STORM2K

Today my friend told me that, all of a sudden, the English Wikipedia Webpage can now be opened here in China without a proxy. At first I just couldn't believe it, but later I tried, I mean yes, I made it! As a constant reader of Wikipedia, I do feel excited about that.

Yes, this is right. English Wikipedia and the English BBC News website were unblocked some time earlier this month. However, it's been reported that links to the Tiananmen Square incident, and the recent Tibet unrest, still remain blocked on the English Wikipedia.

Chinese Wikipedia and the Chinese BBC website are still both blocked though.

Good to hear, though it'd be best if they killed the Golden Shield project altogether because it's just silly to censor the internet for so many people, especially when it can be bypassed with relative ease.

Honestly, why do they even bother?

Well, I think online censorship is not effective. 'Cause where there is a will, there is a way. Even if Wiki is banned, I can still browse its website by using proxy, for example, HOTSPOT. You can block a website, but you can't block people's desire to acquire knowledge and tell the truth from the lies.

wyq614 wrote:Well, I think online censorship is not effective. 'Cause where there is a will, there is a way. Even if Wiki is banned, I can still browse its website by using proxy, for example, HOTSPOT. You can block a website, but you can't block people's desire to acquire knowledge and tell the truth from the lies.

Well, exactly. Someone will always find a way around any censorship.

Censorship online is 100% pointless, it's too easy to get around it.

They probably are doing it temporarily at the behest of the IOC. IOC has been insistent lately that the live coverage (TV, internet etc) of the Games not be restricted by Chinese government. They also been insistent that journalists and international visitors have free access to the internet. *shrugs* I suspect it will go back to the status quo after the Games.