Udhay Shankar N [17/06/09 06:50 +0530]:
"Architecture is politics".
Lessigisms aside .. this is typical 'how the internet business works in
china'.
Article in the bbc about how this software is [1] based on code ripped off
from a cybersitter program produced by a US company, so involved in
litigation, [2] produced by a company run by PLA / chinese army academics,
and they're not supposed to run commercial ventures, supposedly.
What seems to have happened is so usual that I've lost count of how often
it has happened. Politically connected local vendor comes up with some
weird and useless stuff (like another such vendor who came out a few years
back advertising "ipv9" .. shades of Jim Fleming there). If they are
politically connected enough they get friends and contacts at the ministry
of information industry (the IT ministry) to send out press releases,
ambiguously worded between "recommendation" and "mandate".
So .. if there's too much pressure / loud howls of laughter the idea can be
dropped and they can pretend it never happened.
For the ipv9 saga take a look at
http://www.circleid.com/posts/explaining_chinas_ipv9
srs
Udhay
http://www.crn.com/software/217900033
June 16, 2009
China Caves, Says Green Dam Software Is Optional
Caving to public pressure, China on Tuesday said that use of its
controversial "Green Dam Youth Escort" software is not required, though
all PCs sold on the mainland will come with it pre-installed.
China's turnaround comes as public outcry over the Green Dam Web
filtering software struck a nerve both inside and outside China. Last
week, the Chinese government mandated that as of July 1, all PCs sold in
the country must have the Green Dam software to block pornographic and
violent Web sites. The public fought back, claiming the software could
also block users from viewing political content and censor other
content. Some opponents also contend that the software can create
security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.
An official with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
who wouldn't reveal his name told The Associated Press that the use of
the Green Dam Youth Escort software is "not compulsory."
The ministry official added that while all computers sold on the
mainland will feature the filtering software, individuals are free to
decide whether they use it. PC makers will also be required to tell
government officials how many computers they have shipped with the
software, which was made by a developer contracted by the Chinese
government. Solid Oak Software, a U.S. application vendor, however,
alleges the makers of Green Dam stole some of its code to make the
controversial filtering software.
While China stands firm that the software is designed to block violent
and pornographic content, some users have said it also prevents access
to other topics including homosexuality, images of comic book characters
and mentions of the Falun Gong spiritual group, Chinese media have
reported. The software has also blocked images of pigs, confusing them
with naked human flesh, The Associated Press reported.
Chinese bloggers, along with lawyers and other civil rights proponents,
have been vocal in their opposition to the Green Dam Youth Escort
software, which is the most recent attempt by the Chinese government to
maintain control over its citizens' Internet viewing habits.
Opponents also contend that Green Dam is China's most intrusive Web
filtering tool because it censors right on a user's personal hard drive
and can also force offline programs like text editors to crash if a
banned phrase is typed.
China has already spent more than $5 million on the Green Dam software.
China also has the world's largest population of Internet users,
estimated at more than 250 million.
--
((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))
