Home
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Rural area is critically important to the future prosperity of China
In search of history to inspire rural rejuvenation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Public skepticism about Green Dam
Source: Xinhua |
June 29, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHOULD every computer in China be installed with filtering software? And should the government make a decision before making the software known to the public and listening to their views?
Heated debates have arisen since the government said earlier this month that all computers sold in China would have to include software packages for filtering out online pornography.
On June 9, a filtering program named "Green Dam and Escorting Minors" was introduced to the public by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The software was said to be able to identify and block pornographic or violent images and words on the Internet. The package could also help parents control how much time their children spend online.
MIIT originally said all new computers in China must have this software package pre-installed as of Wednesday.
Ma Jingjing, who works for a foreign company in Beijing, has a seven-year-old son. She said: "I would like to try it on my family computer, but I don't think it is very necessary for the company (computers)."
However, there are a lot of people who are hesitant or skeptical when it comes to accepting the government's decision to install the software.
Ma Pengfei, who runs a personal computer business in northwest Beijing's Zhongguancun District, said: "Few clients have asked about (Green Dam), and fewer said they want to install it."
Yu Guoming, a professor at the Renmin University of China, suggested that the government install Green Dam on computers that are used in such public places as museums, schools and libraries.
"The government's original intention was good, but it is not proper for the government to make the installation mandatory when the public knows little about the software," added Ma Pengfei.
The MIIT has already made a clarification. On June 10, it said: "The notice to PC makers and sellers does not mean that the software's installation as part of users' operating systems is mandatory. Instead, the software package should be installed on either the hard drives or a compact disc with the computers."
MIIT spokesman Liu Lihua said the software could be switched off and uninstalled by computer users.
Heated debates have arisen since the government said earlier this month that all computers sold in China would have to include software packages for filtering out online pornography.
On June 9, a filtering program named "Green Dam and Escorting Minors" was introduced to the public by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The software was said to be able to identify and block pornographic or violent images and words on the Internet. The package could also help parents control how much time their children spend online.
MIIT originally said all new computers in China must have this software package pre-installed as of Wednesday.
Ma Jingjing, who works for a foreign company in Beijing, has a seven-year-old son. She said: "I would like to try it on my family computer, but I don't think it is very necessary for the company (computers)."
However, there are a lot of people who are hesitant or skeptical when it comes to accepting the government's decision to install the software.
Ma Pengfei, who runs a personal computer business in northwest Beijing's Zhongguancun District, said: "Few clients have asked about (Green Dam), and fewer said they want to install it."
Yu Guoming, a professor at the Renmin University of China, suggested that the government install Green Dam on computers that are used in such public places as museums, schools and libraries.
"The government's original intention was good, but it is not proper for the government to make the installation mandatory when the public knows little about the software," added Ma Pengfei.
The MIIT has already made a clarification. On June 10, it said: "The notice to PC makers and sellers does not mean that the software's installation as part of users' operating systems is mandatory. Instead, the software package should be installed on either the hard drives or a compact disc with the computers."
MIIT spokesman Liu Lihua said the software could be switched off and uninstalled by computer users.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
