Hoo-Hah Over MSN Spaces-China

Every media outlet has picked up the story of Microsoft censoring out “freedom”, “democracy” and such from its newly launched blog service MSN Spaces–China. Funny enough, most authors cry in their hankie over this, blaming Microsoft for fighting the virtues of democracy and freedom and… the local McDonald’s. And since we’re comparing Microsoft’s EULA and China’s domestic policy, how about we compare the Constitution and the Patriot Act while we’re at it?

I don’t know if it takes a brain the size of a Ford Explorer gas tank to understand that every corporation, be it privately-held or state-run, operates within the confines of the local law. There is no other way around it.

Do I have to convince anyone that going against the law is illegal? If the Chinese government decides to impose censorship, businesses must comply. What happens otherwise? You got it. If the Chinese government says you can’t slap a privacy policy on the MSN Spaces home page listing “thou shalt not”s, you don’t. What happens otherwise?

This media circus reminds me of the old saying, “Nobody beats a dead dog.”

Oh, speaking of which: you ever wondered how CIA and FBI say they “pick up online chatter” of potential terrorist sympathizers? Just when you thought you can say all you want on IM and in emails…

Don't blame Microsoft for compling with China's laws. Blame Microsoft for more important things like making a bad browser!

Besides, giving people a blogging service is better than not giving them anything. People can still express the ideas of freedom without using the exact word...

"If it's against the law then don't do it" - is that what you're saying? Well, that's a b/w view isn't it? The laws were created ordinary persons, and as person yourself you have to make the moral call whether to obide or not. May I remind you that MS isn't a chinese company and hence doesn't have to obide Chinese laws?

Based on most westener's principles free speech is a human right, and MS should be willing to break the chinese law simply because of this principle itself.