“Safari could not open the page because the server stopped responding”

That’s the message you get when going to Facebook, YouTube, and several other social media sites in China, as well as many foreign news sites and anything related to many “sensitive” topics like Tibet, democracy, Falun Gong, etc. This is ostensibly to protect China’s citizens and maintain social harmony. Or maybe they just think Facebook is a crappy waste of time.

Media censorship seemed to fit well with the vibe of the China I remember in the mid 90s. But now, with everyone fully wired and frequently travelling it just seems like a silly obstacle, slowing one very small part of a vast and unstoppable trend.

Beijing cabbies have all their buddies on speed-dial and grab their cell phones for GPS directions, real-time traffic maps, and online translators. They will find a way to get all the information they need or want.

UPDATE: an hour after posting this through my wordpress app, karin and I both couldn’t access this site. Weird. Maybe coincidence or maybe they have an auto checker for certain words that are in the post.

Update 2 (May 16): yup – this blog is now blocked in China. I tried it from a local connection and through a Canadian VPN at the same time. Works from Canada but not here. The app still works though, so I can continue to post and read.

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Map showing the worldwide rise of Facebook use. China is the black hole on the right.
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