3 ms·

Wait, so MS isn't cooperating with China and giving them a special search engine? Microsoft's product is actually being less evil than Google's? Is this some

by amalcon 17y ago

Wait, so MS isn't cooperating with China and giving them a special search engine? Microsoft's product is actually being less evil than Google's? Is this some kind of topsy-turvy world? Well, this is the first compelling reason to switch to Bing I've seen to date. Maybe I'll give it a spin later.

tlrobinson 17y ago
I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but what if Google is setting up China? They gain popularity in China to the point that the country is reliant on it, and the government is comfortable with Google because they're given some control. Then, at some point in the future once enough of a fuss has been made about Google helping China, Google gives China an ultimatum, either they end the censorship or Google leaves China. Google can claim it's bad for their business to help China censor, when in reality they were planning it all along... Unlikely, but who knows?
- jhancock 17y ago
  I would say its unlikely as Google is not the top search engine in China. Baidu lives with the same (possibly more) monitoring and censoring than Google and the Baidu content is more in Mandarin.
calambrac 17y ago
Um, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4088702.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4088702.stm
- amalcon 17y ago
  MS has been really bad about cooperating with China in the past. I understand this, and in fact it's why I'm so surprised. I don't necessarily expect it to last forever, but hey -- there's always a chance. Maybe we should write letters, wherein we express that we are pleased that MS's search engine division isn't cooperating with China, and that we've started using Bing for this reason.
  - calambrac 17y ago
    I'm cynical, I figured they just hadn't gotten around to implementing the censorship feature before they launched. It probably says more about China not wanting to take chances with a search engine it hasn't had time to vet, more than a principled stand by Microsoft.

by amalcon 17y ago

tlrobinson 17y ago

I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but what if Google is setting up China? They gain popularity in China to the point that the country is reliant on it, and the government is comfortable with Google because they're given some control. Then, at some point in the future once enough of a fuss has been made about Google helping China, Google gives China an ultimatum, either they end the censorship or Google leaves China. Google can claim it's bad for their business to help China censor, when in reality they were planning it all along... Unlikely, but who knows?

jhancock 17y ago
I would say its unlikely as Google is not the top search engine in China. Baidu lives with the same (possibly more) monitoring and censoring than Google and the Baidu content is more in Mandarin.

calambrac 17y ago

Um, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4088702.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4088702.stm

amalcon 17y ago
MS has been really bad about cooperating with China in the past. I understand this, and in fact it's why I'm so surprised. I don't necessarily expect it to last forever, but hey -- there's always a chance. Maybe we should write letters, wherein we express that we are pleased that MS's search engine division isn't cooperating with China, and that we've started using Bing for this reason.
- calambrac 17y ago
  I'm cynical, I figured they just hadn't gotten around to implementing the censorship feature before they launched. It probably says more about China not wanting to take chances with a search engine it hasn't had time to vet, more than a principled stand by Microsoft.