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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
| Google joins Yahoo and Microsoft (China) |
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As you probably noticed, Google joined Yahoo! and Microsoft and signed contract with Chinese government recently. The contract says that when people in China use Google to look up information about certain key-words, only one link will be returned, the one officially provided by Chinese government. These words include Tibet, Tchien-an-men, human rights.
I'm from little country from central Europe called Czech republic. Prior to 1992 it was part of Czecho-Slovakia federation and prior to 1989 it was part of communist area with Poland, Soviet Union... The name of our first president from democratic era - Vaclav Havel - is amongst the words that people in Chine won't be able to look up through Google.
We say here that photocopiers helped us to break out of that terrible era by providing easy way how to copy and distribute what was not allowed by officials. All of these photocopiers were of course imported from other (non-communist) countries as we didn't have technology to produce our own models.
I can hardly imagine that companies from this "free" world would sign a contract with our government that their photocopy machines will recognize certain words and won't allow us to make a copy of such paper.
Yet, a very rich company from the US that represents American dream and the freedom of internet and information it self, signs such contract.
I consider this terrible indeed and I also think it is very serious personal failure of Mr. Brin and Mr. Page.
I'll do the only possible thing I can think of. I'll delete Google bookmark from my browser and I'm going to delete their address from my mind. Alternatives still exists, even if it means more work when looking up information. |
Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:51 am |
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titus
Survivor of Hell
Joined: 03 Aug 2003
Posts: 778
Location: Standing at the Hell mouth |
That is awfull  That is the same as what they did in the middelages: only the monks have right to knowledge. What is China trying to do? going back to the times of Mao tze tung?
What good alternatives are there for GOOGLE? plz tell me because I will rather use an other than one that supports ignorance
_________________
Want to become a vampire? a warrior in the battle between vampires and werewolves?
http://monstersgame.nl/?ac=vid&vid=12007139 |
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Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:47 pm |
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Darrius Cole
Most Exalted Highlord
Joined: 04 May 2004
Posts: 406
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China wants to have their cake and eat it too. They want economic revolution and progress, while at the same time maintaining their one-party government. In order to do that they have to place limits on the individual rights of the people Specifically, they have to control the ideas that come to the people; and they have to prevent any small group of people from becoming too wealthy unless they are loyal to the government. The latter means that they will have to find some way to limit property rights.
Yahoo and MSN are not much better. They tell the US Government what searches you execute on their sites.
I have found this to be a pretty good search engine.
http://beta.profusion.com
_________________
Always with you what can not be done. Hear you nothing that I say? - Master Yoda
Only the powerful are free. - Darrius Cole |
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Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:50 pm |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
Thanks for the link Darrius, I'll certainly give it a try. Btw, one of search engines I'm trying to use is
http://www.acoona.com/ |
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Thu Feb 02, 2006 7:50 am |
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titus
Survivor of Hell
Joined: 03 Aug 2003
Posts: 778
Location: Standing at the Hell mouth |
mmm a guy at school pointed this out to me and now I was wondering if they were correct. Can't the Chinese yust work around that contract and use something like google.uk or that sort of stuff?
_________________
Want to become a vampire? a warrior in the battle between vampires and werewolves?
http://monstersgame.nl/?ac=vid&vid=12007139 |
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Thu Feb 02, 2006 7:03 pm |
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Darrius Cole
Most Exalted Highlord
Joined: 04 May 2004
Posts: 406
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I doubt that. I don't know for certain, but if a work-around were that easy there would be no reason to even mention such a contract as Google has signed.
_________________
Always with you what can not be done. Hear you nothing that I say? - Master Yoda
Only the powerful are free. - Darrius Cole |
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Thu Feb 02, 2006 8:05 pm |
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Korplem
Swashbuckler
Joined: 23 Dec 2002
Posts: 853
Location: Pearl Harbor, HI |
Wow, that's messed up. 
_________________
If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.
-The Prince of Nothing |
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Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:03 pm |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
As far as I understand it, there's no easy way out. Of course really very experienced user might be able to find some workaround. But generally there's now way to simply use US version of Google from China.
And one more thing, as far as I know, if you are able to find a workaround, you will be generally commiting crime by doing so (according to China's laws). And that of course means it will be very dangerous thing to do. |
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Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:10 am |
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