[Wikipedia-l] Re: wikipedia in China

Thu Sep 23 21:19:26 UTC 2004

Christopher Mahan a écrit:
>>...Wikipedia is a threat to closed 
>>information, particularly that kind of closed information that 
>>governments often dislike: information that undercuts assertions
>>that 
>>everything is on track.
> 
> 
> Yes, if every other article is about failure of this and breakdown of
> that, with Falung and Commies and Free Tibet all over the place, I
> would shut it down too.
> 
> I want to see articles about increased privatisation, efforts the
> government makes in building health, telecom, and transportation
> infrastructure. I want to see articles about economic growth in
> Shanghai, about schools in remote locations, about the growing
> chinese auto assembly and manufacturing capabilities. 
> 
> These things are happening in China. Not including them in and of
> itself is admitting western-bias, which, you are right, the Chinese
> authorities don't look kindly upon.

I totally agree with you here.

I do not mean chinese editors should not talk about the controversial 
issues, but if they should also take *great care* to talk about the good 
points above mentionned.

They could make it proeminent that wikipedia is not only talking about 
failure but also about *success* and perhaps their governement will see 
it not only as a dangerous tool, but also as a tool to show to 
non-chinese all the success the chinese can be very proud of.

There is no need to censor failure then, but perhaps only to try to make 
success a bit more proeminent, to gain some support.

ant