tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50965544153732279412023-11-16T06:08:29.564-05:00Human Flesh Search EngineA research blog dedicated to the Human Flesh Search Engine (人肉搜索), a contemporary Chinese internet phenomenon in which netizens use the internet and web forums to target notorious online personalities to discern their real identity. The purpose of this blog is to keep up to date with new instances and advancements of the search engine at work, as well as collate my past and ongoing research into the subject matter.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-73911446771377098532015-07-09T08:59:00.002-04:002015-07-09T09:00:51.429-04:00Accidental Fame and the Chinese HFSEIt's been over a year since I last updated this HFS blog, and I hate to admit that I've been busy with work and haven't taken much time to read into any news related to HFS in China.<br />
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However, a few months back I was interviewed for SoasRadio's Podcast, "<a href="http://soasradio.org/content/episode-1-accidental-fame-and-chinese-human-flesh-search-engine" target="_blank">Tales from the OtherNets</a>" about HFS in China. It's a wonderful episode, so if you have the time, go and listen to the full podcast <a href="http://soasradio.org/content/episode-1-accidental-fame-and-chinese-human-flesh-search-engine" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Description:<br />
<i>Accidental fame online can mean anything from doxing and cyber bullying to becoming a meme or having a video of yourself go viral. In this episode we have a few stories of this from Indonesia and South Korea and finally talk to Vincent Capone -- who runs a blog on Human Flesh Search -- talks about the phenomenon in China.</i>VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-42233943865877532522014-06-02T17:14:00.002-04:002014-06-02T17:14:50.686-04:00Online Bullying Leads to Suicide<a href="http://english.cntv.cn/program/china24/20131218/101119.shtml" target="_blank">This story</a> is nearly half a year old already, but I wanted to share it before I lost the page. A high school girl who had visited a shop was later labeled a thief by the shop-owner who posted surveillance photos online of the girl in her store and urged the online public to "hunt for her." However, the article does make it clear whether or not the allegations were true. Soon, web users found her identity and posted her personal information, address, and school details on the Internet. Online abuse followed and the girl committed suicide by jumping into a river.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU5XZeNJyLBDdwjjNecrcg48Ap3vZ8iIYJpvanAx_aqAade4xINI22xQQ1Mzanxcn1lyYFwI1QCcKPdP0bV1h3xrMbZdow7pU0AJ1mUEAIH91b253OszMoHv5LrvN_SeFOoBmUi2N9P4/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU5XZeNJyLBDdwjjNecrcg48Ap3vZ8iIYJpvanAx_aqAade4xINI22xQQ1Mzanxcn1lyYFwI1QCcKPdP0bV1h3xrMbZdow7pU0AJ1mUEAIH91b253OszMoHv5LrvN_SeFOoBmUi2N9P4/s1600/Image1.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></a></div>
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The story greatly mirrors the trials and hardships faced by many western teens who experience cyber-bullying, a phenomenon that is becoming commonplace. Laws and regulations are slow to catch up the quick pace of technology. In the case of this Chinese girl, the Internet was used as a platform for judgement and targeting someone deemed beneath the norms of society. As with many of these Human Flesh cases where identity is searched and verified through the Internet, the consequences can be extremely dire.<br />
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The girl's family has brought a lawsuit against the shop-owner - I will have to dig up some news on this story and see whether or not there was/or will be any success on this front.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-54917181525135901602014-01-27T19:01:00.000-05:002014-01-27T19:12:36.753-05:00Cultural Revolution MemoryThe New York Times recently ran an op-ed piece titled, <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/opinion/confessions-of-the-cultural-revolution.html" target="_blank">Confessions of the Cultural Revolution</a> which ties in greatly with my Master's research on the subject of the social memory of the Cultural Revolution in present-day China.<br />
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Within the piece, writer Xiao Han reflects that due to the country's strict censorship of Cultural Revolution material and research and reflection into the subject matter, the period's memory is gradually receding from public memory, creating nostalgia by those who contrast the decade with China's rapid, capitalist rise.<br />
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The article mentions one woman who recently came forward and apologized for witnessing an attack on her vice principal during the height of violence, and not doing anything to stop it. After her apology spread through the internet, netizens were quick to target her as "grandstanding" and called her apology "insincere." Xiao Han comments on this and wonders how any other former violent individuals will be encouraged to come forward and apologize for past actions when facing the backlash and criticism of the internet, and calls for the younger netizens to reflect on the apologizes of their elders (see the third excerpt below).<br />
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<u>Some excerpts:</u><br />
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<em>Attempts by intellectuals to publicly address the Cultural Revolution have been suppressed; only a smattering of research by state-funded scholars has seen the light of day. The result has been a gradual receding of memory. The economic surge of the past 30 years has even led some deluded souls to look back on the period with nostalgia. But given the authoritarian nature of today’s leadership, many people fear the prospect of a return of the terror that marked the Cultural Revolution.</em><br />
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<em>Can China continue the momentum and create a framework for wider public acknowledgement? Are the Chinese people ready for such a mass reckoning?</em><br />
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<em>We Chinese need to build an appropriate environment for the wrongdoers to come forward. First and foremost, this requires that people who were fortunate enough not to experience the Cultural Revolution put themselves in the place of the perpetrators. While they have a right to criticize perpetrators of past crimes, they should repress the impulse to harshly condemn those who come forward. We should not be making excessive demands on this process. Chinese people should try to consider what they themselves might have done under similar circumstances. </em>VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-44123334659658801672014-01-13T15:31:00.000-05:002014-01-13T15:31:00.694-05:00Anonymity on YelpYelp.com, a website where users can review businesses, restaurants, and services, is popular among American web users. Typically the website is the go-to place for finding new places to eat, reviewing businesses and home services, and for netizens to vent their frustration on bad dining experiences to the online public.<br />
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However, after a recent court case which found that many negative reviews are posted by users who were not real customers of a service, the US judicial system has ruled that <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25711932" target="_blank">users who post negative reviews must be identified</a>. This news runs parallel to initiatives taken by the Chinese government to identify online netizens by requiring real-name registration for use on popular websites, social media networks, and web forums.<br />
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Posting fake or falsifying information on Yelp can be immensely damaging to small business owners. Yelp reviewers are quick to point out poor service, poor products, and bad dining experiences. Bad reviews (and poor media attention on a popular TV program) <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/amys-baking-company-kitchen-nightmares_n_3274345.html" target="_blank">led to the closure of one American bakery</a>. Similarly, other shops have seen negative hits taken on Yelp after their <a href="http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/08/yelp-removes-negative-comments-ratings-condemning-anti-gay-bridal-shop/" target="_blank">refusal to serve the LGBT community</a> (although the negative reviews were later taken down).VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-39626044249077430522013-12-14T10:21:00.000-05:002013-12-14T10:21:01.229-05:00Weibo to the Rescue!A few weeks ago, Chinese in Shanghai rescued over <a href="http://digitaljournal.com/article/362977" target="_blank">600 cats from being skinned</a> through crowd-sourcing techniques using the micro-blogging website Weibo. Animal rescue groups and volunteers were called to intercept the truck after a message was spread through Weibo. The cats were ultimately saved and the police became involved after the truck that was carrying the cats was stopped by the concerned citizens.<br />
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I wanted to share this story because it bares some resemblance to the <a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/p/netizens-vs-animal-cruelty.html" target="_blank">netizens vs. animal rights violations</a> instances of Human Flesh Searches from the past.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-59406231245414825732013-11-25T10:51:00.000-05:002013-11-25T10:51:05.614-05:00The Memory of Mao Lives OnCame across a very fascinating piece on the BBC website today about <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25019716" target="_blank">a small town in China that still lives according to Chairman Mao</a>. The town, Nanjiecun, is located in central China and offers its residents commune-style amenities such as free housing and education, and a life away from the commercialism that has overtaken China.<br />
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What's amazing about the piece is that the town has been prospering and functions as a mini beacon of hope for the ideals held up by Mao nearly half a century ago.<br />
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Definitely worth the read!VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-55415596018788716762013-11-11T13:38:00.001-05:002013-11-11T13:38:42.316-05:00Boston Marathon Bombing HFSIt's been quite a while since my last update and I apologize for this blog becoming so sparsely updated. I haven't had as much time as I'd like to peruse trends on the Chinese Internet and so a lot of stories have been slipping under my radar.<br />
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However, I would like to share this one story that hits very close to home.<br />
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A few weeks ago, a 22-year-old girl named Alicia Ann Lynch from Michigan tweeted and shared a photo of herself dressed up as a <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/what-happens-when-you-dress-as-a-boston-marathon-victim" target="_blank">Boston Marathon bombing victim</a> for Halloween. All judgement and poor-taste aside, what interests me about the story is the backlash she received and the exact similarities it holds against HFS cases in China.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaqbARUMtFqVeVtRz_mlSnl8cOLwEQGpZfBroBBNNeyEJ39rV4ZVNdUTkDUiLbh6sqMKTU3sYVqYvVEYkHdIFWyqc9Z5SJ_CVgcjYwn_vi6YZRphdWq50wQdqDMAIVImBIvBLUNchy0w/s1600/enhanced-buzz-24989-1383413382-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaqbARUMtFqVeVtRz_mlSnl8cOLwEQGpZfBroBBNNeyEJ39rV4ZVNdUTkDUiLbh6sqMKTU3sYVqYvVEYkHdIFWyqc9Z5SJ_CVgcjYwn_vi6YZRphdWq50wQdqDMAIVImBIvBLUNchy0w/s320/enhanced-buzz-24989-1383413382-11.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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As with HFS searches in China, American netizens used her social networking accounts to gather information about the young girl. Having discovered a photo of her driver's license, netizens were able to discern her address. Within days netizens found nude photos of her and shared all of that around the internet.<br />
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Netizens then took to the <a href="http://boston.barstoolsports.com/random-thoughts/reader-email-what-do-you-think-of-this-girls-marathon-bombing-costume/" target="_blank">comments section of an article</a> about the girl's poor decision to share her address and the names of her employer. The girl closed all of her social media accounts in an effort to evade netizens, but that was in vain. She reopened her account briefly to tell that she had lost her job.<br />
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As with cases of HFS in China, while most netizens spoke out against Lynch, there were many who also advocated against the wave of cyber-bullying and shaming that shook the story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP3cLPzE_s953qu37ytyf7pJB6tarE-k_uoCKs2fk_-aB8CkWF3ebbT3PpKVSQ6LHyCY39EJiIMLU5z9g5S3W86gjVYIh2qp8FIQrFEbRImu-OOu9F48Qa8kff7jaE21rh-PPMoFvlH4/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP3cLPzE_s953qu37ytyf7pJB6tarE-k_uoCKs2fk_-aB8CkWF3ebbT3PpKVSQ6LHyCY39EJiIMLU5z9g5S3W86gjVYIh2qp8FIQrFEbRImu-OOu9F48Qa8kff7jaE21rh-PPMoFvlH4/s320/Image1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWSofJuuQUa98v6i1H2a84DSp-sh2R6NqOawgPW5w26A2c5vPOz-9Fzc-eZpu_zUgzIv-moqkRexuvk5MRuEPiXsGEojVISqkRwn-5FLAyX4274dmZvTmBGLaO6IQ3rRY393ADqA8OW4/s1600/Image12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWSofJuuQUa98v6i1H2a84DSp-sh2R6NqOawgPW5w26A2c5vPOz-9Fzc-eZpu_zUgzIv-moqkRexuvk5MRuEPiXsGEojVISqkRwn-5FLAyX4274dmZvTmBGLaO6IQ3rRY393ADqA8OW4/s320/Image12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What this shows is that while the internet in America is significantly smaller than that of China, human flesh searches, or crowd-sourcing movements as they're more commonly referred to in the US, can be just as dangerous and common.</div>
<br />VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-57652005407479032362013-07-03T18:54:00.001-04:002013-07-03T18:55:27.408-04:00Human Flesh at it AgainI want to share on a story which broke two months ago, that of a young Chinese boy who vandalized a rare Egyptian artifact at the Temple of Luxor. My love of history and deep regret at defaced pieces of ancient culture aside, this story interest me because once again the sights of the Human Flesh Search Engine set themselves upon an adolescent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEGVkfrwZqKIM0KDs78Ne4ds6gE3WqdQzRMwG1TTMnOXpOd_SKVbfvnMwM8zb7Jrf8wprj2iioDsf8Olvt8kOYCIAshYaqbBxdoJ2RryerlT-3GlDkOkVPkqquS9LHqZNLxTRIqm2ANA/s640/130527150224-egypt-temple-graffiti-story-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEGVkfrwZqKIM0KDs78Ne4ds6gE3WqdQzRMwG1TTMnOXpOd_SKVbfvnMwM8zb7Jrf8wprj2iioDsf8Olvt8kOYCIAshYaqbBxdoJ2RryerlT-3GlDkOkVPkqquS9LHqZNLxTRIqm2ANA/s320/130527150224-egypt-temple-graffiti-story-top.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the photo was circulated, netizens quickly re-posted the story throughout Chinese social media and without much ado, they tracked down the young man's identify (which wasn't too difficult seeing as he wrote "Ding Jinhao was here"). Shortly after, the boy's parents apologized to a local newspaper in Nanjing for their son's lack of proper education and respect.<br />
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What this story shows once more is that the Human Flesh Search and Chinese netizens do not discriminate based on age.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-2403185833296205112013-07-01T20:17:00.003-04:002013-07-01T20:17:34.834-04:00Master's Thesis OnlineMy Master's Thesis, titled <a href="http://scholarworks.umb.edu/masters_theses/160/" target="_blank">Generations Apart: Cultural Revolution Memory and China's Post-80's Generation on the Chinese Internet</a> is now online at UMass Boston's Scholarworks database. Check it out!VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-60749766004298439642013-02-02T16:48:00.001-05:002013-02-02T16:48:29.920-05:00Master's ThesisI've begun setting aside large blocks of my time to finally begin putting a dent into my Master's Thesis writing. I am aiming to complete this project by the end of this spring semester so let's hope that I continue to stay on track and get some solid writing down as often as I can.<br />
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The topic for my Master's thesis is building upon my undergraduate work, again focusing on the growth of the Chinese Internet and how netizens are working to reshape the memory of the Cultural Revolution. </div>
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Below is a short abstract for my work in progress:</div>
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<b style="text-align: center;">Reshaping the Social Memory of the </b><b>Cultural Revolution in the Digital Age</b></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The growth of
the internet in China has granted Chinese citizens a new outlet for having
their voices heard, allowing Chinese to log onto the web and speak out against
corruption, build movements, and rally against social injustices. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Netizens, or internet users,
are able to take advantage of internet anonymity to raise issues that could
never been raised offline, such as environmental concerns, issues of
local-level corruption, and anger at the rigorously competitive college
entrance exam. With over 500 million users accessing the Chinese
internet, it has become a place of political participation where social memory
is discussed and transformed. This has become evident in online discussions of
the Cultural Revolution, a social and political movement which took place in
China between 1966 and 1976.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />After four decades, memory of
the Cultural Revolution is used on the Chinese internet to describe
violent behaviors being shared online as a context for highlighting China’s
social instability. Netizens are making comparisons between current violent
acts of protest and extreme Red Guard behaviors, which evoke heavy emotions
from the Cultural Revolution generation. This research argues that these
tensions and reprisals among netizen groups arose from the disconnect between
current uses of Cultural Revolution revivalism on the Chinese internet and the
impact this has for individuals of the Cultural Revolution generation.
<br />Specifically, this research engages with the implications and purposes of invoking memories of the Cultural Revolution
on the Chinese Internet. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /><br />Analyzing recent trends of how the internet is changing communication, this
study proves that the post-1980s generation, in drawing from the Cultural
Revolution, is not aware of the implications that making such
connections on the internet has. Lack of education and public historiography of
this decade of Chinese history is due to the government’s efforts to sweep it
into the dustbin of history, having labeled the Cultural Revolution a “dark
chapter” in Chinese modern history. Netizens making these comparisons are
merely calling out current events as being the same as the Cultural Revolution
without delving into the larger context of what that period of history means
for the generations who lived through it. As such, this Cultural Revolution
revivalism and re-characterization of its social memory as seen through Chinese
social media has complex meanings for how China’s post-1980’s generation
defines that decade of events.</span></div>
VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-42997860421460128912013-01-31T09:52:00.000-05:002013-01-31T09:52:30.551-05:00NYC Times HackedHow fitting that just after <a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/2013/01/online-hacking.html">yesterday's post</a> on the dangers of hacking, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21271849">BBC News reveals</a> that the NYTimes has been under hacking attacks from Chinese hackers since running their piece criticizing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's family fortunes.
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<i>Beijing has been accused by several governments, foreign companies and organisations of carrying out extensive cyber espionage for many years, seeking to gather information and to control China's image. </i>VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-34543837010007601772013-01-30T11:14:00.000-05:002013-01-30T14:26:41.137-05:00Online HackingOnline hacking may appear to be larger than mere individuals, affecting corporate and government websites. Even the Chinese government's websites <a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/2012/04/beijing-hacked.html">can't protect against global hackers</a>. But what many readers may not know is that online hacking and personal attacks against individuals is rampant on today's internet. Netizens need to be aware of the dangers of online hacking and the threat hacking can have on their personal email, banking, and social accounts.
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In today's digital environment, there is nothing more dangerous or scary than having your identity stolen on the internet.
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To learn more about the danger of online hacking and the benefits of having a secure password, check out this great inforgraphic produced by OnlineCollegeCourses.com:
<br><center><a href="http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2013/01/28/hacked/"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/130118HackedFINAL.gif" alt="Hacked Infographic" width="450" border="0" /></a><br />
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Some personal notes on hacking: I recall as far back as 2006 being an undergrad at UMass Amherst and receiving notices from the IT department to beware of email phishing scams and password theft. Similarly, I have received emails numerous times from Facebook and other social networking websites informing me that unsuccessful attempts were made at logging into my account and to ensure that I strengthen my password.
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Hacking is a serious threat that deserves any netizen's full attention. A tip I learned from a friend to ensure a strong password is to create a nifty phrase, example: The quick brown fox jumps high (or one more personal to you) and create the password from the first letters of said phrase, example: tqbfjh. To ensure strength, add some numbers or symbols, example: tqbfjh90!.
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I was amazed at the above infographic's statistics on how fast a hacker's computer software can ascertain your password. That's why it is essential to create a strong combination of letters, numbers, and symbols!
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I'm not particularly well-versed in hacking occurring in mainland China, but I do recall news stories in the past year or so in which American government-run websites have been hacked and sources have placed Chinese hackers at the root of the hacking.
VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-37703136756712447982013-01-09T10:39:00.001-05:002013-01-09T10:39:13.447-05:00Scholarworks UpdatePosting a huge thank-you to all the readers who have helped make my undergraduate thesis a well-read paper on the Scholarworks database! This past month had 39 new downloads, for a total of 318 since the paper was uploaded to the system late last spring. Last month, my paper was one of the top Asian Studies-related papers on the database.<br />
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Knowing that my research is attracting readers is helping me to chug along through my graduate thesis, which I'm currently in the process of writing.<br />
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Thanks everyone!VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-80008302210976398122012-12-07T13:46:00.001-05:002012-12-07T13:46:15.187-05:00OLLI CourseI've posted my slideshow <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6RQsiAprXbmR2F4Z1lYVEMwbk0/edit" target="_blank">PowerPoint presentation slides</a> from the OLLI course at UMass Boston which I recently finished teaching entitled "How the Internet has Changed Political Participation in China." The presentation includes the slides from all six lessons and discussions.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-57248927283308787642012-12-07T13:43:00.002-05:002012-12-07T13:43:58.706-05:00Chinese Internet ActivistsAfter a sex tape went viral last week depicting Chongqing district party chief Lei Zhengfu having sex with an eighteen-year-old girl, the official was quickly fired from his position while Zhu Ruifeng, the netizen who shared the video on his website, was praised for his internet activism.<br />
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The incident has since been praised by Chinese media. Below are some snippets from <a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/china-offers-protection-support-to-netizen-who-exposed-sex-scandal/1554208.html" target="_blank">this article</a> by the Voice of America:<br />
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<i>In an editorial published Tuesday, the state-run China Daily newspaper welcomed what it called the "prowess" of Zhu and other activists who use the Internet as a "tool against abusive officials."</i><br />
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<i>It said Lei's case shows the effectiveness of social media in triggering government action, and it urged anti-corruption leaders to "embrace" Internet activists as a "close ally." China's main anti-corruption agency issued a statement Monday saying it recognizes a need for authorities to "seriously address" corruption problems "reported by the masses."</i><br />
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And some skepticism:<br />
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<i>"For the central government, Internet activism ... that singles out a few 'bad apples' [corrupt officials] is fine, but political and social red lines remain," said Galperin, an international freedom of expression coordinator at the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Allowing [such] activism does not mean, for example, that Tibetan activists will see any increased tolerance."</i>VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-78429479311653694102012-12-04T12:29:00.002-05:002013-12-26T14:20:57.291-05:00Spelling Out Human Flesh SearchSorry I've been absent the past few months. Not only have I been working tirelessly on my M.A. thesis focusing on aspects of Human Flesh Search (particularly it's context with recent Cultural Revolution-memory revivalism on the Chinese Internet), but I also finished up my OLLI course on the Chinese Internet and HFS, and the discussions that came out of that course were particularly insightful in how to present HFS and it's context to a western audience.<br />
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As such, I wanted to point out two great articles which seek to bring HFS to a western audience by both defining the term and explaining how HFS is structured and how it functions:<br />
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<a href="http://www.tealeafnation.com/2012/10/what-a-human-flesh-search-is-and-how-its-changing-china/" target="_blank">What a “Human Flesh Search” Is, And How It’s Changing China</a> over at Tea Leaf Nation, and a follow-up to this piece delving deeper into some of HFS's mechanics over at <a href="http://www.88-bar.com/2012/12/the-human-flesh-searching-chinese-explained-in-jessi-levines-tea-leaf-nationthe-atlantic-article/" target="_blank">八八吧 :: 88 Bar</a>, which specifically mentions the categories which my research has placed HFS cases into.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-25086872092420868782012-09-04T14:00:00.000-04:002012-09-04T14:00:06.335-04:00Netizen Outrage, Echoes of Mao-Era StruggleI've been collating and organizing my past and current research making historical connections among Human Flesh Search and the Cultural Revolution in preparation for writing my graduate thesis. As such, I wrote a piece over at <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/08/why-chinese-netizens-are-calling-koreans-lucky/" target="_blank">Tea Leaf Nation</a> making comparisons between netizens on the Chinese Internet and Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. These comparisons and the article act as a summary of broad themes that I am researching for my graduate thesis, which will take my undergraduate work and delve deeper into making connections and fleshing out themes in Chinese history that I merely touched upon in the past.<br />
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Read the article <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/09/in-chinese-netizen-outrage-echoes-of-mao-era-struggle/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-27740679475738926672012-08-31T15:20:00.001-04:002012-08-31T15:20:47.431-04:00Leaders Brave the Internet (Sort of)<a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/2012/08/social-media-and-government.html" target="_blank">Yesterday</a> I discussed the changing role the internet and web chats have on politicians and leaders, especially in China. Today I revisited the topic on <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/08/why-chinese-netizens-are-calling-koreans-lucky/" target="_blank">Tea Leaf Nation</a> making some comparisons to President Obama's AMA on Reddit and questioning if this online interaction with citizens is both practical and sincere.<br />
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Read the article <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/09/in-china-and-the-u-s-leaders-brave-the-internet-sort-of/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-79056067056158538932012-08-30T15:16:00.002-04:002012-08-30T15:17:01.182-04:00Social Media and GovernmentPresident Obama's question and answer session on the popular website Reddit.com has drawn media attention for his ability to utilize technology to get closer to the average citizen. But as the President was performing his ask-me-anything (AMA) on Reddit, <a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/2012/08/official-outfits.html" target="_blank">Yang Dacai, Provincial Work Safety Administration of Shaanxi Province</a> took to the Chinese internet to do a live chat concerning images circulating of him smiling at the scene of a tragic bus accident, and to refute claims that corruption is to thank for the various expensive watches he's been shown to wear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_4kkyWv3Lg9k_N06C6t6nswCicLlLMV3lCiyuQvqYksqjwYOTrgQAZU5GiLB6NITcq6VPIAfrYl_85juHDgo5DbVE8H9h19pqwpatw19AnFPheEFxHfkF2d8E6uYOXCpFlapgAb-0-o/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_4kkyWv3Lg9k_N06C6t6nswCicLlLMV3lCiyuQvqYksqjwYOTrgQAZU5GiLB6NITcq6VPIAfrYl_85juHDgo5DbVE8H9h19pqwpatw19AnFPheEFxHfkF2d8E6uYOXCpFlapgAb-0-o/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Before I post the details of his live chat, the larger picture at play is the government's use of the internet and online technologies to reach the average citizen. Especially on the Chinese internet, political voices have been known to fuel rumors, bring down corrupt officials, and sway judges to amend sentencing. And in recent years, Chinese officials have been taking to the internet to gauge support.<br />
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In early 2009, Chinese President Hu Jintao urged local officials to improve their internet literacy in an effort to improve leadership. By doing so, he argued, the Party would be able to get a better gauge of the political climate. This outlook was followed up by a web chat hosted by Premier Wen Jiabao's in February 2009. The chat left a strong influence on the Premier, who later said he “perceived confidence and strength from people’s suggestions online.” In June 2009, President Hu himself logged into a web forum hosted by the People's Daily where he chatted with the public. However, the chat only last for four minutes. But what's clear is that the Chinese government hopes these online sessions with government officials will provide the people with a sense of transparency in the inner-workings of the Communist Party. My prior research delves a bit deeper into the underlying motives and questions concerning the role of government online - to read, please click <a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/p/thesis.html" target="_blank">here</a> (begins on page 15).<br />
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In keeping up with this trend, Yang Dacai decided that the best way to refute rumors was to take to the internet himself. Live-chatting from Weibo, Yang answered 12 out of over 6,000 questions posed.<br />
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In defense of his questionable smile that has been circulating the Chinese blogosphere since Monday, Yang responded, “Everyone was wound up. Some comrades’ accents were very strong, and some of what they were saying I couldn’t quite get. I was trying to get them to relax a little, so maybe, in an unguarded moment, I got a little too relaxed myself. When I think about it now, I’m filled with regret.” (<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/08/30/about-time-a-bold-move-from-an-embattled-chinese-official/" target="_blank">WSJ - China Real Time Report</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUUxqebNN5VvguMg7JfT3tOsZKDvdWd4l2suz3efxXvvIYw5M0fTf2c0E-DoyKAfjTrc-gieA1KJU3cjyJ5KM20AZs-QFO1-VDw7BECzZuXvNeU9n4QiBLJh34y2MsFnkGhbbgKJ9fwE/s1600/809a1340tw1dwes0khsfpj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUUxqebNN5VvguMg7JfT3tOsZKDvdWd4l2suz3efxXvvIYw5M0fTf2c0E-DoyKAfjTrc-gieA1KJU3cjyJ5KM20AZs-QFO1-VDw7BECzZuXvNeU9n4QiBLJh34y2MsFnkGhbbgKJ9fwE/s320/809a1340tw1dwes0khsfpj.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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Responding to claims that he could not possible afford so many luxury watches, Yang defended himself saying that he bought the watches using his salary of the past ten years. However, this answer did not go over well with netizens who continued to argue that the modest salary of an official at his rank would not be able to support such luxuries.<br />
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In recent years Chinese have taken to the web to <a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/p/netizens-vs-corruption.html" target="_blank">battle perceived corruption</a> in their government, a move that has been met with much success. Yang himself applauds these actions saying that for the people to monitor officials in such a way is “reasonable and normal.” A sentiment that would surely have been shared with the ideology of Mao Zedong.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-43959709991365190602012-08-27T12:35:00.002-04:002012-08-27T12:49:40.639-04:00Official OutfitsOne of the main stories of "netizens vs. corruption" that my own research drew upon was <a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/p/netizens-vs-corruption.html" target="_blank">the story of Zhou Jiugeng</a>, a Chinese state official who was thrown into the internet spotlight after netizens dissected photographs oh himself wearing an expensive watch and equally expensive foreign cigarettes. It was later discovered that he also drove a Cadillac to work. Netizens questioned how a man in his position could afford such luxuries and determined that he must be involved in corruption since his salary did not match his amenities. As a result, he was fired from his post.<br />
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I discovered today two similar causes of netizens dissecting the outfits of officials and both questioning their spending abilities and morals.<br />
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The first story is from March 2012 during the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Delegate Li Xiaolin came under fire from netizens for wearing an expensive Emilio Pucci pantsuit. While debates among netizens ranged from anger over lavish spending against a backdrop of Chinese rural poor, to the delegate's freedom to spend her money as she chooses and wear what she wants. Concurrent with attacks on Li, other images began to pop up showcasing various delegates sporting suits and attire from famous western designers such as Hermes, Dior, and Chanel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7KADI0ZUeKHP3KPOZlYgyZIB7M2nqwirrVSrL5u3YEeOHGcIWCEDio80CngI06ZSHl8ITIY7x0BnoGRaDeWNtOuWUa9kpMvWF3VLDc8FPMjqK56lnmb70K7DJCqIECtoATm1CEUjR7Y/s1600/52e0e4f8jw1dqpcpazbccj.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7KADI0ZUeKHP3KPOZlYgyZIB7M2nqwirrVSrL5u3YEeOHGcIWCEDio80CngI06ZSHl8ITIY7x0BnoGRaDeWNtOuWUa9kpMvWF3VLDc8FPMjqK56lnmb70K7DJCqIECtoATm1CEUjR7Y/s320/52e0e4f8jw1dqpcpazbccj.jpeg" width="248" /></a></div>
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More recently, a story followed a tragic event in Shaanxi province where an overnight bus rammed into the back of a gas tanker and caught fire, killing 36 people. Shortly after the accident, a photo circulated on Weibo depicting a middle-aged overweight man smiling near the wreckage. Netizens did a human flesh search for the man's identity and determined him to be Yang Dacai, chief of Shaanxi’s Safety Supervision Bureau. The photograph quickly sparked ire among netizens condemning his actions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak1qlESztebw2Xn1nsZOZGimngUEHMwIlwZQ2_aFubQEmlarM2C1nkt7jipAO0sKQ8Cu-AOtRCnrfo_t8uEZ2zbUYuT9d0US0TSiS0v__6wUaZQqrBrdgzEu_8zaZLG92X_l66FbeKEU/s1600/Expensivewatches-217x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak1qlESztebw2Xn1nsZOZGimngUEHMwIlwZQ2_aFubQEmlarM2C1nkt7jipAO0sKQ8Cu-AOtRCnrfo_t8uEZ2zbUYuT9d0US0TSiS0v__6wUaZQqrBrdgzEu_8zaZLG92X_l66FbeKEU/s320/Expensivewatches-217x1024.jpg" width="67" /></a></div>
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Regardless of his reasons for smiling, be it nerves or another situation that will remain unknown to netizens, those on China's internet soon began to analyze various photos of Yang wearing expensive watches costing anywhere from $30,000-60,000, more than an official in his post should be able to afford, proving that officials need to keep in mind that their expenses are not without scrutiny on the Chinese internet.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-73086143859775729452012-08-27T08:15:00.003-04:002012-08-27T08:16:26.045-04:00Chinese Netizens: South Koreans "Lucky"<a href="http://humanfleshsearchengine.blogspot.com/2012/08/update-s-korean-name-registration.html" target="_blank">A few days ago</a> I blogged about the South Korean's court decision to rule real-name registration requirements on popular website unconstitutional. After the decision came out, I wrote a piece on <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/08/why-chinese-netizens-are-calling-koreans-lucky/" target="_blank">Tea Leaf Nation</a> on the subject and the response of Chinese netizens.<br />
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Read the article <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/08/why-chinese-netizens-are-calling-koreans-lucky/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-35190037658170127742012-08-24T12:36:00.001-04:002012-08-24T12:36:32.837-04:00Graduate WoesOne of the arguments in my research is that netizen participation in China is high because Chinese graduates are either facing lack of work or are working at jobs that they are overqualified for, leading to extra time being spent on the internet and thus finding activities and posting grievances on the internet. While this is a hard argument to substantiate, there was a new <a href="http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443545504577566752847208984.html?mg=reno64-wsj&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Counterparties+%28Counterparties%29" target="_blank">article today by the Wall Street Journal</a> saying that 69% of college graduates in China currently make less than migrant workers.<br />
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<i>While worker dissatisfaction hasn't manifested itself politically, such as in public protests, it is bound to be a worry for China's top leaders who regularly stress the need to avoid social instability, particularly ahead of this fall's leadership change.</i><br />
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Whether or not this underemployment is the reason for netizen activities on the Chinese internet, as stated above the dissatisfaction among students in job placement is enough to cause unrest online, and perhaps offline.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-61385450793539838962012-08-24T12:09:00.003-04:002012-08-24T12:10:07.262-04:00Chinese Interests in AfricaAfrica has long been a land of lush resources, home to both fertile lands and harsh deserts. Some of the most powerful ancient civilizations were located on the continent, including the Egyptian, Carthaginian, and Mali empires. However, in the modern era Africa has become known for the carving up that occurred when European nations began to colonize the continent in the nineteenth century and strip it of it's resources. And today, similar work is underway by China.<br />
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Prior to the nineteenth century, Africa's main draws were its rich mineral deposits (namely gold) and the slave trade which flourished in Europe and the America colonies. By the nineteenth century, European powers quickly began to set up colonies in Africa in what was known as "the Scramble for Africa," invading the continent, colonizing, and annexing land. Native Africans could do little to halt the Europeans who had advanced weaponry due to the tide of the Industrial Revolution. Soon, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, and Spain would claim land in Africa, stripping it of resources.<br />
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While the age of imperialism drew to a close with the onset of two world wars, and revolutions granting independence to native peoples from their colonial powers, the time of colonization has had a lasting influence on Africa. Most notably, the European nations worked to strip Africa of resources, but did little build lasting infrastructure to the region.<br />
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Today, a new effort is underway in Africa spearheaded by the Chinese. The Chinese are leading enormous infrastructural projects in Africa, building the region (and also getting access to much needed resources in the process) and pouring large amounts of money into projects all along the African continent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlJNos9wvddZftGEj9RW9vY4Qxm5mLFt_dgSyMGMRmnVei1eMPMAAnOSeHYkIp3TweJsxx1VCg7qNIs6fIPPbbEx3LwwKPYBurJDyKmXRiz0LLCdyp8UUtSwLb_nHn6OgBiUyVoZKhqE/s1600/owFjf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlJNos9wvddZftGEj9RW9vY4Qxm5mLFt_dgSyMGMRmnVei1eMPMAAnOSeHYkIp3TweJsxx1VCg7qNIs6fIPPbbEx3LwwKPYBurJDyKmXRiz0LLCdyp8UUtSwLb_nHn6OgBiUyVoZKhqE/s320/owFjf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Chinese are placing most of these funds into resource investment, utilizing Africa's rich deposits and untapped areas. The Chinese are also striving to improve infrastructure and transportation throughout the region. However, is this advancement and investment in infrastructure to benefit the locals or to aid Chinese efforts to access and transport resources? Is Chinese "investment" in Africa a subtle word choice to mask plans to get at Africa's resources?<br />
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Another part of this is a large influx of Chinese workers into Africa, a move that is <a href="http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/chinese-worker-killed-in-zambia-1.1357334#.UDembNZlTp4" target="_blank">creating hostilities</a> between the Chinese and local populations. Visitors to China may also note large influxes of African students studying in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. While large pockets of African students exist in China, they are often met with <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/06/foreigner-dies-in-police-custody-leading-to-mass-protest-by-africans-in-guangzhou/" target="_blank">hostile attitudes centered on racism</a>.<br />
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The similarities between European colonization of Africa and China's recent "investments" in Africa are great. And the growing tensions between the two cultures and China's ambitions in the region are definitely something to keep an eye on.<br />
<br />VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-9306933036457182362012-08-24T06:19:00.001-04:002012-08-27T08:16:16.450-04:00Obama v. RomneyWondering what netizens think of the US presidential election and candidates? My latest article at <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/08/chinas-netizens-ready-to-call-winner-in-u-s-presidential-election/" target="_blank">Tea Leaf Nation</a><span id="goog_1647425460"></span><span id="goog_1647425461"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> examines which candidates netizens on Chinese social media are throwing their support behind.<br />
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Read the article <a href="http://tealeafnation.com/2012/08/chinas-netizens-ready-to-call-winner-in-u-s-presidential-election/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5096554415373227941.post-47182232392206017762012-08-23T14:03:00.001-04:002012-08-23T14:03:08.900-04:00Update: S. Korean Name RegistrationJudges in South Korea voted unanimously to block a law that would have required netizens to use their real names when posting to the internet. Real-name registration, a practice that is gaining momentum on various Chinese websites, strips netizens of anonymity when posting to the internet in the hopes that removing an online user's ability to post and hide behind an anonymous handle with deter the spread of rumors, lies, and libel online.<br />
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South Korean judges blocked the law saying it <a href="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/skorean-judges-block-law-requiring-real-names-online-ruling-it-restricts-freedom-of-speech-167157655.html" target="_blank">undermines freedom of speech</a> and prevents netizens from voicing concerns on the internet and that no proof has been shown that real name registration does in fact limit libel and cut down on abusive comments on the internet.<br />
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This news removes South Korean from the list of Asian nations aiming for real-name registration laws and policies on the internet. Chinese cities have been making strides to implement similar policies for websites such as Sina Weibo, however critics argue that doing so severely limits political participation and voicing concerns online.VinVin212http://www.blogger.com/profile/05132187004885953758noreply@blogger.com0