Comments on: China, Wikipedia, and Apple Pie http://www.netcrucible.com/blog/2008/04/03/china-wikipedia-and-apple-pie/ The software industry from a rational perspective Sat, 17 May 2008 00:35:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: allenjs http://www.netcrucible.com/blog/2008/04/03/china-wikipedia-and-apple-pie/#comment-69453 allenjs Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:34:19 +0000 http://www.netcrucible.com/blog/2008/04/03/china-wikipedia-and-apple-pie/#comment-69453 Yes, it goes a bit deeper than that. For the average westerner who has never been to China, tiananmen is associated with only *one* memory. But for many millions of Chinese, they have hundreds of memories of happy times that they actually experienced firsthand at tiananmen. So it just stands to reason that they would publish lots of happy memories about tiananmen. Furthermore, you are right that it doesn't prove there is no censorship. Of course there is censorship. The point is that 99.9% of the Chinese population supports the censorship, and Chinese people do not think that people should be allowed to say certain political things in public. Same for the U.S. incidentally -- take Don Imus for example. In America, we support harsh action against people who say racist or sexist things. China is more permissive of some speech and more restrictive of other speech. It's just different norms. Yes, it goes a bit deeper than that. For the average westerner who has never been to China, tiananmen is associated with only *one* memory. But for many millions of Chinese, they have hundreds of memories of happy times that they actually experienced firsthand at tiananmen. So it just stands to reason that they would publish lots of happy memories about tiananmen.

Furthermore, you are right that it doesn’t prove there is no censorship. Of course there is censorship. The point is that 99.9% of the Chinese population supports the censorship, and Chinese people do not think that people should be allowed to say certain political things in public. Same for the U.S. incidentally — take Don Imus for example. In America, we support harsh action against people who say racist or sexist things. China is more permissive of some speech and more restrictive of other speech. It’s just different norms.

]]> By: Roland Hesz http://www.netcrucible.com/blog/2008/04/03/china-wikipedia-and-apple-pie/#comment-68842 Roland Hesz Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:52:11 +0000 http://www.netcrucible.com/blog/2008/04/03/china-wikipedia-and-apple-pie/#comment-68842 I did search for "“天安门”" You are right, after 27 pages of smiling kids, smiling Mao Ce-tung, festivals and parading soldiers there is the picture of two tanks approaching a single guy. It shows what is important for the western media - OMG!!! The world is a horrible place, we gonna die, panice!! - and what is for the chinese media - We live in a beautiful country, nothing serious, move along comrad. Not that it proves that there is no censure in China. I did search for ““天安门””
You are right, after 27 pages of smiling kids, smiling Mao Ce-tung, festivals and parading soldiers there is the picture of two tanks approaching a single guy.

It shows what is important for the western media - OMG!!! The world is a horrible place, we gonna die, panice!! - and what is for the chinese media - We live in a beautiful country, nothing serious, move along comrad.

Not that it proves that there is no censure in China.

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