http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-03/26/content_12230922.htm
Well, it looks like the Chinese have once again found a way to circumvent the Great Firewall, and this time its in the form of micro blogs. Only 20 months after their appearance on the Chinese web radar micro blogs (similar to Twitter) have become the “third-favorite online source of information, after news portals and online forums.”
Micro blogs are extremely accessible—blogging is as simple as sending a text message on a cell phone, but it becomes instantly available to the entirety of the Internet-using population.
However, convenience is not even the primary appeal of micro blogs! They are virtually impossible to filter, so they have become a forum for controversial discussion. Two popular topics have been “scandals concerning land acquisition and official corruption.”
Even the government it getting involved with micro blogging, but possibly for a different reason. A reported 73.3% of all official government blogs belong to public security agencies. In one case micro blogs were used to catch the murderers of a three-year-old girl—her parents.
There are approximately 125 million micro bloggers in China, and the number is growing but university professor Zhang thinks, “it is still too early to draw the conclusion that micro blogs are shouldering new social functions.”
We will see.
Well, first and foremost it is good to see that the Chinese have found another way against the Great Fire Wall. It is also good to see that the government is also using these micro blogs to catch criminals...thus justifying that there should be more internet freedom.
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