While examining many of these online controversies, the goal of this research is to place these events in a historical context. The strongest connections that I made were to the Cultural Revolution era of Chinese history. However, it is also important to note the direction that these online witch hunts have in the future of internet freedoms and censorship in modern China.
The Chinese Cultural Revolution (coming soon)
In my research I likened the internet forums and micro-blogs of the Human Flesh Search Engine to Big Character Posters of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Other connections have been made to this period of Chinese history including youth-led political movements and Rebecca MacKinnon's likening these online netizens to cyber Red Guards.
Moving into the Future (coming soon)
As the Human Flesh Search Engine moves into the future, it is important to observe where the actions of netizens steer Communist Party policy concerning censorship and internet democracy. As the internet in China expands, there has been call for Real Name Registration requiring all netizens to use web handles that link back to their real identities offline. Furthermore, as the Search Engine continues to target individuals and cause repercussions, more of these cases will meet before a Chinese court.
