This Ted video i watched was about China's social media despite the huge internet limitations impose on it's citizens.Though out the video Michael Anti talks about the increasing amount of internet users known as netizens amounting to 500 million people.Social media has become a powerful tool to citizens in China, as it gives them a more sense of freedom.They have their own social media sites in use, more like copycats of corporations sites like Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and Google.
In china these are replace with:
- Google = Baidu
- Twitter = Weibo
- Facebook = RenRen
- Youtube = Youku, and Tudou
The Chinese government practically had copied the material from these and made it themselves. Why?, because they wanted to keep the servers based in China, that way they have full access to every netizen data out there. By doing that they keep a eye on every internet user to china and are able to censored certain parts of their internet to prevent talks of political topics in China. Although China in it's best effort to censor things, they can't prevent the netizen's from speaking out, in local governments around China, because the server is in Beijing.
Michael use's a relationship of the cat and mouse which seems to fit what China is, there will always be more mouses then the cat, you can't stop all of them.
Overall this an interesting video it is worth watching that, social media has become growing tool not only in china but all around the world. It allowed the voice of the people to be heard if not in public. Presentation was presented well with the visual props in-line with his discussion. It really interested me to see people be heard even though they are under oppression from their government. It has become almost a way of life for China, to be a netizen.Internet has rally the voices of China to be heard though out the government
The link to the video is:
http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_anti_behind_the_Great_firewall_of_china.html
