China Blocks More Internet Services

Dave writes "China continues to block more and more popular services. This week they blocked iTunes and YouTube, and now it's TringMe, a popular VoIP 2.0 service. From TringMe's Blog: 'We received close to hundred complaints from our China users that TringMe services is not accessible from yesterday. We have found after our investigation that TringMe is blocked by Chinese government. Earlier China blocked Skype and now they are turning their eye to TringMe. TringMe is extremely popular in China and we have a large number of paying customers in China including a Chinese social network with 3 million users using TringMe's API & services.'"

Re:Block China?

[Raistlin77]

Something tells me the Chinese government would love nothing more than for that to happen.

Yes, we do.

[Kuroji]

China blocking more and more software that would allow communication between the billion-and-change people inside the country, or between people in China and people outside China, may be business as usual but it's going to deal this company a blow by terminating three million accounts.

Should we not consider anything that is 'business as usual' to be news? If that's the case, why not just drop any news coverage of the telco immunity deals, domestic spying, or abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo and similar facilities? Those are things that seem to be happening with disturbing regularity lately.

The news the next morning...

[Kuroji]

Good citizens stay indoors while the proud national military is out arresting the fools who would wish to harm our proud nation!

This is China. Do you think they don't have contingency plans for things like that? More importantly... how are they going to coordinate to do this without attracting enough notice to shut it down before it begins?

Let me be the first to ask...

[Atario]

...what the hell is VoIP 2.0?

Now with all-new Buzzword Compliance Module?

Re:China's not the only one

[LighterShadeOfBlack]

There's a very big difference between blocking certain sites on a single public wi-fi service and blocking all internet access to a site or service from within an entire country.

And just for the record that site you linked to is complete bullshit. It doesn't even verify that the sites were blocked intentionally, didn't ask them for comment to explain or investigate, and doesn't even provide confirmation of who is responsible for running the St. Pancras International wifi network. It's entirely possible its privately managed and the government doesn't even determine what gets blocked and what doesn't.

But who cares about facts when you've got conspiracy theories and vitriol?

Re:Not really blocked

[RiotingPacifist]

We already know chinas blocks are easy to get around, its about control more than anything. if something is 'blocked' people don't talk about it.

Keep voices from getting out?

[Drakin020]

Did you ever think that the reason they do this is so when shat starts hitting the fan in China, no one will be able to cry out because they will have no communication with the outside world?

I dunno...Just a thought.

2008

[darkheart22]

who controls the past controls the future who controls the present controls the past and who controls the internet controls past,future and present. o tempora o mores...

Re:Block China?

[sakdoctor]

Precisely why we shouldn't.
Cultural imperialism is our most effective weapon, and for it to work we need all channels as open as possible.

Let a country completely wall itself off and you end up with North Korea, where the general population's world view in no way resembles the actual physical reality.

Re:So how much longer...

[Atrox666]

China has a long record of purging intellectuals and counter revolutionaries.
They've reduced that tendency though eugenics.
The idea that the Chinese are going to stand up in droves just because horrific injustices are heaped upon them is laughable.
The US is starting to train it's people to the same sheepish standards.
Grass roots resistance is dead but the media war can be won.
Read some McLuhan if you want some effective weapons against this.
http://cultofjim.com/scripture/understanding_media/ [cultofjim.com]

Re:So how much longer...

[eln]

The Chinese government now is arguably less oppressive than it was under Mao, and the Chinese people are experiencing greater economic growth than they have for decades. Why on Earth would they want to start a revolution now? Compared to the way it was, China is a utopia these days.

Wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

> If you can still use it this way, it's not really blocked.

Isn't that like saying that if you can pick the lock, the door wasn't really locked?

I mean, where exactly do you expect them to find out which IP they're supposed to put into their hosts file?

Nothing but spam

[LargeWu]

notice the related stories...
  Firehose:China Blocks More Internet Services by tringme (1352127)

looking at tringme's profile, he joined....TODAY! What a coincidence. Who cares if it's banned in China, he just wants to spam his service to slashdot.

World View

[Anonymous Coward]

Let a country completely wall itself off and you end up with North Korea, where the general population's world view in no way resembles the actual physical reality.

And this is different from religious America how?

Re:World View

[Bryansix]

In every way possible. People in the United States are constantly having their world view challenged. Look at how Gay Rights is such an important issue now. If things were as you imply then there would not be anything near Gay Rights because there would be no discussion on the matter.

Re:So how much longer...

[wenge]

Where is the utopia you describe? Young people too tired and controlled to think for themselves. Crowded, dirty, and polluted cities where people go hither and yon with very little idea of what they are living for. The chinese have grown up with nothing and now that they have something they are unable to learn courtesy or the slightest of polite gestures. There is an army base in every city and town. Is this necessary? I think not. The Chinese are over taxed and taught what to say and think. They have no idea of what a true opinion is. Ask a young person what their hobbies are and you will get one answer, playing video games because they have so little time for relaxation or introspective that to sit for a few private moments in front of a computer screen is like their utopia. Utopia my hindquarters. I don't know which China you live in but it isn't the one I live in.