Comments on: Focusing On The Bigger Picture With China's Green Dam Security Software

By: Milton Mueller

Milton Mueller — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:40:26 +0000

good analysis of some of the hypocrisy of China's critics, but in the end your article fails to convince. I cannot avoid noting how you slip from pornography control to talk about botnets, zombies and phishing. So what is Green Dam about, security or content regulation? Pornography is not a security issue and has nothing to do with botnets and phishing. If Green Dam is an all-inclusive attempt to protect end users against botnets, phishing and other forms of unwanted cybercrime, then no government mandate is necessary – people will adopt it eagerly if it works. If it is about keeping people from getting porn that they want, it is a very different story. And content controls of that kind are routinely abused, especially in China, to stifle political discourse, as you well know.

By: Charles Liu

Charles Liu — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:57:10 +0000

There was never a mandate to force installation of this software. According to the original 5/19 MIIT announement, the software is to bundle on hard drive or CD-ROM.

There may have been confusion over the term "preinstall/bundle", but both MIIT and the software maker have clarified this point as early as 6/10, that what is distributed is the setup file, and users are not required to install or run Green Dam (IMHO unfortunately ignored by the media at large, who seem to have opted for sensationalism):

a) http://www.taizhou.gov.cn/art/2009/6/10/art_76_36883.html
????? ????????????
According to Xinhua wire yesterday [6/09], relevant MIIT leader said
…
?????????“??”??????????90%????????????????“??”?????????????????????????***?????????????***?????????????????????????????
The ***end user can freely choose to install or not*** quote from MIIT offical is emphasized.

b) http://www.hngybz.gov.cn/news2.aspx?hyid=82644
??????????? ????????? – Green Dam “bundle/preinstall” only provide installation articles, end users decide install or not
?????????????????????????????????????????????? – MIIT asks “bundle/preinstall” on computer is only the installation, so end users can choose wheither to execute it to install on their own computer

c) http://news.qq.com/a/20090610/000087.htm
“??????????????? ?????”
MIIT: Online Filtering Sowftware Will Not Monitor Citizen, Will Not Force Installation (quote from software maker on MIIT mandate)

By: critic

critic — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:05:28 +0000

Looks like MII has backed down. Chinese Netizens win.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/16/china-backs-down-censorship-software

The code is so badly written too.

What are these keywords blacklisted by Green Dam?

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htintel/20070805.aspx

By: EHouser

EHouser — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:46:17 +0000

This site is run by the Propaganda Department…and this article is nonsense!! No Chinese or Foreigner in China wants Green Dam on our Computers!!! To hell with Green Dam!!!

By: rick

rick — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:46:48 +0000

While I understand about the business point of view of your argument (but I still disagree), I TOTALLY disagree with any thing you say about the personal implication of this grave grave grace policy!

Don't you realize what they are doing????? This is an invasion of a PC by a foreign entity and it should not be allowed. Free info on the internet is a right for everybody!

By: O. Cookes

O. Cookes — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:35:50 +0000

The negative reactions to Green Dam reek of commercial jealousy, with a dash of geopoliticical mischief-making thrown in for good measure.
If the application has security vulnerabilities, then the foreign nay-sayers should offer to fix them for a fee.
Otherwise, I side with the Chinese philosophy of not spilling milk, versus the American dream of engineering a milk flood and then scrambling to invent a nuclear-powered milk suction machine.

By: man

man — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:12:00 +0000

r u kidding? asking for the videotape?
all the long article only show your inner weakness
become the watchdog of the dirty society and never realize it.
really shame on you.
think about your own lives please, the *editorial team*.

By: critic

critic — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:41:54 +0000

You are so wrong on this. This crapware censors sites and will probably allow a back door to your computer.

Its written with stolen code and its easily hacked. There are already solutions out there and this is just one arm of control. Chinatechnews has really dropped the ball with this commentary.

By: digger

digger — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:13:47 +0000

Lies are lies