This seems like a big deal.
Official Google Blog: A new approach to China:
We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.
See also AP via NYT, E-Mail Breach Has Google Threatening to Leave China.
It’s a brave decision to withdraw from China where everyone is trying to make a share there.
Which is more important? Human value or Money value?
People became blinded when they smelled the taste of money (they even never saw it).
It’s time for us to consider if we still have to follow the wrong direction where we only leaving our most precious value behind. Country like China never truly respect a human’s value but more and more people from outside accepting this model because of the value of money.
Thank you Google, human value means more to you because you guys are human.
A part of me says this is admirable, but another part of me wonders if this was done because Baidu has a larger market share than Google – this way Goolge can have its cake and eat it too.
Just when I was starting to get sick of google. Good for them.
That’s a pretty large market to decide to drop out of. Kind of makes me thing Google is running a bluff. The only real reason I could think of for Google wanting to pull out is if they are having a hard time getting enough advertisers willing to pay to be seen in China.
i do not agree
Whether Google stop their operations in China or not. I don’t think that this can seriously affect their global operation. I mean, it’s just one country which they can’t actually hold at the top. Neither their competitors like Yahoo or Bing can penetrate it.
But what i have already sen china has already left Google. On fact they are using their own search engine. I don’t think so that there should be any ban like this everywhere.