back to article One month later, Google still censors China search

From the department of premature congratulations: One of China's best-known artists and activists just spoke out in support of Google's "decision" to stop censoring search results inside the world's most populous nation. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece headlined "Google Gives Us Hope," Al Weiwei also said two of his Gmail …

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  1. Joe 3
    Unhappy

    *sigh*

    One month ago, I wondered - naively, of course - if ethics had at last penetrated the world of Capitalism. Still, it was a nice daydream while it lasted.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      heh

      Ethics are for people with no power. You don't get into power with ethics. You get in with fear, hate and, money.

      1. James Micallef Silver badge
        Coat

        re heh

        "You don't get into power with ethics. You get in with fear, hate and, money"

        ....and....

        ...fanatical devotion to the pope?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Go

      More info

      See http://www.realityinfo.org for why morals have no place in Capitalism. Why anyone ever thinks that they would is beyond me. It's an amoral frame work of antagonistic competition. That is the nature of the system.

  2. William Boyle

    When (if ever) will the other shoe drop?

    My guess is that this entire situation is undergoing vigorous debate at all levels of Google's corporate hierarchy. It is still unclear what they will do next, but it will be "interesting" I'm sure, as in living in interesting times... :-)

  3. tempemeaty
    Big Brother

    That anoying little thing...ethics...

    I was telling people at the time that I'll believe Google when I see them do it. Google is now proving the axiom that "business and ethics have nothing to do with each other" is their axiom as it is with many other's running major corporations. Doubtful Google's Execs would actually buck that trend.

  4. Winkypop Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    Google operate on 3 principles

    Money

    Money

    Money

  5. Raving
    Heart

    Sinusitis

    Google has a ruddy complexion.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    Hate to say I told you so...

    But....

  7. EddieD

    Google shows its flair

    They advertised themselves well - they got reports in all the major news bulletins, column inches in the broadsheets and tabloids, even satirical shows like Radio4's News quiz featured articles on google's defiant stance against the evils of a dictatorship. And then they do nothing, and only, no disrespect intended, only limited, special interest news sources report it, so as far as Joe Public is concerned, Google is great.

    "Anyone here work in marketting? Kill yourself. No, seriously, I mean it, kill yourselves. It's the only way to save your souls" © Bill Hicks

  8. wgae
    FAIL

    So it WAS a PR stunt

    Now we know what some of us thought when the story broke of Googe uncensoring their Chinese site: it was just a PR stunt. No substance behind it. But why? Why? Why?

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      WTF?

      Eh?

      You've noticed that what is, in effect, the world's largest advertising agency has pulled off a massive PR stunt and you're asking why?

      Leopards / spots FWIW.

  9. Tony Paulazzo
    Flame

    WTF?

    >hot-button issues such as the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989<

    Sorry, but that's not a 'hot button issue' it was simply a massacre, tho, not knowing how many were 'purged', maybe better to call it 'The Big Lie'.

    As for Google doing, or not doing, business with China, they are precisely the same as every other big business, they'll follow the money, no matter how murky the path. They, at least, unlike 20 other big business' told the world they'd been hacked and that China has human rights 'issues'.

    I don't see the USA or UK governments threatening to stop business with a regime that ruthlessly murders or disappears its citizens and invade non oil producing countries.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      heh

      The problem went like this

      New Chairman made things more free and opened up the markets

      Students took this as an opportunity to push for more

      Chairman had to draw a line

      Students refused to back down

      In the end the people with the tanks win, but a man that had aimed to free China of many of its restrictions had to leave his role as Chairman becouse the students refused to negotiate.

  10. Fred Flintstone Gold badge
    Big Brother

    They simply want a Nobel prize..

    If Obama can get one for something he hasn't done yet I guess the Google guys can take a shot at it as well (unless it was for getting rid of Bush, you can't do that twice).

    Other than that, well, what did I say from the moment I heard this?

    It wasn't even hard to work out, so I'm rather disappointed so many papers joined the screeching (not El Reg, I note) but hey, it's not like manipulating stock price is a new thing, is it?

  11. lukewarmdog
    Badgers

    Once upon a time in China

    When Google first exploded with righteous indignation the staff there must have thought "oh crap, we're all going to prison". Hopefully Google is working on a way to get them out before it closes any operations.

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