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Browsing the Broken Web: a Software Developer Behind the Great Firewall of China

Posted by Soulskill on from the internet-obstacle-course dept.

troyhunt writes "While we've long known that China takes a fairly aggressive stance on internet censorship, I thought a visit to Shanghai this week would pose a good opportunity to look at just how impactful this was to software developers behind the Great Firewall of China. It turns out that the access control policies make life very difficult at all sorts of levels when accessing simple technology resources we use every day from other countries. But I also found an amazing level of inconsistency with sites and services intended to be off limits being accessible via other means. It's an interesting insight into how our developer peers can and can't work in the country with the world's largest internet population."

4 of 58 comments (clear)

  1. One acronym solution: by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 4, Informative

    VPN. VPNMakers.com - $5/month, works great from all over China (including Shanghai, where I live half-time). No problem getting into corporate networks, secured websites, or even streaming Hulu/Pandora/MOG/Netflix.

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    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  2. Poorly admined network by DigiShaman · · Score: 3, Informative

    Been to Shanghai more than I can count. Basically, the network is poorly maintained. Everything from double-NATing, poor routing, to offline DNS servers. The problem at least residential side are systemic.

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    Life is not for the lazy.
    1. Re:Poorly admined network by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 3, Informative

      Been to Shanghai more than I can count. Basically, the network is poorly maintained. Everything from double-NATing, poor routing, to offline DNS servers. The problem at least residential side are systemic.

      I live in Shanghai half-time (out by Qibao town, in Minhang). My apartment had poor Internet service, until I complained to China Telecom and demanded they honor the contract I had with them. Ended up I was too far from the CO to get the 3 Mbps connection I was paying for, so they pulled fiber to my apartment block and now I get a solid 8-10 Mbps down/1 Mbps up without a hitch.

      Use China's laws to your advantage. If a contract is offered, accepted and paid for, then legally they HAVE to give you what you want - there is no way for them to back out or refund the money. Service has been paid for, they must provide the service regardless of cost.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  3. Re:4 months in Shanghai was too long by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I can live in HK.

    you do realize that the "one country, two systems" deal is only valid for 50 years after PRC assumed control over hong kong? so there's as little as 35 years left before all hell breaks loose there... and PRC has already tried, countless times with no signs of stopping, to reduce the economic and social freedoms and exert more control over judicial system and media. so unless you're like 50+ yrs old and probably won't be around in 35 years, you may like to live there NOW but you certainly won't want to STAY.