China to Regulate Internet Map Publishing 279
hackingbear writes "After text, pictures, and videos, China starts regulating Internet map publishing (here is the google translation.) The government believes that Internet maps can represent the state's sovereignty and its political and diplomatic positions in the international community — and consequently, inaccurate maps could harm national interests and dignity, produce bad political influences, reveal national secrets and harm national security, in addition to harming consumer interests. So from now on, publishing maps would require approval and (yet another) license from the state survey bureau. That means Google, Yahoo, etc., need to remove China from the map; or maybe they just pay up some officials and their agents to acquire yet another license. And our newest 80Gbps DPI monsters need to be upgraded to identify maps together with porn."
Re:...national secrete... (Score:3, Interesting)
Anyone who even slightly agrees with this measure is a pawn of the fascists, and would be better off sharing a forum with Gordon Brown and Georgie boy.
What does this mean? (Score:4, Interesting)
What happens if they just ignore their weirdo regulations and continue to publish the maps? How about just not in China?
Fort Knox on U. S. maps (Score:5, Interesting)
It was actually a little bit exciting to see the map in Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger, showing the United States Bullion Depository located at the intersection of Bullion Boulevard and Gold Vault Road. In those days before Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] and Google Earth, this gave at least one reader frisson of forbidden information. I wondered whether Fleming would be the target of any mysterious reprisals for publishing it.
Consumer Interests (Score:2, Interesting)
It's nice to see that the Chinese Government have learned from their western counterparts that anything you do in the name of "protecting consumer interests" becomes allowable. Their next lesson: "think of the children".
Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious, but it looks to me like the intention of this is to prevent Chinese citizens from seeing any map that recognises Taiwan or Tibet. Any one remember Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri? - Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
Sad, but unsurprising.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Can they do this? (Score:1, Interesting)
Google maps also shows the boundaries between countries. Google probably wouldn't have any problems getting a license. The Chinese government probably is mostly concerned about maps that highlight different countries in different colors. Google maps shows countries in a uniform light gray. Thus, when Google maps labels the island of Taiwan, it is not clear whether Google is saying that Taiwan is a sovereign state or a region within China (i.e., like Hong Kong or Macau). If Google Maps were to highlight China in red and Taiwan in blue, then that would be inconsistent with China's position (it would also conflict with the rest of the world's position of maintaining the ambiguous status quo for as long as possible). Is licensing on-line map providers and possibly censoring unlicensed on-line map providers the best way for China to communicate its positions? Probably not outside of China. But the Chinese authorities are more interested in encouraging unity within the country on issues of what constitutes China than on pleasing the rest of the world.
Re:Real concern == Taiwan (Score:3, Interesting)
No problem. Just show all of China as one country... with the capital in Taipei.
They want it both ways (Score:4, Interesting)
If we had governments representing people, then the UN would would have told China to where to go a long time ago and China would have become something Cuba could laugh at.
But instead, we have governments representing corporations. (we elect them but the corps control them) To ignore china because of their fascist ways is not good for the corporate bottom line and the CEO's annual bonus. So the corps will bend and jump through hoops until they control China as well. When that happens, we will have become Star Trek's Ferengi race. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferengi)
Argentinan case (Score:2, Interesting)
MSN Live has streets but it seems they've used very old data as they show streets that don't exist so don't rely on them too much.
Don't know about Yahoo.
Re:...national secrete... (Score:1, Interesting)
sure most of the western world have more freedoms (for now, losing that slowly under 'war on terrorism'), but we are not *free*... 'political correctness', gun control, campaign finance, religion, etc. most aspects are controlled by the investment class either directly or indirectly through mass manipulation. only difference is that the people's republic of china is a little more clear about who's boss
Re:...national secrete... (Score:5, Interesting)
1) Publish and push data all the way into their living rooms until they cut off the Internet for their people completely.
2) Publish in a flippant way: publish maps but when it comes to China put a graphic that says sensored by assholes in China.
3) Publish a website that shows ALL the stuff that China does not want their citizens to see/read/hear so that the entire rest of the world can see/read/hear it and know what Chinese government types have censored from their own people.
4) invite the Chinese government to come make the rest of the world sensor material for their benefit. I'm not saying war is good, but if you intend to tell them to fuck off they will either hide behind the wall or respond to that message.
Personally, I believe that no one should be buying ANYTHING made in China. Yes, I know it's next to impossible but I would spend an extra 10% to support companies from my country that make competing products to Chinese products.
The entire China issue is completely out of hand, and the best way IMO to stop it is to stop dealing with them. Stop buying from them. Stop selling to them. Do not go to the Olympics either. Don't watch the Olympics. In fact, I say we censor China altogether from the world's information, business dealings etc. Don't let them invest in anything anywhere else in the world. Lock up their assets that reside outside of China, close their Embassies... everything.
Yes, that will eventually hurt their people but it is their people that must overthrow the government in charge at this point.
Re:Can they do this? (Score:3, Interesting)
It would stop Google from burying information and propagating disinformation on behalf the Chinese government. The Chinese take your land, put a bullet in you head, and charge your child 50 yaun for the bullet. [wordpress.com] What do you think the official Google.cn story regarding that event looks like? Something is not always necessarily better than nothing. Google should leave China. Staying is most certainly "evil." Your argument is the same as saying that the Chinese people are better off with TVs even if every broadcast station is nothing but round the clock propaganda. Google is nothing but a tool for propaganda in the hands of a dictatorial government.
Besides, hiding evidence of a murder and lying about it is itself a very serious criminal offense in the US.
Re:They want it both ways (Score:2, Interesting)
Obviously the corporations remain nameless and there are no people involved, at all. Once I point out the people you will start decrying their evil intentions and your purity. Great. We'll get nowhere.
How about instead of blaming "corporations"* (why not "the devil" ? I like the devil. I think we should mention him more often) we start looking at the reality.
China has resources we need if we are to have the standard if living "we" want. (and by we I mean first and foremost you and myself)
So here's the cost of "isolating" china : about 60% of your paycheck. If you also want to isolate the (much) worse middle eastern islamic dictatorships, we're talking 85-90% of your paycheck.
So let's hear your argument. You don't need to blame "corporations", they can do nothing about price. There's a limited supply of goods, and nothing can extend that supply except free enterprise. Currently said free enterprise has allowed U.S. citizens to increase their paychecks about twentyfold of what they would otherwise be.
So, let me ask you : why should I drop half my paycheck (isolating 1 government), or 19/20th of it (isolating all govts that deny human rights for islamic or other reasons).
Would you yourself be prepared to do so ?
The result of walling of China on the U.S. (or western) end would be massive inflation until your paycheck is worth about 60% of what it is now.
Oh and please explain to a lot of people who live at less than 200% sustinence level (not so much in the US, but more than enough elsewhere), why they should die for your "right to be free" ? Are you even prepared to die for it yourself ? Are you, say, a reservist ?
Actions, such as isolating China, have consequences. Clearly the best course of action, judged by the likely results, is *not* isolating china. Judging an action by it's likely consequences is a thorougly christian concept, which is also the only correct way to do it, you may or may not like this, but the real world doesn't care.
China wouldn't collapse if left to it's own devices. More likely it would do what it did in the past under such circumstances : attack.
* let's take the example of oil companies. Shell, Exxonmobil,
My son has a Chinese map/jigsaw-puzzle that shows (Score:2, Interesting)
Chinese culture seems to me to still be in the 19th century in many regards, and unable to engage in self-criticism. I've never met a Chinese person who could admit opposing points in relation to Tibet for example, notwithstanding that these people are all intelligent and decent in other regards.
I'd be able to feel more sorry for Tibet if the exiled government wasn't stuck in the middle ages though.
Sino-Indian war (Score:3, Interesting)
It ended up in part, causing a war with India http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino_indian_war [wikipedia.org]
A lot of China's posturing and paranoia seems to almost make sense if you look at the history of how they have been treated by other nations.