The Chinese Route To a Web Free of Porn 420
An anonymous reader writes "Despite repeated 'for the children' campaigns, the Western Web as a whole has provided little or no isolation of pornography. This is why the Chinese are now attempting to march to a place where no country has been before: a Web without porn. Recent regulations have included closing down 'vulgar' mobile sites, disconnecting 'obscene' servers, and restricting domain registrations. Yet the breaking news for Monday is that China is planning to enforce a whitelist on foreign domains: in particular, any e-commerce will have to register locally and obey Chinese law before they get whitelisted. Domains will otherwise be 'irresolvable' to Chinese Internet users. Meanwhile, the government is promoting this campaign heavily, calling it a 'fresh start.' It seems the Chinese may have to do without the Internet, before they can rid it of porn."
Hum? (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Translation... (Score:5, Insightful)
Pornography may be naked people having sex, or it may be sites critical of the government.
Oh no, this is actually about pornography. The government of China already openly and unabashedly censors political content it doesn't approve of.
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:2, Insightful)
Serious question here, since trying to Google it brings up too many polluted results(read: Asian porn) -- Is it legal or even possible to buy porn in China? Like, going to a store and buying magazines or videos? I'm trying to determine just how much of a red herring censorship due to "porn" is since most of us grew up in places where buying paper porn is legal(if the buyer is of age, of course).
Conspiracy, or just idiocy? (Score:5, Insightful)
So China institutes a one-child-per-family policy. Due to social and traditional reasons, male children are far preferred. As a result, the population is already skewed male, and continuing to trend that way.
Now China's blocking the porn? How do they plan on dealing with the ah, excess males? Send them off to war?
Yea Right, it's all about "Porn." (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:1, Insightful)
Now? Type "vagina" into your google search bar. Click on the first link. BAM! Know any 8 year olds that can't do that these days? I sure don't.
And please don't try the "it's the parent's job to monitor their kids" argument; when the kids are surrounded by restricted materials 24/7 parents would have to hold their kids eyes shut 24/7 to stand a chance. With Internet access being as ubiquitous as it is, there's no way to guarantee young Johnny or little Billy won't get some quality alone-time with Google before they're ready for it.
I fear for the future generations. I really do.
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:5, Insightful)
The internet certainly makes porn rather easier to get than it has been in the recent past; but I'm not sure that it is something to get all that worked up over. Heck, the ability to afford enough rooms that the kids don't have to watch their parents, and the whole family doesn't have to watch the livestock, is a fairly recent innovation, on the historical scale.
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:5, Insightful)
Teaching children that things which come naturally to them are "taboo" only leads to confusion or worse. Though I understand where you're coming from, I'm one of those poor saps who felt the need during adolescence to acquire porn for the sake of discovery because I was led to believe that sex was something super-secret that only special people knew about.
It's as if parents are afraid of their offspring reaching earlier physical and emotional maturity. Why? It's a natural consequence of improved nutrition and availability of information.
The difference between China and the US (Score:2, Insightful)
is that with China, there's no pandering talk about "freedom" and "civil liberties." Chinese citizens know exactly what's up, whereas your average American still thinks they have freedom.
You think this is a provocative claim? It's not. The way the state deals with internet regulation is a perfect illustration. In China, you are forcibly blocked, end of story. Simple, efficient. In the US, law enforcement doesn't stop you outright, but instead they track you only to prosecute your ass later. Massive amounts of data are collected on you, whether it is by companies or by the state. The only real "freedom" your average American citizen has is the freedom to incriminate themselves, which, under the capitalist system, means complete financial destruction.
Honestly, you are screwed in either country. It's just that the Chinese government is more open about how they're screwing you.
Calling It Now (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:2, Insightful)
I love these types of pro-censorship arguments. All emotion and no facts. They always boil down to "it makes me feel funny".
Well, I'm sorry that you've categorically decided that a child having basic knowledge of human anatomy is "not good", but that's not a solid enough reason to restrict my freedoms.
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:2, Insightful)
He fears his own ignorance. Hate to break it to you NotwithAbrain, but we were born naked and to procreate. Get over yourself already. A kid seeing sex isn't going to make them the anti-christ you ignorant people seem to think. Grow some balls and teach your kids what sex is and for. People like you sicken me.
He fears his own ignorance. Hate to break it to you NotwithAbrain, but we were born naked and to procreate. Get over yourself already. A kid seeing sex isn't going to make them the anti-christ you ignorant people seem to think. Grow some balls and teach your kids what sex is and for. People like you sicken me.
There's a difference between sex and porno. There has been some debate about the role of women in porno-movies. Some (at least 1) countries have political parties promoting/condoning sex with children http://www.pnvd.nl/EN_index.html [www.pnvd.nl] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_for_Neighbourly_Love,_Freedom,_and_Diversity [wikipedia.org] . Instead of blindly/easily/lazily/cowardly tolerating whatever comes the most effortlessly to your mind, try grow some testicles and add something insightful to the discussion, instead of blurting colourless platitudes.
Re:Yea Right, it's all about "Porn." (Score:4, Insightful)
As other people have pointed out, China is already openly and unashamedly blocking and censoring political and cultural information it doesn't like; this is actually primarily about porn, which the government sees as corrupting and immoral.
Re:The difference between China and the US (Score:3, Insightful)
It makes me sick of people saying that Western Countries are worse than China just because they are not perfect.
First of all, nobody is saying that, by registering, you won't be prosecuted by the Government. If you register, post things in favor of Falung Long, the Dalai Lama, the Tiananmen students, be sure you'll be prosecuted. No need for you to post false statement, putting verified truths that harm no one will put you in trouble. Registering does not bring safety to you, it brings security to the Government that they will know where to find you if they want to.
Also, here in Western People we have the Empire of Law. It means you have to be judged by the law of the country(*) and, if you find an unfair judge, you can appeal. In China and similar countries, if you are labeled Enemy of the State, it does not matter if you never broke one of their laws. Even if you don't get condemned, you can easily lose your job and become a pariah. And forget about complaining of the behaviour of the security forces of the country, maybe here there are cover-ups but there you'll probably just get beaten by the same police to which you complain.
Saying that this measure is better than we have, is like saying that censorship is good because it allows newspapers to know that they won't be sued for libel. You give your freedom, and you don't ever get a security back
Pick your choice
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:5, Insightful)
14th century mentalities were on the right track.
You realize that the 14th century was the part were Europe was barely emerging from the dark ages? Not to mention that in the 14th century, girls were married off and had children way before the age of 18. How do you think that worked? Or do you think that the best way to introduce a girl to sex ed is on her honeymoon night when she's 15?
Re:What is with commies and sex? (Score:3, Insightful)
Because none of that happens is the good, god-fearing, democratic west now does it.
The only difference is that western politicians ban such things for God or the Children, Eastern politicians simply offer no excuse.
This has nothing to do wiht porn! (Score:2, Insightful)
The Chinese government is just got tired to block every page against it on Internet. So it decided to simply close it!
One province had lost Internet Connection for more than 8 months and this is just the beginning.
Re:The difference between China and the US (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Conspiracy, or just idiocy? (Score:3, Insightful)
Coming from a nation full of chinese immigrants, I think the main problem of the one-child policy is that it does not end up in a lot of abortions, hidden children or what not, the main problem is that the family structure is totally broken down. The children are now the bosses, the little kings, leading to an entire generation of sociopaths and socially-inept people. Think of this - what if everyone in your country did not have a brother or sister? Where do you learn your family values?
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, because the US is the bastion of freedom (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, because the US is the bastion of freedom for homo-sexuals. Tell me again in wich nation the people voted to make homosexuals 2nd class citizens?
Sometimes you got to think a little bit clearer before you comment. And China is pretty open about homosexual rights because they are not christians and as such do not have the WESTERN view that it is a sin.
Re:The difference between China and the US (Score:1, Insightful)
I can't say much about China, but I have never heard any western government discuss ways to prevent abuse of power. I do see them abusing their power constantly though, and it seems most of the population don't care. Almost as if they take it for granted. So when you say "in one people discuss ways to prevent abuses of power, and in the other they take it for granted" I have to wonder which countries you're actually talking about.
This is NOT NEWS!!! The TOPIC IS A TROLL. (Score:4, Insightful)
Sorry, the rule that foreign e-commerce web sites have to register with the Chinese authorities and hosting porn is illegal has been around for many years. It was part of the law when I lived there over 5 years ago, and the "porn" excuse was well known cover for cracking down on politically sensitive issues. Nothing that I can see is new or interesting in this report that was not just as true 5 years ago.
Moderators are letting a lot of crap slip through these days.
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:3, Insightful)
Why don't you watch rape, torture and (real) murder scenes everyday for a year and then let me know if it did not permanently affect (scar) you in any way
Why don't you quit sensationalizing your arguments in an attempt to cover your lack of evidence or reason?
Re:So That Takes Care of Wikipedia Then? (Score:3, Insightful)
There's a difference between sex and porno. There has been some debate about the role of women in porno-movies.
The main problem with kids being fed (current) porn before they can act it out is that they believe that what is pictured in porn films is how people are supposed to behave together instead of being a fantasy enhancing device. Most of them grow out of it but it makes their first relationships difficult. And since they will only talk about it with other similarly tainted youths, it's a (small) problem.
Just seeing naked people has no particular ill effects.
Some (at least 1) countries have political parties promoting/condoning sex with children http://www.pnvd.nl/EN_index.html [www.pnvd.nl] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_for_Neighbourly_Love,_Freedom,_and_Diversity [wikipedia.org] . Instead of blindly/easily/lazily/cowardly tolerating whatever comes the most effortlessly to your mind, try grow some testicles and add something insightful to the discussion, instead of blurting colourless platitudes.
This is marginal and irrelevant.
Also kids shouldn't be allowed online because white supremacists/christian cults/scientology/republicans/democrats/terrorists will subvert their fragile little minds. This is equally silly.
Yes kids are inexperienced and gullible. It doesn't necessarily mean they will fall for *every* thing. Or our species would have died out long ago.
Re:Yea Right, it's all about "Porn." (Score:3, Insightful)