This blogger examines the new media/Internet restrictions and gets it right.
So the point of this new policy is not to try to resuscitate the AOL model and create the world’s largest moderated chatroom, with Sohu and Yahoo dutifully pulling at the oars–though that’s going on too.
What we have here is the capitalism-with-Chinese-characteristics side of the manufacturing consent equation.
The Chinese government wants to create nice, meek, risk averse Internet news businesses that will be protected from competition from lively, popular blogs and websites.
Sounds like they want the Internet to emulate CCTV, which causes even the little insects on the wall to tuck in their wings and go to sleep.
Read the whole post.
1
By kevin
It’s all part of our development of a “harmonious society.” If TV, radio, and the Internet are all so boring that they just put everyone to sleep, people will just sleep, and thus finally stop screwing each other over and ripping each other off, thus drastically enhancing China’s “harmony factor.”
September 28, 2005 @ 2:00 am | Comment
2
By richard
Unfortunately, China’s ultimate sleep-inducing medium is no more: the plug has been pulled on madge’s nascent blog. I’ll have to renew my Ambien prescription; nothing put me to sleep faster than the Fouling Waters blog.
September 28, 2005 @ 2:13 am | Comment
3
By richard
That last comment was a bit snarky. But what the hell?
September 28, 2005 @ 2:14 am | Comment
4
By kevin
Strange, it looks like that blog is back up, just a little different now.
September 28, 2005 @ 3:04 am | Comment
5
By richard
Oh. My. God. Who did that??
Everyone, I am revising my policy about linking here to madge’s blog. Please, go there now!!
September 28, 2005 @ 3:25 am | Comment
6
By Other Lisa
I have to say, I nearly spit out my coffee this AM when I went there…
September 29, 2005 @ 12:09 am | Comment