Google backtracks on Chinese anti-censorship feature (Wired UK):
Google appears to be backtracking on its once unshakeable anti-censorship stance, after removing a feature from its Chinese site designed to help users avoid getting cut off from the internet.
The feature -- which flagged up a warning message whenever a user began typing a censored word, then redirected them to a help page that explained how to avoid being cut off from the web -- appears to have been disabled some time between 5 and 8 December 2012, reports GreatFire.org.
The anti-censorship feature only came into being in June 2012, at which time it was almost immediately blocked by China. Google retaliated by embedding the function into the html of its start page, thus rendering it permanent, bar a total Google block. And on 9 November 2012, that's just what the Chinese authorities did. The site was blocked for around 24 hours and censorship of Gmail was stepped up considerably thereafter.
"It may have been an instance of the government showing off its power to Google and using it as a leverage in their negotiations," speculates GreatFire.org. "In the end, Google may have decided that providing a restricted version of Google Search and a slow but usable Gmail to Chinese users is much better than being completely cut off."
Google launched Google.cn back in 2006 and has been exchanging threats with the Chinese authorities ever since. The search engine attempted to tread a fine line between keeping the authorities and its users happy, but by 2010 tensions had escalated exponentially. Google announced it would no longer censor its search results in China, but instead redirect traffic to its uncensored Hong Kong site, following a cyber attack that it claimed originated in China.
At the time, Sergey Brin commented that Google would continue in its aim to preserve "the principles of the openness and freedom of information on the internet". Meanwhile, however, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong asserted that Google should step in line with the law or "pay the consequences".
"What needs to be shut down will be shut down, what needs to be blocked will be blocked," she said at the time.
Google might appear to be selectively abiding by the web's freedom of information motto, but it has done more than some in challenging China's stranglehold on internet freedoms.
The actions do, however, echo Brin's despondence with the situation as relayed to the Guardian in April 2012. He said that somewhere between the rampant censorship and ongoing global cyberwars, he had been proven wrong in his belief that no country could restrict the internet for too long. "I thought there was no way to put the genie back in the bottle, but now it seems in certain areas the genie has been put back in the bottle," he said.
It may just be that Google has also come to the realisation that with its meagre five percent marketshare in China -- compared to competitor Baidu's 74 percent -- it will not be able to achieve much when it comes to making a dent in the country's censorship policies, nor the public's access to information. You have to be in the game to win it, so perhaps the search giant is opting to shelve its futile cat and mouse game with China for a while, and play ball instead.
This could make a lot of sense, particularly since some commentators view Google's anti-censorship as nothing more than a self-congratulatory course of action that harms usability more than improving it.
When news first emerged about the feature, sociologist Tricia Wang commented: "I don't see how this actually reaches their goal. First it only antagonises the government more, and thereby could make it even harder for the existing user base to access Google. So it could be counterproductive. Second, it's targeting people who are already their existing users, so they're preaching to the preachers."
Essentially, no one is going to stick with your service if it keeps getting them booted off the internet or bothering them with pop-ups telling them things they already know. Competitors don't come with these irritations, because they've already allowed themselves to be censored -- that might not be in-keeping with Google's morals, but it makes for a far better user experience. When Wired.co.uk spoke to a few Chinese residents about the disabled Google feature, they were not even aware of it because they used VPNs, demonstrating Google might not be taking into account just how savvy its users are at all.
Google's apparent appeasement of the Chinese authorities might also have something to do with its potential new deal with Chinese search engine Qihoo. The latter launched 16 August 2012, and by early December -- around about the same time Google apparently disabled its anti-censorship feature -- reports emerged that the new player in town had begun eating into Google's market share. By late December, rumours began circulating that the two would join forces to take on dominant Baidu, and on 4 January that deal was reportedly near completion. The news caused ABR Investment Strategy to alter its 2013 search revenue estimates substantially from $62 million to $90 million (£39 million to £54 million). If Google wanted to secure that deal and ensure the permanence of any long-term strategy at all, it probably assumed it should tow the line -- at least for a little while.
Wired.co.uk contacted Google for comment but had not heard back at the time of publishing.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
How Technology Will Change the Entertainment Industry in 2013
How Technology Will Change the Entertainment Industry in 2013:
By Edward James Bass on 31 Dec '12
And so the end of another year and inevitably the time for tech bloggers to share their predictions for the year and naturally I’m no exception.
Here then are my thoughts on how the entertainment industry will evolve through use of technology in 2013.
Following the lead from Spotify, more streaming services will use their accumulated user data, combined with information available from API’s provided by the likes of The Echo Nest and Rotten Tomatoes to power apps – either within their own sphere or on mobile, where of course even more contextual data such as location or time of day is available.
For example – imagine a Netflix-powered app which could utilise users taste in genres and their favourite actors to make recommendations for forthcoming films that will be screening at their local cinema.
This evolution into third-party ecosystems will help extend streaming services’ reach across the whole range of connected devices, and even cars in 2013 as well as help attract further revenue from brands looking to appeal to audiences through recommendations and exclusive offers.
As we have seen with Newsweek more popular publications will abandon print altogether. The more enterprising of these will use their new digital approach to tap into potential revenue streams from outside their traditional territories. A more internationally orientated approach will also continue to be adopted by newspapers – as we’ve seen in the case of Mail Online, which has successfully extended its reach beyond the UK in recent times.
As you’d expect, this rapid shift to online will require those who depend on and work closely with this sector, namely advertisers and PR, to consider how to change the way they work to ensure it fits the needs of media organisations whose targets now include clicks and pageviews in addition to sales and subscriptions.
The recent announcement of the partnership between Twitter and Nielsen points to the likely adoption of social data as a key influencer in the entertainment sector.
Whilst that partnership will mainly be of benefit to advertisers, it’s entirely possible that social sentiment will also influence content. For instance the attitude towards certain characters in TV series could affect their storylines going forward or the production of a sequel to a Hollywood film could be decided on current and historical social sentiment towards its leading actors.
Whilst it may take some time to become the norm, this utilisation of social data is something of a blessing to an industry which has had to rely on sampling and tickets sales to gain understanding of audience perceptions in the past.
It’s undeniable that 2012 was the year when the possibilities of using mobile devices alongside television viewing started to be considered and I fully expect the adoption of the ‘second screen’ to increase considerably in 2013 as audiences beyond the tech-savvy become aware of its benefits and tablet use becomes widespread.
Whilst currently most second screen interactions revolve around web browsing or social media, it’s likely that more interactive experiences which augment broadcast and recorded content are in the pipeline as program makers invest in new ways to engage audiences.
As with most new ventures which require considerable investment, I expect these new experiences will be heavily supported by advertising, although it remains to be seen whether brands and agencies will take a smarter, context driven approach which uses the data available from mobile devices and connected TV’s or simply continue to batter audiences with often irrelevant and annoying ads on both screens.
As we’ve seen with Spotify’s planned changes and the move to allow social sharing on video sites in the US, streaming services are becoming more focused on building interactions around content and ensuring these interactions are highly visible across social channels.
The past year has seen already seen some key integrations with existing social platforms, most prominently Spotify, Netflix (outside of the US) and SoundCloud’s use of Facebook’s Open Graph to populate users timelines with the films, TV shows and music they’ve been enjoying.
As you’d expect, baking in social features into platforms such as these aids additional plays thanks to both discovery and recommendation whilst ensuring visibility on popular social channels such as Facebook and Twitter speeds the rate of adoption considerably too.
In 2013, I expect more streaming platforms will focus on becoming social networks in their own right to both gain some independence from the ever-changing plans of existing social platforms and keep users active within their own ecosystems.
Drawing people away from their favoured social channels simply to interact around content might prove a challenge however, and of course there is also the additional risk of upsetting social networks who are becoming less forgiving of those who set themselves up as competitors.
By Edward James Bass on 31 Dec '12
And so the end of another year and inevitably the time for tech bloggers to share their predictions for the year and naturally I’m no exception.
Here then are my thoughts on how the entertainment industry will evolve through use of technology in 2013.
1. More media streaming services become third-party ecosystems
Following the lead from Spotify, more streaming services will use their accumulated user data, combined with information available from API’s provided by the likes of The Echo Nest and Rotten Tomatoes to power apps – either within their own sphere or on mobile, where of course even more contextual data such as location or time of day is available.
For example – imagine a Netflix-powered app which could utilise users taste in genres and their favourite actors to make recommendations for forthcoming films that will be screening at their local cinema.
This evolution into third-party ecosystems will help extend streaming services’ reach across the whole range of connected devices, and even cars in 2013 as well as help attract further revenue from brands looking to appeal to audiences through recommendations and exclusive offers.
2. Through digital, publications and newspapers go international and partner industries are required to evolve too
As we have seen with Newsweek more popular publications will abandon print altogether. The more enterprising of these will use their new digital approach to tap into potential revenue streams from outside their traditional territories. A more internationally orientated approach will also continue to be adopted by newspapers – as we’ve seen in the case of Mail Online, which has successfully extended its reach beyond the UK in recent times.
As you’d expect, this rapid shift to online will require those who depend on and work closely with this sector, namely advertisers and PR, to consider how to change the way they work to ensure it fits the needs of media organisations whose targets now include clicks and pageviews in addition to sales and subscriptions.
3. Social data begins to influence decision-making in the entertainment industry
The recent announcement of the partnership between Twitter and Nielsen points to the likely adoption of social data as a key influencer in the entertainment sector.
Whilst that partnership will mainly be of benefit to advertisers, it’s entirely possible that social sentiment will also influence content. For instance the attitude towards certain characters in TV series could affect their storylines going forward or the production of a sequel to a Hollywood film could be decided on current and historical social sentiment towards its leading actors.
Whilst it may take some time to become the norm, this utilisation of social data is something of a blessing to an industry which has had to rely on sampling and tickets sales to gain understanding of audience perceptions in the past.
4. The second screen gains further popularity, supported by advertising
It’s undeniable that 2012 was the year when the possibilities of using mobile devices alongside television viewing started to be considered and I fully expect the adoption of the ‘second screen’ to increase considerably in 2013 as audiences beyond the tech-savvy become aware of its benefits and tablet use becomes widespread.
Whilst currently most second screen interactions revolve around web browsing or social media, it’s likely that more interactive experiences which augment broadcast and recorded content are in the pipeline as program makers invest in new ways to engage audiences.
As with most new ventures which require considerable investment, I expect these new experiences will be heavily supported by advertising, although it remains to be seen whether brands and agencies will take a smarter, context driven approach which uses the data available from mobile devices and connected TV’s or simply continue to batter audiences with often irrelevant and annoying ads on both screens.
5. Social features in streaming platforms evolve and their reliance on existing social networks lessens
As we’ve seen with Spotify’s planned changes and the move to allow social sharing on video sites in the US, streaming services are becoming more focused on building interactions around content and ensuring these interactions are highly visible across social channels.
The past year has seen already seen some key integrations with existing social platforms, most prominently Spotify, Netflix (outside of the US) and SoundCloud’s use of Facebook’s Open Graph to populate users timelines with the films, TV shows and music they’ve been enjoying.
As you’d expect, baking in social features into platforms such as these aids additional plays thanks to both discovery and recommendation whilst ensuring visibility on popular social channels such as Facebook and Twitter speeds the rate of adoption considerably too.
In 2013, I expect more streaming platforms will focus on becoming social networks in their own right to both gain some independence from the ever-changing plans of existing social platforms and keep users active within their own ecosystems.
Drawing people away from their favoured social channels simply to interact around content might prove a challenge however, and of course there is also the additional risk of upsetting social networks who are becoming less forgiving of those who set themselves up as competitors.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Surviving in the land of food scandals
Surviving in the land of food scandals:
Published on Jan 01, 2013, The Straits Times
By Grace Ng, China Correspondent
I thought I have seen it all. After almost four years working, living and eating in Beijing, I figured I had become more zen about food safety scandals.
After all, over the years, I have collected copious tips from my local friends about how to fight this “bao wei zhan” (battle to protect the gut), which I have religiously followed.
For instance, after the spate of news from 2009 onwards about fake eggs made from resin, artificial beef made from reconstituted pork, and lean pork treated with the steroid clenbutero, I diligently rotated my meat sources. It was the Korean beef store one week, Walmart supermarket the next, and then the organic pork store.
I even hunted around the Chaoyang and Haidian districts - which together are larger than the size of Singapore - for Muslim vendors selling Halal chicken.
This was after a Chinese friend earnestly told me: “It’s better to buy your food from someone with religious beliefs – they are less likely to 'shua shou duan' (use dirty tricks).”
But it wasn’t so straight-forward when it came to getting rid of chemicals, mercury, growth hormones and other dodgy substances that local vegetables and fruit reportedly contain nowadays.
“Soak your vegetables overnight with tap water and vinegar to get rid of the chemicals and mercury,” said my part-time helper, whom I have hired to cook food so I wouldn’t ingest too much “gutter oil” from restaurants.
I tried her advice for a few weeks until another friend sounded a warning on tap water.
“Much of Beijing’s tap water has excessive amounts of lead. Use filtered water and salt instead,” she said. So I complied, and my water bill doubled.
“Just plant your own organic vegetables, only then can you be sure you won’t be poisoned,” an academic advised.
So I drove two hours out to an organic vegetable farm in the suburbs that rented out small plots of land to city folk looking to grow chemical-free crops in the summer.
But my endeavour was quickly thwarted when a local farm hand told me that they would spray pesticides on the vegetables behind their customers’ backs.
So I started buying imported frozen vegetables. Also, whenever my family visited me from Singapore, I would make them haul everything from dried apricots to rice that was certified not to be genetically modified. My mother once busted the baggage weight limit by 15kg.
But I rationalised that this was worthwhile after the horrific episode of a watermelon exploding in my living room two years ago! The fruit had been sprayed with so much “fast-ripening” chemical that it imploded in my living room in a spectacular spray of grey goo.
Luckily, no one was injured though the incident scarred me and my family members so badly that we didn’t dare to eat any watermelon – let alone that shattered one – for a few weeks.
Still, after more than three years of paranoia and protecting the gut, it can get quite exhausting sometimes.
So, recently, I decided to just chill and follow the mantra of some Chinese netizens: “guo ren bai du bu jin” (Chinese people will not fall to a thousand poisons).
After all, even with all my exertions, I was still suffering food poisoning bouts at the same rate as when I first came to Beijing.
So I figured I should just let my Singaporean stomach – which was perhaps too sanitised – and immune system get acclimatised to, well, more local poisons.
But my “embrace-my-inner-toxins” spell lasted just a few months.
When a news report on Dec 23 in Beijing media cited a food safety researcher claiming that many Chinese sauces, vinegar and drinks all contain relatively high amounts of the cancer-causing plastic additive, plasticiser, I freaked out.
That was one area I never took precautions for.
Initially, I tried to comfort myself by noting that the authorities had not yet verified such reports. But my friends, especially those with young kids, were already having melt-downs. My friends and I thought that after the government banned Taiwanese food imports that carried high levels of plasticiser in June 2011, the issue would have been high on the authorities’ radar.
“How are we going to protect our kids from the food they eat?” fumed my Beijinger friend, who has a toddler.
This latest food scandal made me realise that there is no way I can keep up with the seemingly unending list of food items that might have higher risks of contamination. I decided to stick to buying only the products I knew were safe, even if it meant doubling the grocery bill or eating the same thing every week.
But it doesn’t mean one should deem it a losing battle and simply give up.
Over time, China’s food safety record could improve as the government takes tougher action. But for now, I am not going to take any chances for the sake of my family’s health.
So the dictum, “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”, is out of the window again.
Now, I’ve started making a new long list of food items – soya sauce included – for the next unfortunate friend or relative coming to visit me.
So begins part two of the gut-protecting battle.
graceng@sph.com.sg
Published on Jan 01, 2013, The Straits Times
By Grace Ng, China Correspondent
I thought I have seen it all. After almost four years working, living and eating in Beijing, I figured I had become more zen about food safety scandals.
After all, over the years, I have collected copious tips from my local friends about how to fight this “bao wei zhan” (battle to protect the gut), which I have religiously followed.
For instance, after the spate of news from 2009 onwards about fake eggs made from resin, artificial beef made from reconstituted pork, and lean pork treated with the steroid clenbutero, I diligently rotated my meat sources. It was the Korean beef store one week, Walmart supermarket the next, and then the organic pork store.
I even hunted around the Chaoyang and Haidian districts - which together are larger than the size of Singapore - for Muslim vendors selling Halal chicken.
This was after a Chinese friend earnestly told me: “It’s better to buy your food from someone with religious beliefs – they are less likely to 'shua shou duan' (use dirty tricks).”
But it wasn’t so straight-forward when it came to getting rid of chemicals, mercury, growth hormones and other dodgy substances that local vegetables and fruit reportedly contain nowadays.
“Soak your vegetables overnight with tap water and vinegar to get rid of the chemicals and mercury,” said my part-time helper, whom I have hired to cook food so I wouldn’t ingest too much “gutter oil” from restaurants.
I tried her advice for a few weeks until another friend sounded a warning on tap water.
“Much of Beijing’s tap water has excessive amounts of lead. Use filtered water and salt instead,” she said. So I complied, and my water bill doubled.
“Just plant your own organic vegetables, only then can you be sure you won’t be poisoned,” an academic advised.
So I drove two hours out to an organic vegetable farm in the suburbs that rented out small plots of land to city folk looking to grow chemical-free crops in the summer.
But my endeavour was quickly thwarted when a local farm hand told me that they would spray pesticides on the vegetables behind their customers’ backs.
So I started buying imported frozen vegetables. Also, whenever my family visited me from Singapore, I would make them haul everything from dried apricots to rice that was certified not to be genetically modified. My mother once busted the baggage weight limit by 15kg.
But I rationalised that this was worthwhile after the horrific episode of a watermelon exploding in my living room two years ago! The fruit had been sprayed with so much “fast-ripening” chemical that it imploded in my living room in a spectacular spray of grey goo.
Luckily, no one was injured though the incident scarred me and my family members so badly that we didn’t dare to eat any watermelon – let alone that shattered one – for a few weeks.
Still, after more than three years of paranoia and protecting the gut, it can get quite exhausting sometimes.
So, recently, I decided to just chill and follow the mantra of some Chinese netizens: “guo ren bai du bu jin” (Chinese people will not fall to a thousand poisons).
After all, even with all my exertions, I was still suffering food poisoning bouts at the same rate as when I first came to Beijing.
So I figured I should just let my Singaporean stomach – which was perhaps too sanitised – and immune system get acclimatised to, well, more local poisons.
But my “embrace-my-inner-toxins” spell lasted just a few months.
When a news report on Dec 23 in Beijing media cited a food safety researcher claiming that many Chinese sauces, vinegar and drinks all contain relatively high amounts of the cancer-causing plastic additive, plasticiser, I freaked out.
That was one area I never took precautions for.
Initially, I tried to comfort myself by noting that the authorities had not yet verified such reports. But my friends, especially those with young kids, were already having melt-downs. My friends and I thought that after the government banned Taiwanese food imports that carried high levels of plasticiser in June 2011, the issue would have been high on the authorities’ radar.
“How are we going to protect our kids from the food they eat?” fumed my Beijinger friend, who has a toddler.
This latest food scandal made me realise that there is no way I can keep up with the seemingly unending list of food items that might have higher risks of contamination. I decided to stick to buying only the products I knew were safe, even if it meant doubling the grocery bill or eating the same thing every week.
But it doesn’t mean one should deem it a losing battle and simply give up.
Over time, China’s food safety record could improve as the government takes tougher action. But for now, I am not going to take any chances for the sake of my family’s health.
So the dictum, “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”, is out of the window again.
Now, I’ve started making a new long list of food items – soya sauce included – for the next unfortunate friend or relative coming to visit me.
So begins part two of the gut-protecting battle.
graceng@sph.com.sg
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