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Hitchhiker
Rear Admiral
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: Ontario, Canada
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 Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:27 pm Microsoft censors Chinese portal blogs |
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| Canoe.ca wrote: | June 14, 2005
Microsoft censors Chinese portal blogs
By CURT WOODWARD Associated Press Writer
SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. is cooperating with China's government to censor the company's newly launched Chinese-language Web portal, a spokesman for the tech giant said.
The policy affects Web logs, or blogs, created through the MSN Spaces service, said Adam Sohn, a global sales and marketing director at MSN.
Microsoft and its government-funded Chinese business partner work with authorities to omit certain forbidden language, Sohn said, declining to provide specific examples.
"I don't have access to the list at this point so I can't really comment specifically on what's there," he told The Associated Press.
On Monday, Agence France-Presse, the French news agency, said bloggers were not allowed to post terms to MSN Spaces such as "democracy," "human rights" and "Taiwan independence." Attempts to enter those words were said to generate a message saying the language was prohibited.
MSN Spaces, which offers free blog space, is connected to Microsoft's MSN China portal. The portal was launched on May 26, and some 5 million blogs have since been created, Microsoft said.
China's government encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to ban access to material deemed subversive.
It also recently demanded that Web site owners register with authorities by June 30 or face fines.
Chinese censors scour Internet bulletin boards and blogs for sensitive material, and block access to violators. Sites that let the public post comments are told to censor themselves or face penalties.
Sohn said heavy government censorship is accepted as part of the regulatory landscape in China, and the world's largest software company believes its services still can foster expression in the country.
"Even with the filters, we're helping millions of people communicate, share stories, share photographs and build relationships. For us, that is the key point here," he said.
Tala Dowlatshahi, a spokeswoman for the international media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, said such arrangements are common when large technology companies do business in China.
The journalists' group has sent letters to the presidents of Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, Cisco Systems and other companies urging executives to pressure the Chinese government for reforms on free expression.
But the tempting market for Chinese consumers can quiet such pleas, Dowlatshahi said.
"In terms of the reality of the situation, those business deals are going to continue as globalization expands," she said. "But we want to make sure that pressure is being put on the companies to pressure the Chinese government to ensure a more democratic process."
Sohn said filters on domestic products also prevent some language -- generally profane or sexually explicit references -- from being posted to the Web.
"We're in business in lots of countries. I think every time you go into a market you are faced with a different regulatory environment and you have to go make a choice as a business," he said.
MSN China is a joint venture with Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd., an investment company funded by the Chinese government. Shanghai Alliance invests in new economic development in Shanghai and other parts of China.
China's estimated online population is 87 million, second only to the United States. |
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/TechNews/Internet/2005/06/14/1087809.html
Just another interesting Internet-related article. I learned about it yesterday, and am watching an interview about it now.
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LightningBoy
Commodore
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 1446
Location: Minnesota, U.S.A.
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| Wed Jun 15, 2005 11:10 pm |
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Dammit Microsoft, don't cave to the commies. This is bad news.
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Founder
Dominion Leader
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 12755
Location: Gamma Quadrant
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| Wed Jun 15, 2005 11:17 pm |
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*Looks at the topic and sees that China is censoring the internet. Doesn't want to get in trouble with a certain comment. Leaves.* 
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:12 am |
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Bad idea Microsoft. That's all I'm saying.
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Dirt
Exercise Boy
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 2086
Location: a tree
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| Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:31 am |
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More links to microsoft being big brother naziish
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Starbuck
faster...
Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 8715
Location: between chaos and melody
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| Thu Jun 16, 2005 10:05 am |
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lol Dirk, I was sooo going to say something along those lines.
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webtaz99
Commodore
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1229
Location: The Other Side
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| Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:30 am |
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Boycott 
Linux 
Star Office 
Microsoft BURN IN H*LL 
-------signature-------
"History is made at night! Character is who you are in the dark." (Lord John Whorfin)
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:18 pm |
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Yeh, Linux is lovely. Never crashed my machine. That was until I had to remove it as microsoft messed the computer and I don't have the disc now,
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webtaz99
Commodore
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 1229
Location: The Other Side
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| Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:44 pm |
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Sorry about that post. I was so angry I became incoherent.
Linux really isn't the answer. Even though it is a great OS, it was nver really meant to take on Windows. Too bad we can't build a new open source OS with that goal in mind.
I simply can't fathom why the world's richest man feels he needs to trample on the rights of the Chinese people just to make MORE money.
-------signature-------
"History is made at night! Character is who you are in the dark." (Lord John Whorfin)
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Dirt
Exercise Boy
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 2086
Location: a tree
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| Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:08 pm |
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| webtaz99 wrote: | Boycott
Linux
Star Office
Microsoft BURN IN H*LL |
Silly, star office stinks. Get yoself some open Office office. And I got beef with your opinions too , there are different distributions of Linux out there with their own purposes. Sure mandrake was never designed to be a consumer product but Red hat can be seen as a dekstop product for the consumer market.
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