Author: Oiwan Lam

Tokyo Green Space has a photo essay on a Miso making party.

David Webb criticized the HK's government's practice of giving media briefing in anonymity in order to avoid accountability to the public.

What would you do if you were forced to comply to the “real name registration” in order to access the Internet? And if every word that you said online would be monitored by the government? When there is no way for you to protect your privacy, probably you would also decide to go “totally naked” online. Zhang Lifan's “Confession of an Internet naked runner” is written in a sarcastic voice describing the frustration of Chinese netizens. Although he is willing to go naked, his post cannot be published in his own blog. The article is republished at canyu.org and below is my translation.

身為一個有十二年以上網齡的中國網民，我宣佈放棄網路隱私權。這種放棄，只是對既成事實的追認。

理論上公民是國家的主人，有權保護自己的隱私，也有權知道公僕們幹了些什麼，花了我們多少錢。我心智健全且早已成年，卻一直被當兒童監護。一九九七年上網後，我努力「與時俱進」，設置了各種帳戶、密碼，以保護隱私權；學會了翻牆、上推特，以擴張知情權。但互聯網攻防技術的日新月異，令我逐漸覺悟：我老了，名義上的權利，其實已經無所謂了。　

潛水八年之後，我在二○○五年主動選擇了實名上網，很大程度上放棄了自己的隱私權，任何網友（包括政府僱用的職業網民）都有支持、反對、評論、謾罵乃至跨省追殺我的自由。袞袞諸公何時能被感動到效法一下，我肯定佩服得五體投地。忝為實名網民，我一直主張保護網民匿名上網的權利，蓋因事關公民言論自由，但很快發現自己太迂腐了。重金開發的網路監控系統，足以令匿名菜鳥們隱私畢露，虛擬世界中的思考互動、通訊交流、戀愛調情甚至手機黃段，一一無所遁形，並可隨時追蹤到現實世界。網路者，網羅也。所謂匿名，無非是一種自我安慰；而推行上網「實名制」，不過是對自由表達的震懾。建設「大局域網」，用納稅人的錢監控納稅人，無疑是一種「中國特色」。 

中國的牆文化與翻牆文化 Chinese wall culture and the culture of getting over the wall

我國「牆文化」源遠流長，沒有哪個民族，像中國人那樣熱衷於修築各種高牆和土圍子。從秦始皇修萬里長城到明朝海禁，中國是一個長期將自己與外部世界分隔的國家。別跟我理論張騫通西域與鄭和下西洋，那都是朝廷特派的「揚我國威，宣化四夷」行動，與傳遞聖火及廣立孔子學院異伐同工。當然，中國也是一個有「翻牆文化」傳統的國家，如唐玄奘到西域取經，就得偷越多道關卡；近代馬克思主義在中國傳播，也經歷了一個「翻牆」階段。改革開放了三十年，「柏林牆」倒塌了二十年，中國還在思想的「鬼打牆」中轉墳圈兒。 

如今網路流行「偷菜」與「翻牆」，說明越是禁忌的事，越有快感和刺激，當然也包括流覽情色網站。中國改革開放的偉大成就之一，就是身體的解放。若論快感，網民們逛成人網站過過眼癮，比起嫖妓包二奶和公款冶遊外國紅燈區的官員，不過是小菜一碟；要比刺激，四千貪官穿壁外逃，人均捲走億元，驚悚度超越網民「翻牆」何止萬倍。「食色，性也」，男女各自長了什麼器官，成年地球人都知道。保護未成年人的理由很正大，兒童的好奇心出乎天性，性教育本該從小普及，但各商業流覽器都有專為家長設置的遮罩功能，靡費國庫的巨額帑銀開發「綠壩」，除了政治盤算，經濟上的動機也耐人尋味。 

中國式大局域網「掃黃」，主要依靠防火牆過濾「敏感詞」。我經常被提示「資訊中包含敏感辭彙」而無法上帖，但又不告知什麼詞「敏感」，必須絞盡腦汁反復測試。我曾呼籲各網站公示「敏感辭彙」，以免浪費寶貴的上網時間和網路資源，但無任何回應。兩年多以前，我偶爾從某網站提供的下載軟體工具中，剝離出一份中英文敏感詞列表，頓時忍俊不禁：一千零一十個辭彙中，三分之一弱是「避孕套」「強暴」之類的性辭彙，三分之二強是「民主」「專制」之類的政治辭彙，還有眾多的高官名字，與ＡＶ女優、異見人士紛然雜陳。「掃黃」掃得如此低俗，倒像是清道夫患了窺陰癖，這東東豈能見光？ 

　 
要裸大家裸，要脫大家脫　Be fair, go naked together

近年的網路輿論監督，令貪官隊伍損兵折將人人自危，搶錢與反搶錢、監督與反監督成了社會矛盾焦點。官員財產「實名制」早在一九九五年就提出了，至今仍遭到頑強抵制；網路「實名制」謀劃不過兩三年，已開始在部分地區實施。政策從醞釀到出台，凡是對官有利的推行神速，凡是不利於官的行之惟艱，被網民戲稱為新的「兩個凡是」。醉翁之意不在酒，網路「白名單」和「實名制」背後隱含的動機，不免令人生疑：堵塞輿情孔道，莫非故意轟人上街？限制公民的知情權，難道真要讓社會回歸蒙昧主義？　　 

漫畫家曠飆有一幅傳播很廣的作品，畫面上那個脫到只剩褲衩的小百姓，對光鮮外衣下財色並包的官員說：「脫吧，到你了」。透明乃當今時尚，要裸一齊全裸，要脫大家都脫，我的身家公開了，你的財產也該見陽光。窗戶紙一點就破，無論實名匿名，網民都在裸奔，不如裸個痛快。倘若所有人都用實名講真話，倒有望爭取到免於恐懼的自由。　

成人不是兒童，女人不是老虎；谷歌不是猛獸，政府不是保姆。透觀皇帝新衣，屁民不穿也罷，若非要廢棄遊戲規則，颳一場重返「一九八四」的《竊聽風暴》，彼此就不必拘禮了。你能開發技術窺我私密，我也有辦法翻牆賞你菊花，索性回歸大自然，按「叢林法則」 裸奔便是。 

Elliot Ng from CN Review looks into the Chinese modern usage of the popular term “xiao-zi”, which originated from Karl Marx's “Petty bourgeoisie”.

Recently a Chinese law scholar Jiang Ping had a public talk criticizing the retreat of China's rule of law. His speech is now translated at Chinese Law Prof Blog.

ESWN has translated the 07-08 diary of the Tobacco Bureau Chief in Guangxi. The Diary has detailed record of the government official's lifestyles, including sexual encounters, drinking binges and taking bribes.

Lightson gathered a list of newly invented English words for describing the specific Chinese Context.

A diagram showing the ratio of Chinese government / party official and ordinary people in the people's representative of the National Congress in China. It appears that more than 75% of the delegate is government / party official. (via twitterer yuanxinting)

Veggie discourse translated a recent sex scandal of a Chinese official in Guangxi, whose' diary has recorded his daily activities in taking bribes and having sexual intercourse with women.

Kenengba has an article foreseeing the launching of QQ phone in the near future.

matts from Gusts of popular feeling blogs about the introduction of English robot teacher to the Korean education scene and explains the desire for learning western technology without adapting western culture in replacing “foreign teacher” with “robot”.

Li Tie points out that in China hijacking a gmail account password only takes 10 seconds if the user has connected his/her account with mobile phone. Once the password recovery was sent to the mobile, the security police can get hold of the account information.

Chong from interlocals has a summary of a local research on the development of online alternative public sphere in Macau.

Mari introduces a machine that make toilet paper out of office recycle papers.

C. Custer from ChinaGeeks blogs about anti-CNN members' recent mobilization to spam CNN poll on Tibetan independence.

Ronda Hauben from Ohmynews international wrote a review on Ohmynews! at its 10th anniversary. And here you can watch the organization's birthday party.

CINA published the details of a police's crackdown action against Nepalese migrants when they are having a dinner meeting at a restaurant in Dongdaemun during the Lunar New Year.

On January 19th 2010, the Beijing Association of online media established a group called Mama Jury to censor obscene and pornographic information online. According to report from Southern Weekend, the idea of organizing mothers to “protect” the children from pornography is originated from Western countries. However, the Chinese mother group is run by the CCP associated organization rather than by independent civic group compared to its western counterpart.

Yang Heng Jun questions the legitimacy of the “government-mother cooperation system”:

第一，谁授权给你们来“评审”互联网内容的？第二，你认为自己未成年孩子不能看的内容就应该删除？网站就应该关闭？难道全中国人民都不能看？哪怕那内容是《宪法》保障我们看、《刑法》不禁止我们看的内容？

让我们进一步发挥所谓“孩子利益优先”的原则，既然你们用这个原则来治理整顿虚拟的互联网，那么我有理由质问你们：为什么不用这种方式对付更多孩子们生活其中的真实社会

你 可以限制自己的孩子上互联网，但你不能以“儿童利益优先”的名义把互联网变成一个只适合你孩子的学习园地和迪斯尼乐园，那是违反《宪法》也违反人性的。……当我们把互联网和社会 变成只适合儿童的时候，儿童不但不会成长，而且，我们成人也会变成“儿童”……

Hu Yong elaborates on Yang's argument:

政府的这一举措明显是要“花季护航”全国人民，把自己摆在为人家长的位置上…    “深入整治低俗”是一场无情的运动，不知有多少网站在去冬今春的寒风中哀号，然而，妈妈们在运动中的出现不仅为之涂上了一层温情色彩，似乎也赋予其更多的正当性。这是因为，妈妈们竖起的大旗是“保护未成年人”，占据了社会道德的制高点。

To many concerned citizens, “Children's interest comes first” is a mere hypocritical political slogan to censor the Internet. When confronted with real issues, such as the melamine poisonous milk scandal, the government is not on the side of the parent and children. Chang Ping points out that the father, Zhao Lianhai, who investigated on the melamine poisonous milk incident was arrested in November 2009. Chang Ping resents why all these pro-censorship mothers who claimed that they loved their children did not step out to support Zhao? And more ironically, the former head of General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), Li Changchun, who resigned after the poisonous milk scandal, has recently been appointed as the vice head of the working team against pornographic and illegal information.

Laotuzaizi echoes with Chang Ping's comment and suggests that the government should opened itself to the monitoring of “mothers”:

何不将“妈妈评审团”改为“妈妈官员监督团”派下去，派到卫生部、质检总局、工商总局，让她们去像监管网民那样监管部长局长处长那些当官的，准管用。别不放心，老秦不跟你们争权夺利，“妈妈官员监督团”可由全国妇联代行管理。

“妈妈官员监督团”完全可以请些下岗女工、家庭妇女，还能解决不少就业问题。“妈妈官员监督团”比起成立国务院食品安全委员会要更省钱，更实用，更解决问题。一物降一物，官员怕民妇。

GFWrev has an article (cn) with a bilingual graph explaining how the Internet censorship works in China.

Ten of thousands people in Shanxi Qingxu evacuated to the street on 21 of February after midnight because of an earthquake rumor. (via ESWN)