Ross Mayfield illustrates the effect of censorship with two different Google searches:
Images of Tiananmen through Google China, and the same through Google.com
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| google.cn | google.com |
Also read Ross Mayfields posting about this: The Great Wall of Google.
No, Google wasn’t making any sort of statement in this decision- it was strictly “business” for them. Some of the pie vs. no pie (ie. Yahoo & MSN would go in anyway).
It was basically their previous, pious statement about their “non-bias” that has brought this wrath upon them. As “free” people, it’s hard for those not growing up in China to imagine not having the rights we possess.
My belief is that it isn’t possible to change a country unless it happens from within- from the people in that country (a revolution). Any other country that steps in, no matter their sincere & honest (they believe) motives, will always be treated as “outsiders” & are then easy targets for the Gov’ts to “spin” as bad influences or just as trying to undermine the history & culture of the country they are attempting to change.
My hope (yes, I’m an optimist) is that things will change- in time. We are used to the “instant” world of the internet & tech & forget that people, & their opinions/motives, change as slowly as they ever did.