(no subject)
I never got around to that nap, and now it's too late to take one. DOH! I have NOT been productive today (apart from the gym, class, food shopping, and wrapping ebay items) so i feel a little guilty now. I'm so tiiiiiiired, though.
Anyway, this is important. Read on!
I received an email today from the Coalition for Tibet saying that Google has formed an alliance with China to censor websites that link to information on the Tibetan people, their history, and the current political climate. They're basically assisting China, by restricting freedom of speech and information, in its continuing quest to re-write it's occupation in Tibet as "peaceful".
I did a quick search, and found these media sites confirming this story (though I need/want to look into it further):
http://mediaalliance.live.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?id=180
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/01/24/google.china.ap/index.html
They clarify that it's only the CHINESE google that will be censoring Tibetan history and information, which is almost more problematic for me, considering China's behaviour in regards to freedom (or lack thereof) of speech.
This makes things difficult for me. I, obviously, don't use the Chinese version of google, but I do use the European and US one. Do I want to support a company that censors information to further a country's political agenda?
No, I don't. But if I give up Google, is that really making a big enough stand? Does my lowly internet usage count when it's removed? Is my unimportance an excuse to keep using Google? or is that just, well, shitty and lazy of me?
*broods*
Anyway, this is important. Read on!
I received an email today from the Coalition for Tibet saying that Google has formed an alliance with China to censor websites that link to information on the Tibetan people, their history, and the current political climate. They're basically assisting China, by restricting freedom of speech and information, in its continuing quest to re-write it's occupation in Tibet as "peaceful".
I did a quick search, and found these media sites confirming this story (though I need/want to look into it further):
http://mediaalliance.live.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?id=180
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/01/24/google.china.ap/index.html
They clarify that it's only the CHINESE google that will be censoring Tibetan history and information, which is almost more problematic for me, considering China's behaviour in regards to freedom (or lack thereof) of speech.
This makes things difficult for me. I, obviously, don't use the Chinese version of google, but I do use the European and US one. Do I want to support a company that censors information to further a country's political agenda?
No, I don't. But if I give up Google, is that really making a big enough stand? Does my lowly internet usage count when it's removed? Is my unimportance an excuse to keep using Google? or is that just, well, shitty and lazy of me?
*broods*