Google threatens to leave China...thoughts?

laurenclaire1386

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/asia/14beijing.html?ref=technology

Generally, I prefer Wall Street Journal, but I couldn't get the full article online for free there.

I fully support what google is doing and hope they come out of this ok. Alienating China would mean they'd lose a lot of money, but Google has proven itself to be a company that adheres to its principles. I think government censorship is a crock of shiit, and so does google, apparently. That said, China won't suffer any great loss from losing google, it doesn't look like. They'll get to continue to censor content and keep their citizens from accessing certain information on the web. Makes me sad.

laurenclaire1386

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/asia/14beijing.html?ref=technology

Generally, I prefer Wall Street Journal, but I couldn't get the full article online for free there.

I fully support what google is doing and hope they come out of this ok. Alienating China would mean they'd lose a lot of money, but Google has proven itself to be a company that adheres to its principles. I think government censorship is a crock of shiit, and so does google, apparently. That said, China won't suffer any great loss from losing google, it doesn't look like. They'll get to continue to censor content and keep their citizens from accessing certain information on the web. Makes me sad.

ScarletGem

"Don't be evil."  They're trying, at least. 

Google was already mad that they had to censor search results in China, and this attack on the company is a great chance for them to stand up against the government's censorship.  I say, good for them for making noise about the deal they had to cut with the Chinese government in order  to be allowed in.  Also, good for Google for alerting the other companies that were compromised by these online attacks. 

Speaking of China's censorhsip, did you know that they're now offering cash rewards to citizens who can point the government to porn websites that are accesible from China?
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2009/12/07/china-offers-rewards-for-online-porn-informers/  (new window)

shellydiane820

I don't know what I'd do without porn

laurenclaire1386

Nope, I didn't know that. It doesn't surprise me a bit though.

This makes me like Google even more. They have the power to completely misuse the giant amount of information they process every day, and they don't. They're one of the most upstanding companies in existence, IMO. I would hate to see them suffer over this because I truly admire what they're doing.

ScarletGem

[QUOTE]I don't know what I'd do without porn :(
Posted by shellydiane820[/QUOTE]

I don't know how an entire <em>country</em> can get by without porn!  ;-)