‘Don’t be evil.” That’s the motto of Google, which was founded in 1997 and is now worth $129 billion (£72 billion), making it the fastest growing company in the history of the world. The mixture of unprecedented financial growth and squeaky-clean ethics has made Google the only company in the world which is perceived as simultaneously cool, successful and on the side of the good guys.
Or at least that was the case until last week, when Google announced that it was switching its search facilities in China to servers based inside the country, and that as part of that process it would be co- operating with Chinese government censorship of the internet.
Until now, Chinese net users who were blocked from accessing a site knew that the information was there and was being kept from them by their own government. From now on it is Google which will be keeping data from them, in direct contradiction of its own declared mission “to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”.
The reaction to Google’s move has been highly critical. The watchdog organisation Reporters Without Borders called it “a black day for freedom of expression in China”, adding that “Google’s statements about respecting online privacy are the height of hypocrisy in view of its strategy in China”. It seemed that the company’s real motto was something more along the lines of “don’t be evil unless the Chinese government asks you to and there’s serious money in it”.
My goal is to live forever. So far so good.
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Benjamin Franklin
I had it explained to me by a Colonel a few weeks ago who is a tech geek during his free time. Most of what he said went over my head so in short, it basically searches the search engines, from Ask, Yahoo, MSN, to Google. Even though it is the best search engine, Google has only mapped 16% of the internet so IMO Dogpile gives you an even better picture of what you're looking for every time. Dogpile also doesn't track you the way goole does. It's still new to me though so we'll see.
My goal is to live forever. So far so good.
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Benjamin Franklin
They don't really have a choice other than not doing business in China. That might be noble but it'll get them shareholder lawsuits as well, they aren't here to make people it doesn't impact happy.
Following the laws of the host country is what you do, or you don't do business there.
"Life is what happens while you're making plans for later."
Also, the whole country runs through content filters, so you could see the page was there but not get anything if you clicked it.
So:
a) Google has had their hand forced by the others going in before them (eg MSN, Yahoo)
b) The Chinese internet community will be the biggest on-line presence in the world in the next few years, and it will blow past everything else.
c) Showing me a link I can't get to is not doing me a favour, in fact it's made using Google slow and frustrating for the Chinese up until now.
Now, while I don't agree w/ the Chinese government's heavy handed censorship (every country has some, don't kid yourself) are you willing to pull up stumps in Iraq and fight a war in China for their right to Google "tiananmen square". I don't think so.
May 2003 - "Mission Accomplished"
June 2005 - "The mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight"
-- G W Bush, freelance writer for The Daily Show.
Fash wrote:Does anyone here live in China? Who gives a fuck?!
does anyone here live in Iraq?
My goal is to live forever. So far so good.
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Benjamin Franklin
Let's not forget that Google isn't the first to cooperate with the Chinese government. It's not like they bucked trend and sold their souls. Last news report I'd heard said that all the other big search engines were complying as well. They just decided to make a big deal out of google making the switch.
Yahoo released information to China Gov so they could take in "rebells!" last year. If my memory is correct.
Don't understand why it's such a big fuss with Google. The China market is huge, but censored and controlled today.
Google stand up for integrety and privacy where they can, as in not letting personal search-information to the U.S gov body. Time will tell, but I'm positive!
