small time compared to Mao.

    5. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      about 4000 years?

    6. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hitler was small time compared to Mao.

    7. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by the+linux+geek · · Score: 4, Insightful

      How? They've demonstrated many times that they're willing to use military force against the population. Or have you forgotten that whole Tienanmen Square thing?

    8. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by rainmouse · · Score: 0

      Your right, the west should be quick to judge the foreign cultures we have little personal experience of and take the moral high ground; After all acts like the crippling economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by the UN after bombing their country into the stone age only caused an estimated million civilian casualties of which an estimated 500,000+ were children.

      But how can the Chinese live with themselves, not allowing children under the age of 18 to visit Internet cafe's? It is much more important we quietly sweep our acts of indirect genocide under the mat then and focus on the real moral issue here, these backward evil nations that resist us putting a Starbucks and MacDonald's on every street corner.

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1719267/pdf/v088p00092b.pdf

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_sanctions#Effect_of_the_sanctions_on_the_Iraqi_people

      http://www.suite101.com/content/children-as-casualties-of-war-a176530

    9. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The USA have demonstrated many times that they're willing to use military force against the natives. You almost murdered them all.

    10. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by the+linux+geek · · Score: 1

      Me, personally? I murdered them all? Funny, given that I'm a white-card holder (Registered Indian.)

    11. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Informative

      Before you go screaming about oppression, consider the scale of the numbers.

          In 2002, there were about 46,000 licensed internet cafes, and 150,000 unlicensed internet cafes. (Ref: Time Magazine)

          In 2000, there were about 40,000 licensed cafes, growing to 168,000 in 2009.
          (Ref: Investors Hub)

          If you apply the same ratio of licensed vs unlicensed from the Time article (3.2:1), it could be extrapolated that there were also approximately 538,000 unlicensed cafes. So if 130,000 were closed down over a period of 5 years, that would be a whopping 26,000 per year. So roughly 5% of the illegal cafes were shut down. That could easily be attributed to disgruntled customers, ex-employees, failure to pay bribes to local law enforcement, or law enforcement needing to show that they are making an effort against such illegal activity.

          Someone else can work out the trends to show my numbers are a little off, but not terribly far.

          These tiny numbers in relation to the size of the country, population, and number of cafes are insignificant.

          I'd be willing to bet similar trends could be shown in the US relating to liquor license violations, marijuana grow house busts, and other associated nefarious activities. If it weren't China and the Internet, it wouldn't have even been news.

          If you're going worry about such things, worry about those who end up in prison here in the US on petty charges, that range from perfectly legal to gray areas in many other states and countries.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    12. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      China are so skilled as oppressors, they don't *need* to use aircraft and tanks. They have perfected the art of propaganda.

    13. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      He was pointing to the guy next to you.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    14. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      IMO the "West" has lost the moral high ground forever, since Iraq. Now anything you say can and will be used against you.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    15. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      GWB was small time compared to Mao.

      Kittlers are also small.

    16. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by kestasjk · · Score: 1

      I guess you just don't place as much importance on internet cafes as we do..

      --
      // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
    17. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The fact that the west has lost the moral high ground does not raise the moral ground of China. The fact that someone lives in or is from a 'bad place' does not make their arguments more or less true. I'm so tired of "Oh yeah? Well you ...." arguments.

    18. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoa! what does CCP get out of this there one of the most open game developers out there. /sarcasm

    19. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by rainmouse · · Score: 1

      The fact that the west has lost the moral high ground does not raise the moral ground of China.

      No but it certainly does not validate our Western opinion, also worth considering are other facts such as how China has half the murder rate of the USA and much of Europe and roughly double the happy planet index value as well as consistently scoring higher in life satisfaction surveys. At what point in any of this do we become qualified to criticise their way of living?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Planet_Index

    20. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Have you forgotten the whole Waco thing?

    21. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, you almost murdered or at least almost manslaughtered them all. For example when you almost hit one with your car, when you almost stabbed yourself or when you puched a friend and he almost landed on something really dangerous.

    22. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What I'm trying to say is that, where someone lives, or was born, does not make their opinion more or less valid. I'm not talking about saying one country is better than the other, or making comparisons at all.

      Bombing Iraq does not make this policy right or wrong.

      China's murder rate being less than half the rate in the US has nothing to do with this policy.

      How life satisfaction surveys were conducted in Western China in general or Xinjiang in particular, while an interesting question, has nothing to do with this issue.

      In any case, living in a bad place can make you a pretty good judge of bad places. Does living under a dictatorship somehow disqualify you from being able to criticise other dictatorships?

    23. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also you have to remember that they have a permanent member UN veto status. Which is part of the reason that they along with Russia didn't fuss too much about the Libya decision. They have a trump card that prevents the same from ever happening to them. Of course having nukes in the arsenal and a somewhat modern standing army doesn't hurt either.

    24. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude, however bad China might be, there are worse problems in the world right now:
      -- the US, its hunger for oil countries and its bullying ways;
      -- other countries with stupid jerks who think nuclear can be made safe.

      Any dictator OTOH is a big problem not to the world but to his own people.

      Me, not from [US, China, Russia].

    25. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

      But they are right, the internet's content probably should not be available to people under 18 without some sort of monitoring.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    26. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by russotto · · Score: 3, Interesting

      And they will destroy themselves. How long will 2 billion people live under such oppression?

      Indefinitely. Worse conditions have been the lot of most of the human race for most of history. Sixty-year-old North Korea is far worse.

    27. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by russotto · · Score: 1

      Your right, the west should be quick to judge the foreign cultures we have little personal experience of and take the moral high ground;

      Looks like the cultural relativists are out in force today.

      After all acts like the crippling economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by the UN after bombing their country into the stone age only caused an estimated million civilian casualties of which an estimated 500,000+ were children.

      Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. Why do you keep focusing on such a small conflict? For starters, let's consider Korea instead. Two and a half million civilian casualties (on both sides) according to South Korea. But of course that's also a small conflict by 20th century standards; WWII, on the order of 50 million civilian deaths (including those due to the US nuking two cities in Japan), almost none of them American. If you really want to condemn "the West", forget about Iraq.

    28. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by delineal · · Score: 2

      In the USA, we don't need to be "qualified" to criticize anything. Simply put, in the USA, our expectations are higher because there is more potential and more possibility. In China, if you're not at the top of the class, your life options suddenly become much more limited (source: Chinese girlfriend). Everyone in China knows it to be true and accepts it as the way of things. In the USA, your opportunities are only limited by your own drive and life choices. It's easy to be "happy" when you don't know what you're missing. Ignorance is bliss.

      --
      Making the Internet a better place for everyone...Delineal
    29. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by rainmouse · · Score: 1

      Looks like the cultural relativists are out in force today.

      Hypocrisy is ok but relativism is not? Or is the real bugbear in the house merely patriotism?

      Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. Why do you keep focusing on such a small conflict? For starters, let's consider Korea instead.

      Iraq is more relevant as it is comparably recent and many of the same people are still in power.

    30. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by russotto · · Score: 1

      Looks like the cultural relativists are out in force today.

      Hypocrisy is ok but relativism is not? Or is the real bugbear in the house merely patriotism?

      When hypocrisy consists of advocating good despite having done evil, it's better than the relativism of refusing to admit the existence of evil.

      Iraq is more relevant as it is comparably recent and many of the same people are still in power.

      That would be George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and José MarÃa Aznar?

      But that's a distraction; if you only used Iraq because Korea was too long ago, does that mean you agree intervention in Korea was wrong? That the West should have let Kim Il Sung rule the whole place, and dismissed his actions domestically as mere cultural differences?

    31. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      http://xkcd.com/605/

      There's a danger in just assuming that trends continue without verification.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    32. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by ZonkerWilliam · · Score: 1

      Exactly, it is oppression, it is after all a communist country after all. Two hand in hand unfortunately. Only way they can succeed is drop it communism, like Cuba has finally and the rest of the world. The odd part is China goes through cycles where they open there borders then when they have mass societal unrest they close themselves off from the rest of the world. They've done this several times as far history is concerned. I hope they can finally do it for real this time, for the peoples sake.

    33. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by ZonkerWilliam · · Score: 1

      No but people forget there was unrest in china during these riots in the middle east. People rioting for freedom also there, The Chinese government kind of squashed them.

    34. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by zill · · Score: 1

      Because the CPC never used tanks to obliterate their own people, right?

    35. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by PiSkyHi · · Score: 1

      Yes, you are probably a little off - it seems that you are suggesting that no Internet cafe started unlicensed before gaining a license during this period. your figure of 5% could have an error margin as high as 1000%

    36. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          You'd have to also calculate in attrition. Stores come and go, it's just the way it is. So some open, some close, both legal and illegal.

          There's no way for us to get the accurate numbers. It's not like China is exactly open about the happenings there, and definitely we couldn't get accurate numbers on illegal operations. Just like in the US, most of those numbers are swiftly extracted from the posterior orifice of a politician.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    37. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Regardless of the success of the government's effort to stifle open communication, it remains exactly that: an effort.

      I'd be willing to bet similar trends could be shown in the US relating to liquor license violations, marijuana grow house busts, and other associated nefarious activities. If it weren't China and the Internet, it wouldn't have even been news.

      Are you sure you want to put free drugs on the same level as free speech? As appealing as free drugs sounds.

    38. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by Maiq · · Score: 1

      I don't understand the point of your post. I apologize. What do higher expectations have to do with our opinions being valid or not valid? In the USA your choices are also limited by more than your drive and life choices. Are you telling me that right now the unemployment rate is so high in America because all those people made poor life decisions or are lazy? Everyone in any country has more choices if they are "at the top of the class" (what kind of class do you mean?) And everyone in China does not 'accept' this. There have been more riots, demonstrations (and attempts at demonstrations). And for the previous post. I am curious as to how the survey information was collected from China. There are huge sections of China lacking basic infrastructure like reliable roads and electricity (or any electricity). This is not an attack on China, this situation is improving rapidly, I'm just always curious when I hear statistics about the population of China. Where and how was this information collected? From the government? Not a reliable source (that was an attack). By the way I couldn't get into Slashdot this morning without using a proxy (I live in China). Don't know if it is being blocked or just something screwy with local internet.

    39. Re:Let's Declare A No-Fly Zone! by delineal · · Score: 1

      Sorry for the belated reply, but since you asked questions I felt I should followup. My comment should be parsed like this: The first sentence (about right to criticize) was commentary addressing the last sentence of the parent post. The remaining sentences address the address the assertion that people in China are happier. I never said anything about unemployment or laziness. I didn't call anyone in China or USA lazy. My comment about "top of class" was referring to the competitiveness required to attend university school. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_People's_Republic_of_China I didn't say that all people in China like the way things are.... what I said was that they understand the competitive situation and they know (given the current government) they're not going anywhere if they happen to fail at academics. The way things are in China right now, a university dropout is extremely unlikely to be successful. In the USA, academic performance is only loosely tied to your potential for success. Bill Gates dropped out of university and went on to become one of the richest people in the world.

      --
      Making the Internet a better place for everyone...Delineal
  2. Hmm by euyis · · Score: 3, Informative

    Authorities have made it illegal for Internet cafes to serve minors under the age of 18,

    And the last time I went to a internet cafe I was given a vaild ID number of someone over 18 along with the name associated to log in when I explained that my ID card's missing and a new one is not yet available. Didn't even bother asking me to give my number - guess they do the same when the minors come to play online games.

    1. Re:Hmm by jacksonyee · · Score: 1

      About the same thing happened with me. I recently moved back to China and thus did not have my ID card yet. My little brother went and got us both into an Internet gaming place with no questions asked. Of course, it seems that most of the people there did nothing more than to play Counterstrike, World of Warcraft, or little puzzle games all day, and I'm well over 21, but I don't really consider this a big deal. It reminds me of going to R rated movies back in the days where you knew your friends working at the box office and no one really cared as long as the theatre got their money. I haven't heard of anyone playing Everquest for 72 hours straight and getting themselves killed here in China yet, and we have larger issues to deal with like the economy and providing medical care for everyone.

  3. Now now, let's not be hasty. by DWMorse · · Score: 3, Funny

    Let's not jump to conclusions that this is all about -The Internet-.

    Unregulated coffee can be DANGEROUS.

    --
    There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
    1. Re:Now now, let's not be hasty. by Aeternitas827 · · Score: 1

      Coffee is small-time. The 32oz Monster energy drinks come with a warning saying 'Do not consume more than one per day'.

      That warning is pretty accurate, by the way. Even I get a little off after more than that, and I usually handle excess of those types of things fairly well.

      --
      I don't post AC. I like my -1, Flamebaits. Trump/Sheen 2012 on the Batshit Insane ticket!
    2. Re:Now now, let's not be hasty. by gratuitous_arp · · Score: 1, Funny

      Unregulated coffee can be DANGEROUS.

      Doesn't anyone on slashdot take things seriously anymore? You're probably sipping your coffee and laughing -- but coffee contains very high quantities of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), which can kill in high amounts. See here:

      http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

      Thanks to careful forethought, most grocery stores sell DHMO-free coffee. This is also why Starbucks puts so much other crap in theirs -- a lot less room for DHMO.

    3. Re:Now now, let's not be hasty. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Especially Capitalist American coffee.

      Look, I'm staunchly pro-American and I love the country and its fine people. But guys, seriously? Your coffee tastes like arse.

    4. Re:Now now, let's not be hasty. by ZonkerWilliam · · Score: 1

      there are so many variates, what are you talking about?

    5. Re:Now now, let's not be hasty. by MaskedSlacker · · Score: 1

      That warning is pretty accurate, by the way.

      Only if you're a moron. The 32oz have 320mg of caffeine, less than a full pot of coffee. The fuckton of sugar in it is more hazardous to your health. Those warnings are there for morons.

  4. Games by Xenna · · Score: 2

    When I was in China last, six years ago, and went to visit internet cafe's, all the other people ever seemed to be doing was playing games.

    1. Re:Games by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          Of course they were. They were farming gold or whatever in (thinking back 6 years) for World of Warcraft and Second Life.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    2. Re:Games by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      Of course they were. They were farming gold or whatever in (thinking back 6 years) for World of Warcraft and Second Life.

      1) How do you mine gold or whatever in Second life?
      2) Why would you mine gold or whatever in Second life?

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
    3. Re:Games by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      It's just an expression. It means to play an online game for profit by performing very menial tasks for long hours, then selling your gains for real currency. It can be done, but to turn a profit requires you have players willing to spend very long hours at the game (This isn't for fun: It's a job) performing very repetative actions for a tiny, tiny pay. Thus why it's done in China, where labor costs are very low. It's easy to get very rich in-game if you can spent eighteen hours a day playing, every day. Then it's just a matter of selling your in-game wealth for real dollars on the gray market.

    4. Re:Games by quenda · · Score: 1

          Of course they were. They were farming gold or whatever in (thinking back 6 years) for World of Warcraft and Second Life.

      100 million urban Chinese kids were gold-farmers? I find that hard to believe.

    5. Re:Games by RichM · · Score: 1

      When I was in China last, six years ago, and went to visit internet cafe's, all the other people ever seemed to be doing was playing games.

      Or possibly stealing everything from your WoW account...

    6. Re:Games by wisty · · Score: 1

      Not really. A lot are just "little emperors" - only children (boys to boot!) who can do no wrong. Oh, except they have to study 18 hours a day, but a few rebel, for some reason.

    7. Re:Games by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          Exactly.

          The online currency in Second Life could be traded for real money, which didn't even involve a gray market. There was (is?) a legitimate exchange.

          Between that, sales of virtual merchandise, virtual gambling and virtual prostitution, there was serious money to be made there.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    8. Re:Games by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

      It's just an expression. It means to play an online game for profit by performing very menial tasks for long hours, then selling your gains for real currency.

      I fail to grasp how this can be applied to Second life still. There isn't any 'very menial tasks' that I'm aware of where you can make money.

      --
      Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
  5. Re:Does China need NASCAR? by virb67 · · Score: 1

    Yes, because everyone who's given the option between being an oppressed state programmed automaton and real freedom becomes a NASCAR obsessed moron, right?

  6. Since when... by Aeternitas827 · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...does six years a 'half a decade' make?

    My math teachers taught me that a decade was 10 years, and half of 10 was five...

    --
    I don't post AC. I like my -1, Flamebaits. Trump/Sheen 2012 on the Batshit Insane ticket!
    1. Re:Since when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In China, 6 + 6 = 10 if they say it does.

    2. Re:Since when... by realkiwi · · Score: 1

      That there be inflation! Or maybe a /. special offer: ask for 10 years, get two for free!

      --
      realkiwi
    3. Re:Since when... by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...does six years a 'half a decade' make?

      My math teachers taught me that a decade was 10 years, and half of 10 was five...

      You're apparently not familiar with the "baker's decade".

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    4. Re:Since when... by yuri+benjamin · · Score: 2

      ...does six years a 'half a decade' make?

      My math teachers taught me that a decade was 10 years, and half of 10 was five...

      Six years, rounded to the nearest half decade, is half a decade.

      --
      You make the mistake of thinking you can educate the fundamental stupidity out of people. You can't.
    5. Re:Since when... by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      You would be amazed at the amount of people who equate pedantry with intelligence.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    6. Re:Since when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can equate literacy with intelligence.

      I'm yet to meet a dumb-fuck who can correct misuse of an apostrophe.

      It saddens me that children in China will have a better grasp of written English than many children from English speaking countries.

    7. Re:Since when... by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      That depends on your definition of literacy. Reading the TV guide or Reader's Digest whilst sitting on the toilet is not necessarily an indicator of heightened cognitive ability, although it might allude to constipation.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    8. Re:Since when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      I'm amazed at the number of people who equate pedantry with intelligence.

    9. Re:Since when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> ...does six years a 'half a decade' make?

      > My math teachers taught me that a decade was 10 years, and half of 10 was five...

      That's the theory of base-10 units, but in the US they use base-12 which can more easily be divided by 3 (or 2, in that case).

    10. Re:Since when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      over half a decade means more than more than 5 = ? 5.5 or possibly 6

  7. Grammar check by srussia · · Score: 1

    ...does six years a 'half a decade' make?

    Maybe the original summary said "Over Over Half a Decade..." until the over-zealous grammar check eliminated the repetition.

    --
    Set your phasers on "funky"!
    1. Re:Grammar check by Aeternitas827 · · Score: 1

      Replace the initial 'over' with 'in', make it read 'In over half a decade', problem solved :D

      --
      I don't post AC. I like my -1, Flamebaits. Trump/Sheen 2012 on the Batshit Insane ticket!
    2. Re:Grammar check by metacell · · Score: 1

      That wouldn't be grammatical... "in half a decade" means "half a decade into the future", while "over half a decade" means "during the course of half a decade".

  8. Scam Correlation by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 0

    130,000 Internet cafes in China, eh? Wonder if a correlation could be made to the levels of gold farming and forum spam for fake sports shoes and designer hand bags?

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  9. There's a joke in here about Apple... by Anubis+IV · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Authorities have made it illegal for Internet cafes to serve minors under the age of 18, stating that the Web's content could endanger their well-being.

    I'm surprised no one has made a crack yet about Apple's App Store rules regarding apps that allow access to the Internet. After all, they get an automatic 17+ rating. I'd make the joke myself, but I'm tired and I'm a fanboy of Apple, so I'll leave it to others.

    1. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by UBfusion · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Unfortunately there's no joke to be made... the internet is a dangerous place. Pretending it's not makes it even more dangerous.

    2. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Information is not dangerous to human beings. By pretending that it is, we surrender our intellectual autonomy to censors.

      The sooner we start teaching children to think critically about everything they see, hear, and read, the better off our society will be. There is no better place for them to learn that lesson than the Internet.

    3. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by theBully · · Score: 0

      You must be right. There is no information on the net that could affect a child's development in any way. All the reports of them being exposed to excessive pornography, violence promotion, racism promotion, and bullying through social media must be simply censors doing their work in the shadow to keep children away from this wonderful, peaceful and harmonious place called the Internet.

      Having said that I hope you don't have any children right now. I believe the concern is more than valid even so the PRC government actually does it for political reasons rather than social ones.
      Information can be dangerous to children because they don't know how to separate valuable objective information from the rest. I have seen one to many teenagers turning to racism simply because they've been given false information or information presented in a certain way. Most of the information on the Internet (and in any other form of media) is not objectively presented scientific information. Only a 10 year old, or a 15 year old may not have the capability of extracting the valuable information from within all that noise.
      I hear that INFORMATION is a good thing all too often. It's neither good or bad, but it can be easily manipulated both ways. If the receiver of the information does not have the means of removing the nuances and subjectiveness from the package it's probably best if he/she does not reach that information without some help. And yes, the Internet is definitely 17+.

    4. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by improfane · · Score: 1

      No, your personal information is dangerous to you when in the hands in other people. Dangerous in terms of the UK Census being ran by Lockheed Martin and the possibility of McCarthyism.

      It's not dangerous for you to have access to information.

      --
      Slashdot needs Geekcode | Can anyone recommend any good SCIFI? My tastes: Foundation, Startide Rising, CITY, Ringworld,
    5. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by Noughmad · · Score: 1

      You must be right. There is no information on the net that could affect a child's development in any way. All the reports of them being exposed to excessive pornography, violence promotion, racism promotion, and bullying through social media must be simply censors doing their work in the shadow to keep children away from this wonderful, peaceful and harmonious place called the Internet.

      This is plain stupid. People are not "exposed" to the internet. On the internet, you only see what you type in or click. What you see on the internet are thing that other people wrote. How is this any different than listening to people? Should we lock the kids up and say "the people are definitely 17+"?

      --
      PlusFive Slashdot reader for Android. Can post comments.
    6. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by theBully · · Score: 0

      You mean to tell me that as a parent you have no interest or concern whatsoever on who your children are talking to? Are you a parent? Are you even past 10?
      Keep in mind that the amount of information children get to by simply talking is limited to friends, school and adults in the family. It's a very small circle compared to the Internet. They won't be talked to by child pornographers or by extremist idiots unless you take them to some place where they can meet such people. Teens are more exposed to potentially dangerous information than smaller children but this is why they are also more often involved in things that have the potential to destroy they're lives. When a parent finds that his child is hanging out with the wrong people he does try to intervene. On the Internet it's all within a click just like you said. Set children in front of a computer without any parental control and they'll get to some ugly staff in no time. I won't even mention teenagers here.
      Since you are so quick at using "plain stupid" here is a piece of advice for you: It is better to shut up and risk to be thought of as stupid then to open your mouth and make it certain.

    7. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by UBfusion · · Score: 1

      Information itself may not be dangerous, but I still insist the Internet is a dangerous place, just because such a small percentage of it is useful information. And when I say "useful" I mean useful for one's cognitive development.

      Unfortunately it's impossible to teach children to "think before you click". Or "think while watching TV". Any visual stimulus is a thunderstorm to the brain and does affect its development.

      Al you can do is provide counter-motives so that children learn to avoid becoming passive consumers of information, wherever it comes from. Give them a camcorder and help them make films instead of letting them watch endlessly YouTube videos. This is what "intellectual autonomy" is about, becoming producers instead of consumers of knowledge/information/entertainment.

    8. Re:There's a joke in here about Apple... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unfortunately it's impossible to teach children to "think before you click".

      Correct. So teach them think after they click.

      Give them a camcorder and help them make films instead of letting them watch endlessly YouTube videos.

      When we give teenagers cameras, they tend to text photos of themselves in various undressed positions to their boyfriends/girlfriends. The Nanny State's response to that, of course, is to charge them with distributing child pornography. And the infantilization of our culture continues, full steam ahead.

        The idea that a thinking human being can be harmed by data is simply undignified. I am not a programmable device, and neither are you, or your kids.

  10. "Illegal" != "not lawful" by UBfusion · · Score: 2

    To my poor understanding of english as a second language, an "illegal Internet café" is a café that operates without a licence, and not a café that violates its licence terms (not serving minors). Am I wrong?

    1. Re:"Illegal" != "not lawful" by bruce_the_loon · · Score: 1

      Probably yes and no. Illegal does mean no license, but if the penalty for violating the terms of the license is the automatic revocation of the license, then you become illegal.

      --
      Trying to become famous by taking photos. Visit my homepage please.
  11. Re:Does China need NASCAR? by BasilBrush · · Score: 2

    NASCAR, American Idol, and Supersize portions: the opium of the people.

  12. my by mill-industry · · Score: 1

    http://www.mill-industry.net/

  13. Misleading, China is forbidding addictive gameplay by Clsid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The article is not reflecting why these measures came to pass. They are trying to block minors from spending all day long playing World of Warcraft, Counterstrike and similar addictive games, not the web itself. You can be in favor or against games like that, but one thing is certain, they are truly addictive and in my country, Venezuela, they don't allow minors with school uniforms into Internet cafes either. See the problem is that in countries like this, the "cafe" part is meaningless. People use computers in these places since they might not have a net connection at home, the games would have incredible lag and a myriad of other issues mostly related to money and available infrastructure. It is the same way in most developing countries.

  14. Well ... by lennier1 · · Score: 1

    Good to know China also has assholes who are using the "think of the children" excuse to screw up people's lives.

    1. Re:Well ... by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      At least in China it's because all those damned children playing Starcraft are coming in late for their shifts at the factories...

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:Well ... by lennier1 · · Score: 1

      If they don't, people at Engadget will be bitching about how they had to wait a few days more for their iPhone to arrive.

  15. disarmament catching on to save life/planet/spirit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    curious why it's taken so long? we all know killing is important, but it would seem at least useful to stop, for say, 1 year, to see what happens. we'd probaly be able to see & breath better because of the decreased spewage from all that gear. why does that not measure in? did it ever?

  16. how long has the holycost been going on by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as long as any of us can remember. part of 'life'. the toll on the developing human spirit/life cycles is unimaginable. & who do we pay to make money on death?

  17. It's a civil war by Dunbal · · Score: 1

    You're right. Khaddafi should be compared to Abraham Lincoln. /troll

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    1. Re:It's a civil war by quenda · · Score: 0

      You're right. Khaddafi should be compared to Abraham Lincoln. /troll

      Troll or not, your comment is valid. The Chinese have begun to remove statues of Mao. How long before Americans do the same for Lincoln?
      The US civil war led to the deaths of millions. For what? It would only have been a matter of time before the impoverished southern states came back, grovelling for re-admittance. Yet Lincoln is a hero, not a mass-murderer. With this attitude I don't think we will see Cheney & Bush in The Hague any time soon.

    2. Re:It's a civil war by zill · · Score: 1

      The Chinese have begun to remove statues of Mao.

      Actually in 1999 the Chinese introduced a new series of bills that prominently feature Mao on every denomination. This was the first time in history that renminbi featured a real person's portrait.

      Furthermore, Mao's portrait has been displayed at the Tiananmen gate ever since founding of the country.

  18. Endanger whose well-being? by macraig · · Score: 1

    Authorities have made it illegal for Internet cafes to serve minors under the age of 18, stating that the Web's content could endanger their well-being.

    I think there was a mix-up in translation here... "their" being the Chinese government, not the minors, right?

    1. Re:Endanger whose well-being? by kwoff · · Score: 1

      And which communist-party leader owns the internet cafe chains which Yu Yi would like to promote?

    2. Re:Endanger whose well-being? by v1 · · Score: 1

      I was just thinking the same thing with the minors on the internet, "we haven't finished brainwashing them yet."

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
  19. Seriously! by Blackout+for+Hungary · · Score: 1

    Why do I get advertisements in my RSS reader? The reason why I subscribed to Slashdot RSS in the first place, because mobile internet traffic is f***ing expensive here

    1. Re:Seriously! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because that's how they pay for this site

  20. Re:Does China need NASCAR? by Dunbal · · Score: 1

    Yup. Strange how history repeats itself, every time slightly different, but generally the same. Instead of gladiators it's American Gladiator. Instead of beasts we have race-cars and steroid laced millionaires. But the circus continues while the state treasure is squandered, politicians try to deal with the barbarian threat on the border by expanding the border, coin is issued with reckless abandon, laws become more and more ridiculous, unenforceable and extreme, and yes hostiles are even offered bribes to stop attacking. I'm just waiting to see who the new Hannibal is going to be.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  21. 99.999% world's pop. oppose being ruled etc.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the other .001? one can 'rule' quite a serfdom, with enough lawyers, guns & money (rome, real estate overextensionalism(?). a little depopulation seems to fall in the brew when the peasants whine. aren't we better at protecting ourselves than hired armed goons who shoot at us are? babys rule. that's it.

  22. Re:Does China need NASCAR? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    I'm just waiting to see who the new Hannibal is going to be.

    Liam Neeson.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  23. #1 least popular issue, topic, suggestion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that would be moving inland. it is not an unpopular search topic now. slow but sure would be better? we'll take care of each other? crowds are good. drowning? 'living' in absolute devastation? both avoidable so far? don't bring ANY weapons, hired goons etc.... thanks

  24. actually.... by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

    considering all the... STUFF... I've seen on the intarwebs over the decade I've been on it.... I don't think it's that stupid to say "minors @ internet == HAS to include parental supervision"... I don't think that's stupid at all...

    1. Re:actually.... by mijelh · · Score: 1

      I recollect that, when a stripling, we were exposed to the internets without the aid of the elder. That's how we become men.

  25. Re:Misleading, China is forbidding addictive gamep by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nobody wants to hear that. People want to hear China is just evil, please let them. That minors still have web access through their mobile phone nobody is interested in. That Chinese look to their government to keep their kids in line also nobody wants to know about.

    For those who do care: yes they're evil and yes they censor. But no, that's not why these places were closed.

  26. Internet only to adults? I good idea. by devent · · Score: 1

    I find it a good idea to make Internet only for 18+, so we can finally stop the stupid debates of content filtering, content ratings, etc. As I can see the only way children can access to the internet is only if the adults are get a connection. A child can't get DSL or any other connection, it's always the parents which get the connection from the ISP and allowing their children to access the internet. So why should other adults suffer if the parents won't check what websites their children access?

    Please make the internet an "adult zone" and just stop all discussions about internet ratings and content filtering.

    --
    http://www.mueller-public.de - My site http://www.anr-institute.com/ - Advanced Natural Research Institute
    1. Re:Internet only to adults? I good idea. by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      I find it a good idea to make Internet only for 18+, so we can finally stop the stupid debates of content filtering, content ratings, etc. ...

      Please make the internet an "adult zone" and just stop all discussions about internet ratings and content filtering.

      While we're at it, let's make television, radio, and all printed and recorded media part of that adult zone as well.

      Problem solved!

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  27. In, over, under and thereabout, know I know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But can you tell me what the definition of 'is' is?

  28. Re:Misleading - Quick note from an expat by nhtshot · · Score: 1

    Not only do they limit access to internet cafes, but to a whole assortment of other "entertainment“ venues.

    Even video arcades (places quite strongly associated with children) are age restricted here.

    This has nothing to do with the usual "evil China" banter about censorship, et al. and everything to do with conservative "family" values.

    China is so conservative, it makes Ronald Reagan look like a communist. (Note: I live in mainland China)

  29. Not only do they forbid minors.... by General_Fei · · Score: 0

    (Note: I live in China at the moment) Internet café's also require patrons to scan their shenfen-zheng ("Chinese National ID Card") when buying time at a computer console. Not only does it filter out minors, it also filters out all non-Chinese nationals, since foreigners don't have the National ID Cards and the ID scanners can't handle passports.

  30. Re:Does China need NASCAR? by gratuitous_arp · · Score: 1

    NASCAR, American Idol, and Supersize portions: the opium of the people

    Who can forget the elegant prose of modern-day philosopher Marl "More!" Karx's famous lines concerning NASCAR ...

    ... The burp of the oppressed creature, the beer of the beerless situation, and the fire of fireless collisions ...

    Criticism [of NASCAR] has plucked the imaginary flowers on the chain not in order that man shall continue to bear that chain without fantasy or consolation, but so that he shall get off his ass once a year on the 4th of July to get drunk and watch some huge explosions.

  31. Authorities everywhere are "concerned" by h00manist · · Score: 1

    Internet regulations are increasing all over under all sorts of excuses. From "copyright violations" or "protecting children", the authorities are afraid. Only information runs over the internet, only communications. Unbridled, uncensored, uncontrolled, unsupervised information and communication is a threat to whoever has something to hide, reason to be afraid of what people are thinking or discussing. Mass group communications leads to mass group opinion making, coordinating, and planning. As soon as decentralized money systems and education systems are discovered and organized in large numbers, by the masses and labor and finances can no longer be centrally controlled, and society will be completely transformed.

    --
    Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
  32. Re:Does China need NASCAR? by Noughmad · · Score: 1

    Not everyone, but most.

    --
    PlusFive Slashdot reader for Android. Can post comments.
  33. Dangerous to their wellbeing? by steeleyeball · · Score: 1

    It's so true, giving internet access to impressionable youth is dangerous to totalitarian governments. Look at the middle east.

  34. Why not 1/20th of a century? by gumpish · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't it take both fewer keystrokes and less calculations on the part of reader if you just wrote the number of years like a normal human would?

    Ass.

  35. seems unfair to kids from poorer households by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Except in a place like China you can imagine many kids live in households without access to the internet. The really cynical side of me says that what they want to do is avoid kids from the working class side of society from being able to communicate with one another and learn about ideas outside of the confines of schools. Maybe they want to avoid what is happening in the Middle East.

    All this whining about how content or games are bad is foolish anyways. There's plenty of good things on the internet too, and kids can't learn everything or have passions in school alone.

  36. Re:Misleading - Quick note from an expat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    China doesn't blacklist Slashdot.org?

    Let's see if I can change that.

    Democracy.
    Democracy.
    Free China
    China is bad.
    Democracy.

  37. Big Shocker from Big Brother by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Repressive government strips people of freedom, rights and the pursuit of happiness then escapist behavior is exhibited by persons into virtual game universes to discover self relevance follows ... more news at ten. What a crappy place to live. Good news is that type of government oppression is spreading to the Western World too, we just can't wait to get ourselves into little pleasing robot outfits!