Comments on: blocking educational websites=shooting yourself in the foot http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/ An exploration of virtual experiences and environments in and about China. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:05:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Mark Anthony Jones http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-386 Mark Anthony Jones Mon, 28 Aug 2006 06:35:52 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-386 I have had no problems accessing all of these sites here in Shenzhen either (with the exception of 1828). I can also confirm what Jason says - many sites that are accessible to me here in Shenzhen are not accessible to me in Hong Kong. Many Westerners I know, are not happy unless they are demonising the CCP, and spend much of their time looking for reasons to do so. I am currently debating the nature of China's governance and society with a Hong Kong based academic from the UK named Sojourner on my site - most of his criticisms of China stem from his universalising abstractions, via European Enlightenment ideology - which I argue, is a form of ethnocentrism. And that's what I charge most bloggers who run China-related sites with - ethnocentrism. Their attitude reveals itself everytime they rush to accuse the CCP of blocking sites they can't access here on the mainland, even though most censorship here in China takes the form of self-censorship, and all too often the sites are accessible here anyway, depending on what server your commuter happens to go through. The exact same phenomena applies to most countries, which is why accessinig sites in places like Hong Kong is also very much a case of hit and miss. I have had no problems accessing all of these sites here in Shenzhen either (with the exception of 1828).

I can also confirm what Jason says - many sites that are accessible to me here in Shenzhen are not accessible to me in Hong Kong.

Many Westerners I know, are not happy unless they are demonising the CCP, and spend much of their time looking for reasons to do so.

I am currently debating the nature of China’s governance and society with a Hong Kong based academic from the UK named Sojourner on my site - most of his criticisms of China stem from his universalising abstractions, via European Enlightenment ideology - which I argue, is a form of ethnocentrism. And that’s what I charge most bloggers who run China-related sites with - ethnocentrism. Their attitude reveals itself everytime they rush to accuse the CCP of blocking sites they can’t access here on the mainland, even though most censorship here in China takes the form of self-censorship, and all too often the sites are accessible here anyway, depending on what server your commuter happens to go through. The exact same phenomena applies to most countries, which is why accessinig sites in places like Hong Kong is also very much a case of hit and miss.

]]> By: Ky http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-385 Ky Sat, 26 Aug 2006 13:44:14 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-385 I think I know what you mean, but to prove your opinion you have to give some "academic or educational websites" which are truly blocked. I think I know what you mean, but to prove your opinion you have to give some “academic or educational websites” which are truly blocked.

]]> By: Ky http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-384 Ky Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:43:59 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-384 I'm a normal netizen in beijing,and I acessed the links you gave without any diffcult except 1828.I don't know what's your problem,but if you draw the conclusion before check it seriously then you are demonizing china。 I’m a normal netizen in beijing,and I acessed the links you gave without any diffcult except 1828.I don’t know what’s your problem,but if you draw the conclusion before check it seriously then you are demonizing china。

]]> By: Lyn http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-383 Lyn Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:10:25 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-383 Perhaps I didn't make my main point clear. The issue is not whether a specific website is blocked from a specific computer or not. As Micah and many others have pointed out over the years, Chinese filtering is an on-again-off-again kind of thing. This is one of the reasons it's so successful. The point is that academic or educational websites being blocked from ANY computer does not make sense, especially in China where it takes extraordinary individual and family sacrifice to attend graduate school. The Internet has already transformed scholarly exchange around the world. Chinese graduate students and professors should be given the *best* tools with which to view others' work and to share their views with others. Perhaps I didn’t make my main point clear. The issue is not whether a specific website is blocked from a specific computer or not. As Micah and many others have pointed out over the years, Chinese filtering is an on-again-off-again kind of thing. This is one of the reasons it’s so successful. The point is that academic or educational websites being blocked from ANY computer does not make sense, especially in China where it takes extraordinary individual and family sacrifice to attend graduate school. The Internet has already transformed scholarly exchange around the world. Chinese graduate students and professors should be given the *best* tools with which to view others’ work and to share their views with others.

]]> By: Positive Solutions http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-382 Positive Solutions Wed, 23 Aug 2006 13:54:21 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-382 Interesting observations, really set my mind thinking over the Nanny: how much is actually blocked here in China? I concluded not as much as we make out.... www.20six.co.uk/positivesolutions Interesting observations, really set my mind thinking over the Nanny: how much is actually blocked here in China? I concluded not as much as we make out…. http://www.20six.co.uk/positivesolutions

]]> By: lucifer http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-381 lucifer Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:30:50 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-381 Every one of them can be accessed ---except http://www.1828.com.cn/blog,I'm in Xi'an..so it must be your problems! CHECK CAREFULLY BEFORE U MAKE A CONCLUSION!!! Thanks! 我在西安，除了http://www.1828.com.cn/blog不能访问外其他都可以访问，请您在没有弄清楚问题所在的时候不要轻易的下结论！！谢谢！！ 中国是有问题，但是没有比夸大或者没有调查就下结论更无耻的事情了！！ Every one of them can be accessed —except http://www.1828.com.cn/blog,I‘m in Xi’an..so it must be your problems!
CHECK CAREFULLY BEFORE U MAKE A CONCLUSION!!!
Thanks!
我在西安，除了http://www.1828.com.cn/blog不能访问外其他都可以访问，请您在没有弄清楚问题所在的时候不要轻易的下结论！！谢谢！！
中国是有问题，但是没有比夸大或者没有调查就下结论更无耻的事情了！！

]]> By: 星城 http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-380 星城 Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:55:45 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-380 我们中国挺好的，但作为一个发展中国家自然有她的不足。我时刻以自己是中国人而自豪！ 希望你们对我中国有信心。 我们中国挺好的，但作为一个发展中国家自然有她的不足。我时刻以自己是中国人而自豪！

希望你们对我中国有信心。

]]> By: Jason http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-379 Jason Tue, 22 Aug 2006 09:21:31 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-379 Mahn, none of that stuff works on my HK internet either. Pfft. Mahn, none of that stuff works on my HK internet either. Pfft.

]]> By: Micah http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-378 Micah Tue, 22 Aug 2006 07:28:13 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-378 Just as a data point, from Shanghai every one of those websites loads except <a href="http://www.1828.com.cn/blog" rel="nofollow">http://www.1828.com.cn/blog</a>, which is timing out for my US proxy <em>and</em> timing out from an SSH session to a server in the United States. In fact there was an article a few months back in the local paper (Xinmin Wanbao) about a group of students at Fudan University who are translating textual materials and adding subtitles to audiovisual materials from OpenCourseware. Sooo... just goes to show the fragmented and inconsistent nature of the Great Firewall. Just as a data point, from Shanghai every one of those websites loads except http://www.1828.com.cn/blog, which is timing out for my US proxy and timing out from an SSH session to a server in the United States. In fact there was an article a few months back in the local paper (Xinmin Wanbao) about a group of students at Fudan University who are translating textual materials and adding subtitles to audiovisual materials from OpenCourseware.

Sooo… just goes to show the fragmented and inconsistent nature of the Great Firewall.

]]> By: China Law Blog http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/08/21/blocking-educational-websitesshooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comment-377 China Law Blog Tue, 22 Aug 2006 07:16:46 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=321#comment-377 No Wikipedia either. No Wikipedia either.

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