Whilst I abhor the fact that China blocks certain websites from users on the mainland, I can't help but think that blocking wikipedia isn't such a bad thing.

This site seems to epitomise the google ideal of information at your fingertips. The problem is that, with so much compiled by amateurs, the accuracy and validity of many entries are not of a high standard.

The Chinese government may be doing its netizens a favour by preventing them from accessing, what is in effect, misinformation.

The so-called Chinese "government" in most cases consists of nothing more than illiterate thugs who just happen to be party members. They are in no position to decide what is accurate and what is not accurate. yes, Wikipedia is open to editing and manipulation, but it is very transparent and it invites verification and discourse. The Chinese "government" however is anything but transparent and hides behind its screen of deception, corruption and paternalistic mumbo-jumbo. Shame on you for even attempting to defend these criminals.

This is an observation on wikipedia not the transparency of the government.

Please re-read my first line.

you can download free door here www.bluebing.cn/html/lbxz/wlrj/20071101/14363.html
to get rid of the block.

I agree with Ahmet about the government, we have no access to information not to mention the judgment about it. In fact as a Chinese we've already got use to 'filtered' things such as 'clean' movies, magazine and net. I think the reason why government filtered Wikipedia is because it is open and some of the political content is against our paternalistic CCP.
There are no reason to defend the goverment act of deceit and control its people, it is for the people to judge what is right and wrong.

I still remember the ban of Wikipedia Chinese caused a stir among most of the Chinese college students, but nothing has been changed so far. However i thought you could access to english site of Wikipedia in Kunming? well..it worked for me few months ago

hi, here you can get the same answer as you get from wikipedia
www.answers.com/

The biggest disappointment comes from the fact that the government actually spends money hiring people to enforce this flow of free information.
Granted, wikipedia is at times full of errors and bias, but the great aspect of the site is that it's totally user-driven - which is surprising as the government could actually edit the entries themselves if they were so inclined and spread their own views on events and history.
The firewall only needs a bit of water to put it out - - there are several methods available to circumvent it, but for ease of use and especially in terms of surfing wikipedia I'd recommend anonymouse.org - - there's no need to install confusing proxy server software and search through list after list of proxies.

timkunming, Cant get on to the anonymouse site. I assume it's being blocked. Is it possible to buy the relevant software for getting around the filtering they have here on C.D.? Anything apple compatible?

Though some of the information is bound to be inaccurate or invalid, I think the whole idea of wikipedia and the internet as a whole is that each individual must make his or her own decisions about what to believe. The problem with arbitrarily blocking access to information is that it ignores this ability that is inherent in all intelligent people. Also, the CCP might take issue with what's written about the Long March or the May 4 movement, but so do many young Chinese. When these objectionable sites are blocked, these people are stripped of not just the information, but their ability to counter it with their own opinions and views. I think that much of the anger shown by young Chinese intellectuals during this year's torch fiasco stemmed from the feeling that they have no voice in the international debate about China, and that no one in the West listens to them, assuming that they are all blind victims of propaganda. I think that the filtering of information is highly detrimental to the cultural and political development of the country. But of course, that is the point, isn't it?
Jeff