4 ms·

I'm not convinced. Google is talking about shutting down google.cn, not blocking google.com from the Chinese internet. I've used google services from China with

I'm not convinced. Google is talking about shutting down google.cn, not blocking google.com from the Chinese internet. I've used google services from China without any issues. Also, the local market in China is much more Windows-focused than in the U.S. I think Microsoft leaving the Chinese market would have a huge effect. Overall, the question is not whether it has an impact on Chinese business but whether it would have enough of an impact to influence the decision makers in the government.

netcan 17y ago
Back up a minute. I never said that everything Google would be pulled from China. But right now there are some heated conversations going on in the larger offices of China's censor. They will be weighing up the potential to block Google entirely and strategies for doing this if t becomes necessary. They will be adding up the costs. They will realise that leverage is not just one sided. I think Microsoft leaving any market would have a big effect, probably more then Google.
rubinelli 17y ago
Even if Microsoft leaves, consumers will easily find pirate copies.
andrewfong 17y ago
It's unclear whether Microsoft leaving the OS market would actually affect things -- the majority of Microsoft software in China is pirated, and it's not like Microsoft can flip a kill-switch and take down every Windows machine. Still, if Bing follows in uncensoring, that be impressive, especially given the kerfuffle Nick Kristof raised a couple of months ago over Bing's filtering.
andrewfong 17y ago
What I would love to see would be if Microsoft started bundling "dissident-friendly" software features into its products -- e.g. encryption.
ckho 17y ago
join this facebook group to show our concern on Chinese network human right and push Microsoft to show its influence. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=250019583195 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=250019583195

netcan 17y ago

Back up a minute. I never said that everything Google would be pulled from China. But right now there are some heated conversations going on in the larger offices of China's censor. They will be weighing up the potential to block Google entirely and strategies for doing this if t becomes necessary. They will be adding up the costs. They will realise that leverage is not just one sided. I think Microsoft leaving any market would have a big effect, probably more then Google.

rubinelli 17y ago

Even if Microsoft leaves, consumers will easily find pirate copies.

andrewfong 17y ago

It's unclear whether Microsoft leaving the OS market would actually affect things -- the majority of Microsoft software in China is pirated, and it's not like Microsoft can flip a kill-switch and take down every Windows machine. Still, if Bing follows in uncensoring, that be impressive, especially given the kerfuffle Nick Kristof raised a couple of months ago over Bing's filtering.

andrewfong 17y ago

What I would love to see would be if Microsoft started bundling "dissident-friendly" software features into its products -- e.g. encryption.

ckho 17y ago

join this facebook group to show our concern on Chinese network human right and push Microsoft to show its influence. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=250019583195 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=250019583195