Wo Ai Zhong Guo

Mother Fu*ckers

Yes, as widely reported here (Peking Duck, worth reading the comments which quickly disintegrate into an "if you don't like China the get then fuck out" type of discussion!), here (Dan Wei), and here (Shop Girl, blocked in China), the Chinese mother fucker shit for brains censors have blocked Blogger again which means all blogs hosted on Blogger are not accessible in the Chinese mainland (HK and Taiwan are fine of course).

I've already once had to move my blog from Squarespace to Typepad after Squarespace was bizzarely blocked.  Livejournal is now blocked too so I guess it's only a matter of time before Typepad is blocked too - then what!

It also seems my announcement that Wikipedia was no accessible in China was too optimistic.  It's blocked again and I can only guess it was temporarily unblocked while the net police were testing out some new filters.

Free At Last

It does appear that Wikipedia is today accessible in China after being blocked and unblocked several times since 2004.  Apparently, it was not the content that the Chinese authorities were concerned about but rather, the ability for readers to edit and amend entries which they felt could be used (abused) by anti-government groups.

Lets hope this is a permanent lifting of the block which will allow Chinese residents to look up useful information from Wikipedia's vast database.

I personally have found it extremely useful for learning about anything from how the crop factor affects the focal length some digital cameras to the origins of mothering Sunday (which by the way is on 18th of March this year).

It's truly a pity that Chinese people have been denied this valuable resource by their government for so long.

More On (Moron) Blockage

After my opening post on this site explaining how my original blog site has been blocked by the Chinese censor, I found that Pastey White Guy has posted on the same topic less than a week ago.  He echoes my own thoughts about the shit for brains Chinese mother f***ing morons who decide what we can and can't access here in China, but he does it in a much more polite way!

Why am I so pissed off?  Well apart from my own blog site (which I pay for annually and can't get a refund for) now being blocked, there are many sites that I would like to access for information that has absolutely no connection with China.  But I can't.

China really has opened up in recent years.  I've seen many of the old controls dismantled.  Foreigners for example, can pretty much live where they want now and are not restricted to designated approved locations like they used to be, but I can't help feeling it's a case of two steps forward and one step back when harmless sites (like Wikipedia) are unblocked, only to be blocked again a few weeks later.

Oh well, I supposed there's no point getting hot and bothered.  My time would be better spent writing to the people at my old blog site begging them to give me my money back!

A New Home

I've been blogging over at Squarespace for over a year about my experiences in China, but a few weeks ago, my biggest fear was realised and my blog was blocked by the Chinese censor.  This isn't one guy sitting by a computer deciding what China's Netizens can and cannot read, but a full blown army of cyber police who are busy tracking net usage in China and finding new ways to deprive Chinese people of knowledge by denying access to selected websites.

Wikipedia for example is a fantastic educational site.  Users can look up almost anything and find a comprehensive explaination with links for those who want to know more.  It really is a great tool for expanding your knowledge on anything from Abraham Lincoln (the 16th president of the United States of America) to Terminator X, (the former DJ with rap group Public Enemy).  But sadly, the brainless, shit for brains Chinese censor decided that Wikipedia is unsuitable for Chinese people to read and is therefore blocked.  Nice one, thanks.

And so here I am at a new home while my old blog just wastes away in cyberspace.  I can't update it (except on rare trips outside of the mainland - fortunately, HK and Taiwan are still not covered by the Chinese - did I mention shit for brains - censors, so the first thing I do when I land in HK is catch up on all the blocked websites).

You'll have to excuse the foul langauge here too.  I am (or was) a mild mannered young man from England with all the typical English politeness you'd expect.  But that was years ago and I have since transformed into a moaning, bitching, ranting, angry blogger.  I love living here in the PRC (that's the People's Republic of China - yes, an American friend recently asked me what PRC stands for, hence the explanation is sadly necessary) and that needs to be made clear, but like many foreigners, I am frustrated by the little things that irriate and make China less advanced and modern that many of its citizens like to think.  This blog then is my outlet - therapy if you like - to share with others who may have similar experiences.  But it's not all bad and I also hope to share with the readers the little amusing anecdotes that pop up almost on a daily basis.

So, dear readers, please do not misunderstand, this is not a China bashing site.  If I was living back home in London I am sure I would find a long list of things to moan about as well.  But I am not living there, I'm living here, so this is what I will write about mostly.

Hopefully, there will be more here than just complaints.  I'll try to include amusing observations and stories that other expats will identify with and that will enlighten some overseas readers about what life is like here in the PRC (People's Republic of China - yes, an American friend recently asked me what PRC stands for, hence the explanation is sadly necessary!).

Okay folks, that's all for the introductions.  Check back here soon for more fun and games.