4 ms·
Google’s reasons for leaving China aren’t as pure as they seem
- nfnaaron 17y ago"But Google’s motivations are not as pure as they may seem. ... If Google had not, as it revealed in its announcement, "detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China," there's no reason to believe it would have altered its policy of censoring search results to fit the wishes of the Chinese authorities. It was the attack, not a sudden burst of righteousness, that spurred Google’s action." I think everyone gets this. They held their nose, to make money, and then received the final straw from a hostile government.
- ErrantX 17y agoI think it's slightly more positive than that. They held their nose to make money, and felt that it was a net positive for Chinese people despite the censorship. That's just conjecture and purely a matter of what you believe about them ofc.
- nfnaaron 17y agoI'm sure there's measurable truth in what you say, I was just boiling it down. Not trying to slight Google at all. But, the prospect of profit makes it much easier to convince yourself that your product is a force for good.
- michaelcampbell 17y agoSo is doing the right* thing for a mixture of right* and wrong* reasons is... wrong? * for whatever values of right and wrong you choose.
- Towle_ 17y agoSomewhat unrelated: After browsing around the site, I have to say I'm very impressed with The New Republic and the quality of its writers. I'm adding them to my list of must-read web sites at once! :)