-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
Microsoft faces backlash after blocking blogger
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
Wow, talk about spin, they're not 'curtailing free speech and supporting the violation of human rights by a government', they're "taking 'unique elements' in consideration" in order to "make the Internet safe" ... I'm not sure what's more sickening, the action, or the spin justifying the action and trying to make it sound like a good thing.
I'm in two minds about this sort of thing though. On one hand we can liken it to the companies that supported Apartheid just to make a profit, e.g. Shell. On the other hand, it's questionable if even companies like Microsoft ultimately have any control over human rights issues in China; staying out of the country is unlikely to change the political situation and won't help the people either, and it's not like their products are specifically built and sold for the express purpose of curtailing freedoms (unlike Cisco). In any case pretty much everybody sells products to China, and the entire world effectively actively supports China and their policies by voraciously buying their products, so it seems unfair to single out Microsoft (and hypocritical for people who use Chinese exports - and we all do). If the world really cared about human rights violations in China then it wouldn't be the case that every other product we touch says "made in China", nor would we see the trade deficits we do between China and the West.
I'm in two minds about this sort of thing though. On one hand we can liken it to the companies that supported Apartheid just to make a profit, e.g. Shell. On the other hand, it's questionable if even companies like Microsoft ultimately have any control over human rights issues in China; staying out of the country is unlikely to change the political situation and won't help the people either, and it's not like their products are specifically built and sold for the express purpose of curtailing freedoms (unlike Cisco). In any case pretty much everybody sells products to China, and the entire world effectively actively supports China and their policies by voraciously buying their products, so it seems unfair to single out Microsoft (and hypocritical for people who use Chinese exports - and we all do). If the world really cared about human rights violations in China then it wouldn't be the case that every other product we touch says "made in China", nor would we see the trade deficits we do between China and the West.
Heh ... it's everyone's own responsibility to make backups of their own stuff, so while I disagree with deleting his posts, I think that "I have no backup" is his own fault.
Last edited:
Turtle said:
Eish, this is true! I agree with every word you said!
Everyone screams about the human rights exploitation in the East, but the moment it means a slight bit of discomfort wrt more expensive products (consumer), higher labour costs or lower profits (corporates) they turn a blind eye.
I have yet to see anyone stop buying Nike's, DVD Players or MS Windows because of this. I am not a fan of Microsoft, but I am tired of seeing them bashed just because of their name.
What is most disconcerting and concerning is the ability to censor the Internet. Something that we were assured could never happen.
Lord Anubis
Expert Member
Unlimited Broadband in China costs $10-00 per month. Unfortunately for those chaps its so censored they can scarcely say anthing in a forum such as this about the powers that be without reprisal. We should be tankfull for our democracy pity its capped and shaped at 3gb though.
Moederloos
Honorary Master
I for one can do without an American company preaching at me.