[REBORN FROM THE ASHES][comments][01.14]

windandrain2004UID: 2597690

关于REBORN FROM THE ASHES组COMMENTS活动的说明&汇总
https://bbs.gter.net/thread-1042733-1-2.html
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Google Ends China Self-Censorship Policy, Threatens Exit
From http://www.time.com

Aly Song / Reuters, Customers inside an Internet cafÉ in Shanghai, China, Jan. 5, 2009

After years of struggling to build its China operations, Google has threatened to pull out of the country following a sophisticated cyber attack on its corporate infrastructure. The California-based Internet giant also announced on Tuesday that it will drop its self-censorship of its Chinese-language Google.cn search engine, which the company had previously filtered to prevent it from returning results on topics that angered Chinese authorities.

David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer, wrote on the company's official blog that Google uncovered a broad hacking attempt in December that was targeted at more than 20 technology, finance, media and chemical companies. A primary target may have been the Gmail accounts of Chinese human-rights activists. "These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered — combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web — have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China," he wrote. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton quickly issued a statementthat Google's allegations raised serious concerns. "We look to the Chinese government for an explanation," the Jan. 12 statement read."The ability to operate with confidence in cyberspace is critical in amodern society and economy." (See pictures of life in the Googleplex.)


This morning in Beijing, Google.cn was returning results for sensitive topics like the Dalai Lama and the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. Previously, a search for "Tiananmen" would only return results about the square itself, while noting that because of government restrictions some content was unavailable. Now Google.cn links to pages that include information about the bloody government crackdown in 1989, though the page appears to have fluctuated between uncensored and censored over the course of the day.

Google has long struggled to expand its China operations. After its search engine was routinely blocked or slowed by China's system of Internet controls, it created the filtered Google.cn in 2006. The hope was that by censoring select results, it would speed up searches for Chinese users.

But the decision to offer a censored search page prompted an outcry from human-rights activists and some members of Congress that the company was turning a blind eye to its "Don't be evil" motto for the sake of access to the lucrative Chinese market. "Google came into the market bending some of its own rules," says Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting in Beijing. "It was intoxicated with the prospect of this enormous and still just-beginning-to-develop market. I think it always knew it was already having a little bit of misgiving about being in the market, but it couldn't pass it up."

In the end, Google's compromises did little to help its position on the mainland. Average Chinese Web users never warmed to the company's services, and it came under repeated attacks from the authorities and state media for providing links to pornography. "They were trying to find a way to compromise without completely bending over and it turned out they couldn't win," says Rebecca MacKinnon, an expert on the Chinese Internet. "Over the past year they've been under growing pressure from the government to censor more tightly and been condemned in the Chinese media for exposing children to porn." Baidu, a Chinese search engine with a Google-lookalike home page, has used its better relationship with authorities and its indigenous appeal as a domestic company to surge past Google. Baidu was the first choice for 77% of Chinese Internet users, compared to 13% for Google, according to a September 2009 survey by the state-run China Internet Network Information Center. (See pictures of the making of modern China.)

By dropping its censorship, the company stands to regain some of the moral clout. Today, several Chinese bloggers delivered flowers to the company's Beijing headquarters to thank it for its new stand. "It's a public message that some people in China are picking up on," says MacKinnon. "A large Internet company, the largest in some ways and most influential globally, is saying publicly that the Chinese government's behavior is unacceptable, and that can't fail to resonate."

Google says it will discuss with the government how it will go about running an uncensored search engine in China. "We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China," wrote Drummond, the Google executive, on the Google blog. Given the company's tempestuous four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.

— With reporting by Jessie Jiang / Beijing

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1953248,00.html

windandrain2004UID: 2597690

Useful expressions:
1. After years of struggling to build its China operations, Google hasthreatened to pull out of the country following a sophisticated cyberattack on its corporate infrastructure.
2. Now Google.cn links to pages that include information about the bloodygovernment crackdown in 1989, though the page appears to havefluctuated between uncensored and censored over the course of the day.
3. But the decision to offer a censored search page prompted an outcryfrom human-rights activists and some members of Congress that thecompany was turning a blind eye(视而不见) to its "Don't be evil" motto for thesake of access to the lucrative(adj. Producing wealth; profitable) Chinese market.
4. By dropping its censorship, the company stands to regain some of the moral clout([MW]n. PULL, INFLUENCE <political clout>).
5. Given the company's tempestuous(tempest [MW] n. a violent storm) four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.

Comment:
It shocked me when I knew that Google is going to exit from the Chinese market. I'm a Gmail user, and I'm addict to it for the convenience it has brought to me. Other products powered by Google have also tried by me, such as Picasa, Google Docs, and Checkout. Although some disadvantages exist, most of the Google products are fun to use, and easy to play with.
I've just purchased a Nexus One phone by Google, which hasn't been delivered to me yet. I can't imagine one day Gmail was not accessible.
Every day, I use Google to search for my needed information. Explanations of various events, definition of some words, websites, news, and so on. How could Baidu be used for? Just searching for useless information and ads. Without Google, truth would be buried and we will be fooled by the government and Baidu all the time.
I feel quite sad. Now we will be taken off the right of searching for the true information. Maybe, one day, we would have to apply for the right of eating and sleeping. And whether we should live or die would be simply decided by the government.

海王泪UID: 2673613

Useful Expressions
free speech
for the sake of
access to
the lucrative Chinese market
just-beginning-to-develop market
indigenous appeal
Given the company's tempestuous four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim. (odds are slim)

My Comment
Only twisted face could I express when I see this news.
Astonished! Illusion! How could Google suddenly make such a stupid announcement? Expressions like “Just-beginning-to-develop market” “Lucrative Chinese market” in this article give us a sense that Google has been long for this hallowed loess (though worse “environmental“condition than local hallowed turf in America ). What prompt such a coveting MNE giant give up such a big piece of cake in China?

Surveillance and thus limited free speech serve as the essential problem. Recent sophisticated cyber attacks finally anger the MNE giant. It reminds me of one stupid phenomenon when I was a senior high school student, that on QQ many people wage an objection to Google for its filter of information about Nanking Massacre. I find I was attacked by these critics when I told them it is not the fault of Google but the censorship, an enormous Internet firewall, which make us lack access to some sensitive information. We know, Google is not willing to operate a discriminated policy in China, because filters not only block information for us but also money for themselves.

I am a user of Gmail, I am a fanz of Google engine, I also use Maps, Scholar, News in Google. And I am just looking forward to Google Wave. But the article today play an elegy. Hardly could I imagine the days without Google but Baidu.

qxn_1987UID: 2610437

Self-Censorship（自我审查，自我检查）
surveillance
crackdown（压迫，镇压，打击）
outcry（大声疾呼）
intoxicated
pass up（拒绝）
indigenous（本土的）
clout
pick up on（与…熟悉起来）

Given the company's tempestuous（有暴风雨的，暴乱的） four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.



Comments:

Bluntly put, I was astonsihed, as well as suspected when I first knew the news that Google.cn might be shutted down. As to this complex and complicated issue, different people or different authorities will have extraordinarily different opinions due to their different standpoint, or different interests, and so on. I felt sorry and pity for this matter, and it would be better, from my personal point of view, if there will be a compromise between both Google and Chinese authorities.

I would like to talk no more about this issue since the issue is so intricate relating to politics.

qisaimanUID: 2703629

indigenous 本土的

I am a fan of google, enjoying the excellent services from reader to wave, though some of which seem complex to my computer knowledge. it is the spirit and moral conscience of google that attract me more than their fascinating products. i believe any one who looks forward to a more enlightened chinese future will choose to support google. to google, once you go it, you never come back.
the infamous censorship of internet all over the world, especially launched by chinese government, are doomed to a complete failure. just as Yogu once said," you can resist an army invading, but can not resist an idea whose time has come". the relationship between technology and spreading civilization is best demonstrated here in china.

prettywraithUID: 197049

Comments (2010-01-14):
The news, which Google may abandon their operations in China, appears in all media recently. As a user of Google's products, I am very sad for this event. As a matter of fact, Google search is the most powerful tool that I have ever known, and it is more effective than Baidu, his biggest competitor in China. And his other products are also brilliant, such as Gmail, Google earth, Picasa, Google Times and so on. I have never thought how can I surf internet conveniently without Google. The first trouble is how can I send e-mails without Gmail. Using other free mail-boxes like 163 may be one choice, but these mail-boxes are always unstable and usually trouble me.

As his wonderful products, Google is one charming employer for every employee. His corporate culture and human interests in work place often make employee forget to concern their salaries Google will pay. For other aspects, I do not know clearly, and these are too sensitive to say in mainland. Whatever who is right or is wrong, that is meaningless for me. I only want to say thank Google's superior services.

Wrong spelling:
mail-boxes      mail-boxs
conveniently    conviniently
appear            apear
corporation     coporation

emteddybearUID: 2699606

cyber attack
attempt:还有行为的意思
surveillance：监视
feasibility ：可行性
allegation：指控
crackdown：镇压
censor：检查
porn：色情
condemn：谴责




GOOD SENTENCES：
1.The California-based Internet giant also announced on Tuesday that it will drop its self-censorship of its Chinese-language Google.cn search engine, which the company had previously filtered to prevent it from returning results on topics that angered Chinese authorities.
2、Now Google.cn links to pages that include information about the bloody government crackdown
in 1989, though the page appears to have fluctuated between uncensored and censored over the course of the day.
3.But the decision to offer a censored search page prompted an outcry from human-rights activists and some members of Congress that the company was turning a blind eye to its "Don't be evil" motto for the sake of access to the lucrative Chinese market.
4."Google came into the market bending some of its own rules,"
5. Given the company's tempestuous four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.




MY COMMENTS:
Yes, the rumor that GOOGLE will shut down the google.cn is so hot. Today, I found that there are four topics associated with Google in the TOP 10 in our school BBS. As for this topic, I want to say something in my opinion.
Firstly, for the main reason, it is not only Chinese authorities' limiting free speach【speech】, but also the hacking attempt. GOOGLE thinks that GOOGLE.cn is under such a bad condition that it can't develop regularly. For the first reason, I am skeptical. Does really GOOGLE think it breaches their belief by useing【using】 the filterd 【filtered】 engine? Why does it last so many years? For the second reason, I think it is not a reason anymore, for that websites being attacked is so normal. BaiDu in 10.11 is good example. And I think GOOGLE should not impeach Chinese authorities.

Secondly, the spokesman of Google said that in order to support demestic 【domestic】 company BAIDU, there is suspicon【suspicion】 that Chinese goverment 【government】 is supplant Google. But I think Google needn't worry about that. Data show that there are more and more people like to use Google, even to such a extent that it seems that we can't be without Google. I think this is why there were some Chinese bloggers delivered flowers to Google's Beijing headquarters. As for me, when I want to search somthing 【something】 in English, especially for some academic dessertations 【dissertations】, what I want to use is goole only. So I think the market of google.cn is prospect.

All in all, I think the rumor is something like a trick, because Google said it is just thinking about. If Chinese government compromises, it will win a lot including more followers and more profites 【profits】. If Chinese doesn't compromises, they can keep on google.cn too, only if they really want to repeal markets in China.

木虫虫UID: 2694986

[REBORN FROM THE ASHES][comments][01.14]https://bbs.gter.net/thread-1051165-1-1.html

corporate infrastructure 公司基础设施
surveillance 监视
indigenous 土生土长的
turning a blind eye 视而不见


Google Ends China Self-Censorship Policy, Threatens 这个“恐怕”用法我就想不到 Exit

After years of struggling to build its China operations

The ability to operate with confidence in cyberspace is critical in a modern society and economy

the page appears to have fluctuated波动 between uncensored and censored over the course of the day.

Given the company's tempestuous狂风骤雨 four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.

Comment

This morning when I check the news report in my cell phone I was absolutely stunned by this news. In my mind Google just like a trusted friend, who always company with me when I was surfing in internet, searching an unknown place, and looking for truth. I suggest that the reasons behind this announcement maybe linked to the nonstandard market and monopoly. In another hand, it may takes long time for Chinese to accept to a new comer in this field, so Google should be patience and switch focus to make people more understand the characteristic and advantage of Google.cn.

I hope it will never come to reality, a good many people around me use Google instead Baidu, and we are faithful fans.

考完归来，不知道是不是我用脑过度了，还是果然一旦停下就会倒退，看这篇用了好久，写的时候连Comment都不会拼了……⊙﹏⊙b

KiKi~淇水滺滺UID: 2679824

1.
After years of struggling to build its China operations, Google has threatened to pull out of the country following a sophisticated cyber attack on its corporate infrastructure.
2.
Now Google.cn links to pages that include information about the bloody government crackdown in 1989, though the page appears to
have fluctuated between uncensored and censored over the course of the day.
3.

But the decision to offer a censored search page prompted an outcry from human-rights activists and some members of Congress that the company was turning a blind eye to its "Don't be evil" motto for the sake of access to the lucrative Chinese market.
4.
By dropping its censorship, the company stands to regain some of the moral clout([MW]n. PULL, INFLUENCE <political clout>).
5.
Given the company's tempestuous(tempest [MW] n. a violent storm) four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.
6.
Baidu, a Chinese search engine with a Google-lookalike home page, has used its better relationship with authorities and its indigenous appeal as a domestic company to surge past Google.



I saw this piece of news just few hours ago today. Unlike most friends around me, I’m not a Google fan and used to use Baidu. Even though that’s my habit, I still feel sorry about Google and the situation it faced in the past four years. I can imagine how hard it got through and how hard it struggled just between the lines in this article.

These years are really tough for Google, especially when they dealing with authorities in China. I think Chinese government is not that prepared to release much sensitive information. That’s just the way it does in China, you have to abide by the game rules here if you want to play and stay in it.

So because Google is the giant in IT field and it’s not domestic, it’s not easy to keep low profile under all the media lights and the public eyes. The environment puts more pressures and risks for them to do business in Chinese mainland.

Wish Google has a bright future and can come back in the next years.

tequilawineUID: 2702008

pull out
1 (火车)驶出, (船)划出; 从某处离开, 从某处开出
2 退出
3 拔出
4 〈非正〉(从疾病、不愉快的心境等中)恢复
5 (使)离开
primary target
主要目标

surveillance
[sur·veil·lance || sɜr'veɪləns /sɜː-]

n.
监视, 监督

free speech
n.
言论自由

allegation
[al·le·ga·tion || ‚&aelig;lɪ'geɪʃn]

n.
断言; 辩解; 申述; 主张

crackdown  

n.
压迫; 痛击; 镇压

turn a blind eye to
v.
熟视无睹

intoxicate
[in'tox·i·cate || ɪn'tɑksɪkeɪt /-tɒk-]

v.
使陶醉; 醉人

indigenous
[in·dig·e·nous || ɪn'dɪdʒɪnəs]

adj.
土产的; 本地的; 土着的; 生而俱有的, 内在的, 固有的

may well   
(完全)能, (满)可以
1 But the decision to offer a censored search page prompted an outcry from human-rights activists and some members of Congress that the company was turning a blind eye to its "Don't be evil" motto for the sake of access to the lucrative Chinese market.
2 Given the company's tempestuous four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.


Comment:
What is the basic infrastructure of human society？Freedom is the short answer. As we all know, all the modern civilization community comes into spectacular prosperity by the means of liberal wills which penetrate into every aspects of our daily life.

Liberty always stands on numerous efforts, even bleeding. Never comes easy for human in order to get what we really want. So does whole nation. History demonstrated the truth. Delving into the surge of historic time, most regimes collapse into dust because of its arbitrary authoritarian, which hints us that people under high pressure mostly become more radical and impulsive to resist.

This piece of news just clarify it. At times we may well give up some of important morality just for lucrative incentives, by all means we can, finally, we abandon the motto we kept before. Ironic is that we still try to conceal in noble cuticle. To arouse the lost inner conscience, we need push them to notice the whole populace staring them what they do, the easiest way, I think, is to let their real face showed on stage, resembling a downpour from ones’ confused mind.

Without freedom, life is worthy for nothing. How could you imagine you can not choose the party you advocate, have free speech, or whether to call into question of our government, whether to gain our own rights—equal rights.

Allow me to quote Martin Luther King’s style in conclusion: I have a dream that one day our children live in equal peace nation, where no discriminative exists, that one day our children have chance to criticize the authority , where no consequence follows.


Spectaculor
spectacular

敛寒影UID: 2613052

self-censorship  自我审查
filter  过滤
surveillance  监视，监督
raise serious consern
fluctuate between ... and ...
lucrative  有利的
pass up  拒绝
under growing pressure
been condemed in....
stands to
fail to resonate

Given the company's tempestuous four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.

Comment:


I am wondered by the result of survey concerning about which search engine people like more,Baidu or Google.I think all long that Google appeals more people as a domestic tool in our daily life.As in my oppion,I accustomed to use Google all the time,because I like the simple but colourful modality of page,which looks so orderly and comfortable.Moreover,compared with the indigenous search energy—Baidu,Google has a range of convenient function it does not have such as GoogleScholar and Picasa—a kind of photo manage software.Especially the GoogleScholar helps me a lot in searching for English literature,which I could not get full text in the database.I would be adapt a long time without Google that play an important role in my life.
Reffering to the uncensored content I have been known for the first time after reading this article.I am not realy clear about whether the problem is about the feasibility of our business operations in China or about sensative topics and uncensored content.If it is the latter reason,I would rather willing that Google been pull out of the country,on the contrary,if it is the first reason,I wish we should get consensus on this problem and we shoule still use Google.cn.

jinziqiUID: 2387034

This piece of news makes me astonished. I used to visit g.cn/music to download songs with high quality, go to Google Translate to understand foreign languages, concern what is happening by Google Reader, and connect with my friends with Gmail. Actually, Google has been spent a long difficult time in China under the control of Chinese Government. Any kinds of media, such as news on TV and newspaper often publish that Google is not safe for the reason that the search result is harmful to children, which I disagree. I reckon the government makes too much limitation on the Internet to conceal the truth. As a member of Chinese, we have the right to know everything about the past and what is happening. Another unacceptable thing is that every industry often tries to conceal the truth as long as possible, and when the news is published, it must be the past at least 2 days before.

plukaUID: 2721764

NOTE

But the decision to offer a censored search page prompted an outcry from human-rights activists and some members of Congress that the company was turning a blind eye to its "Don't be evil" motto for the sake of access to the lucrative Chinese market. "Google came into the market bending some of its own rules," says Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting in Beijing. "It was intoxicated with the prospect of this enormous and still just-beginning-to-develop market.

Average Chinese Web users never warmed to the company's services

"They were trying to find a way to compromise without completely bending over and it turned out they couldn't win,"

Baidu, a Chinese search engine with a Google-lookalike home page, has used its better relationship with authorities and its indigenous appeal as a domestic company to surge past Google.

By dropping its censorship, the company stands to regain some of the moral clout. Today, several Chinese bloggers delivered flowers to the company's Beijing headquarters to thank it for its new stand. "It's a public message that some people in China are picking up on（与…熟悉起来）,"

the Chinese government's behavior is unacceptable, and that can't fail to resonate（使共鸣，使共振）."

Given the company's tempestuous four years in China, the odds the authorities will now compromise are slim.

COMMENT

I used to be fretted instantaneously at the thought of internet censorship in China, yet somehow this spleen was quenched and seemingly forgotten as the time past. Google’s articulate statement, however, re-arouses the fire. Chinese internet users are amazingly tolerant to the omnipresent censorship that engulfs them online; they shouldn’t be. We read articles on the right of free expression in the Constitution, that might be true: we are able to, indeed, gain freedom to some extend, but only under a confine—a limited realm whose space is under encroachment at any moment and whose authority lies in no its residents’ hand.

Is it justifiable that the government imposes filter system to its people? The answer may well remain to be seen. One relevant factor is the degree of censorship. While it’s understandable that the government conceals certain part(but by no means a big part) of information such as certain upheaval or political or military tensions so as to appease the public and avoid possible turbulence, I deem it ridiculous and nonsensical to hide everything that in their eyes undermine the authority and infallibility of the government.
For one thing, though ostensible forbiddance may squash the words spoken from the mouth, it hardly suppress the words flow from the heart. Instead of concession, internet users vented their spleen in various approaches and developed another set of language in contest with these banned phrases. It has even became a kind of satire that jokes on many government-launched bans or softwares enter the daily online activity such as hexie or lvbaniang（= =）. Those jokes can be fun, but they originate from the abnormal current in which people have no way to express their ire other than through black humor. How far are we from the normal? Many people, Google included, awaite for an answer.

错别字：
Quench constitution（S后面没有I！） relevant（V后面是A不是E！） ridiculous（R后面是I不是E！） forbiddance（双写D+A！） squash suppress（U后面没有R双写P！） abnormality（N后面有R！）

123runfordreamUID: 2697608

囧...
我竟然忘记发了。

Comment:

As I heard this message, I was kind of freaking out, then cooled down after a while.
Humen rights have been mentioned again. But I don’t know what exactly is happening actually. I don’t know Google choosing to quit out because their market profits are not good or the relationship with the Chinese government is not working well.
For my personal habit, I like using Google more for less advertise and more quickly to get what I want. The freedom of information is the faith of Google, and that’s what they are doing and doing well but not completely praised by Chinese government for some special reasons. Our government is trying very hard to protect us from influencing by those bad and stupid against our homeland’s harmony. Well, since it does believe we have a good sense of judging, we have to be retrained on access of information. If Google quit for not compromising with the sacrifice of locking information, I can totally understand and applaud for it. If not but for the other reason, I can only feel regret.
I hope the true freedom can be seen and felt someday in our country.

sunflower_irisUID: 2720580

COMMENT
Baidu DNS was hijaked on 12th Jan by hackers, which made a slump in the price of their stock. On 13th Jan, Google said that they would shut down Google.cn and may abandon their operation in China. Then Baidu’s price bounced back at that time. Well, how to say, misfortune may be an actual blessing.

I don’t want to talk about advantage or disadvantage when Google exit, I interest in “why”. Why they suddenly made this decision, and why this bussiness issue raise to a politic issue. Goole has built its operation in China for sevaral years, it is absolutly not the first time they face to China self-censorship policy. If they don’t agree with this policy, why they decided build their operation in China? Some western media praised this act as the real courage of fighting for freedom. But the real meaning of this act is for free speech on web, for its own profit, or values of US, I don’t know. There is one thing I definitely know is China will not change self-censorship policy cause Google exit.