Last month, the Web got a little smaller from China

Every expat living in China realises that there have been some roadblocks placed on China's internet access. Regardless of your viewpoint on censorship, measures like this usually offend the idealistic notion of a free and liberal internet. What annoys many bloggers to no end is seemingly arbitrary, blanketing restrictions placed on the free blogging sites that many of us like to browse and publish with.

Since September 2002, the number of blogs in China has risen 30 fold to reach 34 million in September 2006. After the recent China National Congress, there were intimations that control over internet use and publishing were going to be tightened. And true to their words, China-based bloggers using free services like Xanga, Blogspot and Livejournal found themselves in limbo following further strengthening of the Great Firewall of China over the last month. Technology focused Blogspot blogger Matthew Roberts had this to say on his discovery that his site was inaccessible in China.

Looking through my postings I’m not sure I’ve ever talked about China to be honest. So its probably not been caused by any actions on my part. It may have something to do with the comments? or perhaps items I’ve linked to or been linked from? not sure. It would be interesting to know what triggered so many, for lack of a better term, ‘politically bland’ sites getting blocked.

Qingdao blogger and satirist Mersault vented his dismay at these new restrictions, particularly after his recent site transfer to Blogspot.

I only have two options. The first is to use a Chinese blogging platform which would severely restrict anything I could write; the second is to buy my own domain which I'm also unwilling to do while I'm in China.

Well done China and the Chinese people. Writing was the only joy I had left in my life while I am stuck in your awful country; and now you've taken that away from me too. I gave up my original journalism job because Chinese regulations meant I could only write the empty crap that the government insisted upon, and now these pathetic rules have drained any determination I once had to write a weblog.

Others have taken more measured approaches to their musings. The Weifeng Radish's self-described apolitical blog has been inaccessible from mainland China since February 2006 due to his choice of the Wordpress publishing system. He often taps into his situation to write about why the internet is filtered here and how to get around some restrictions.

Here is an example of his exploration on why the useful Wikipedia site is blocked in China.

It is not clear at all that Wikipedia has been entirely blocked for that reason. China gains nothing from the negative press it attracts due to blocking Wikipedia, and if it was only because of 6/4 and similar issues they could simply block those articles and other Wikipedia articles that reference those articles and not have to deal with so much negative press. I don’t think the Chinese government is afraid of kangaroos. No, there are probably a number of other reasons in addition to this one as to why Wikipedia is entirely blocked. Personally, I think it has a lot to do with a fear of citizens experiencing free speech on the part of the Communist Party.

China-based Blogspot users are understandably not that happy about the newly imposed restrictions on their blogging sites. Self-described scoundrel and Blogspot user Chinabounder recently touched on the topic of blogging in China, and let loose a searing opinion about the recent Blogspot ban.

Blogspot, for example, was becoming something too free and truthful. Chinese people – horrors – were beginning to express themselves and – worse! – read the opinions of others, opinions that did not ‘stand where the Party stands’ (those are the words of Luo Gan, one of China’s most powerful men, on the nature of truth). The site is now blocked in China, many blogs far better than mine inaccessible to those lacking the tech skills to get round the great firewall. But so skilled is the government at the lies attendant on a skilful fucking that should you ask them about this they will tell you, ‘We do not censor the internet’ – and will tell it cool and calm, not a blink nor twitch. For they are the most practiced of liars.

This from Blogspotter, Aussie in the Orient.

They should rename Blogspot as Blockspot- yes once again the Chinese government in all it's wisdom has blocked blogspot again. Why? Just in case we point out that their dictatorial control of the internet is against the fundamental human rights of free speech - oh, wait, they just demonstrated that themselves by blocking it in the first place.

Technology portal Wired.com recently asked Xiao Qiang, founder of China Digital Times regarding the outlook for Livejournal users affected by the latest round of restrictions.

"For whatever reason (if) you've been blocked, it's almost impossible to get open again," says Xiao. "It could be one of the blogs in Livejournal has the content they want to block. They are very bluntly over-blocking sites."

In the last few years,internet users have seen greater controls put in place on access in China. Increased vigilance of registering at internet cafes is one such example, as is the mandate that China-based bloggers register their names with the Orwellian-invoking Ministry of Information Industry. Sometimes you can wonder if such expansion of the controls are actually needed for the average web user in China.

Chinese blogger Wangjianshuo wrote of his friend's experience with China's internet police in his English langauge blog.

This didn't happen to me yet, but it happens to my friend. He has a small blog, and wrote some article about finance. It may mentioned the name someone in power. The Uncle Police (the way children typically call policeman) called, and asked him to delete the post. They do have great technology to track who wrote what, via which telephone line, and on which computer. Then they have the power to map the post with a real person, and get his/her telephone number.

Such measure placed on Chinese nationals don't apply to the majority of expatriates. We're more than quite happy and able to utilise free, foreign-hosted blogging services or for the more adventurous, dive into the rabbit hole of building and hosting your own sites. The most bloggers like ourselves have to worry about is that our choice of platform will be the next to be put on the restricted list. Perhaps looking at the greener side of the fence, the average user in China saw this as less troublesome path to self-expression which in turn led to these restrictions? Considering that in 2005, only 10% of Chinese bloggers have complied with the registration edict, you may have some ammunition for your arguement.

Regardless of the reasons why, all is not lost for those people affected by these bans. There are numerous ways to circumvent a situation like this. Users of foreign-hosted virtual private networks or encrypted proxies do not have access problems but may trade-off unfettered access with slower internet speeds. For the average Joe or Joeline, perhaps the simplest option for average Blogspot user is to access their blog tools via the pkblogs gateway. There's also a myriad of other tools that will enable you to go where you want to go, but it is all user-beware when you choose to use of these services.

There are quite a number of sites that are dedicated to this conundrum that goes by the monicker of the Great Firewall of China. Perhaps the niftiest tool to see what is filtered out is the aptly named Great Fire Wall of China website, which can let you know if your blog or website suffers from restricted access in China. Of course, you cannot access this from the mainland without using virtual private networks or utilising anonymous proxies to browse this site. At least this example might serve as a counter conjecture that there is no internet access restrictions in China.