http://www.filination.com/blog/2007/03/01/the-social-impact-of-the-chinese-netizens/ A different look at Chinese cultures - China, Hong Kong and Taiwan Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:25:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.filination.com/blog/2007/03/01/the-social-impact-of-the-chinese-netizens/#comment-3731 China Bits » Three Examples of How the Internet Is A Powerful Agent of Social Change Mon, 05 Mar 2007 07:22:37 +0000 http://www.filination.com/blog/2007/03/01/the-social-impact-of-the-chinese-netizens/#comment-3731 [...] And therefore, how the Chinese government is rightly fearful of the medium as a threat to their control of the country.  From juvenile and sophomoric pranks, to a salacious diary of sexual exploits, to a potential police cover-up to a teacher’s suicide, each of these events led to some kind of on-line gathering and outrage, followed by off-line action.  In some cases, public apologies, in other words, the creation of a near lynch mob, and yet in the last case, a government scrubbing of all available details and proof.  Fili has the details in a great summary complete with references, but one does wonder as more Chinese become net-literate how much further the net will transform the way Chinese become aware of — and eventually do something — about perceived inequities. [...] [...] And therefore, how the Chinese government is rightly fearful of the medium as a threat to their control of the country.  From juvenile and sophomoric pranks, to a salacious diary of sexual exploits, to a potential police cover-up to a teacher’s suicide, each of these events led to some kind of on-line gathering and outrage, followed by off-line action.  In some cases, public apologies, in other words, the creation of a near lynch mob, and yet in the last case, a government scrubbing of all available details and proof.  Fili has the details in a great summary complete with references, but one does wonder as more Chinese become net-literate how much further the net will transform the way Chinese become aware of — and eventually do something — about perceived inequities. [...]

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