Google might pull out of china.

[Aloone_Jonez]

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html

I'm sure you've heard this before.

To paraphrase the article. Google have told the Chinese government that they'll pull out of China unless they're allowed to produce uncensored search results and something is done about the attacks to human rights activist's gmail accounts.

[piratePenguin]

China is the worlds largest internet market.

China doesn't need google. (does it?)

Googles gone. But at least they look cool.

Seems like a bit of a strange move to me, but I'm not fully following the story.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Let me stress that they haven't pulled out of China yet, they're threatening to, if the censorship doesn't stop.

I can't see the Chinese government budging: Google will either have to drop it or move out.

I don't think this is a good thing. Google will e censored anyway so they might as well go along with it.

Hell, this article explains my point it better than I can: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358078,00.asp

[piratePenguin]

Let me stress that they haven't pulled out of China yet, they're threatening to, if the censorship doesn't stop.

I can't see the Chinese government budging: Google will either have to drop it or move out.

This is what I'm assuming will happen, and I can't see them dropping it. That would be silly anyway.

[Refalm]

China doesn't need google. (does it?)

Indeed, the Chinese use Baidu.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Baidu is under strict control of the Communist party, Google is more independent.

China doesn't need Google but I think it would be worse off without it.

At least Google is honest and tells people when the results have been censored, Baidu doesn't. Google will also probably apply the bare minimum amount of censorship required by law. Google also is a vital channel for information to travel from west to China which will be worse off without it.

I think Google should accept the censorship but not the attacks on their servers. They should push the government for an investigation and tell them they'll pull out if it happens again.

[reactosguy]

It looks like the Communist Party is trying to kick out Google.


Either way, Google can just simply not censor the results. Why battle instead of just doing it? :wtf:

[Refalm]

It looks like the Communist Party is trying to kick out Google.


Either way, Google can just simply not censor the results. Why battle instead of just doing it? :wtf:

That's an oversimplification of things. China has the Golden Shield Project, they'd block Google if they try to show this forbidden image for example.

[worker201]

Not that it matters at all, but when I was in China, I used Google, and it didn't seem to affect my browsing too much.  This site still worked.

[worker201]

Hell, this article explains my point it better than I can: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358078,00.asp

That guy isn't a very good writer, but I see what he's saying.  It probably would be worse for Google than it is for China.  I suspect there will be an empty compromise - Google will get almost nothing, unless you count the heaps of great publicity.  And China will lose almost nothing - in fact, it will likely present itself as the underdog winner, progressive and willing to compromise.

Also, I'm absolutely certain that the NSA reads the email of people on their list.  And yet, that doesn't make the US undemocratic at all.