One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that it is un moderated. I am not for a moment suggesting this doesn't come at a price, it does. Most of us have discovered things on the Net which we wish we hadn't. Porn abounds, as does gambling and some of the seedier sides of humanity, but it does truly reflect humanity, warts and all.
It is on the Internet that the individual can hold great sway. We can as individuals criticize our leaders or praise our heroes. Millions of dollars spent on an advertising campaign by large corporations have been totally negated more than once by an upset customer who created articles on the Net telling of his own unhappy experience.
Conspiracy theories abound on the Web. Did the Americans really land on the moon or was it a put up job? Was Marolyn Monroe murdered and if so, were the Kennedy family implicated? Did Princess Diana really just die in a motor crash or as Al Fayed proclaims, was there a government conspiracy?
Sure, some of these sites are crackpots trying to sell their own theories, but the point is that they are free to air their opinions and theories, whilst for our part we can listen virtually to what they have to say, yet walk away at any time without creating offence.
Such is the nature of the Net that it empowers the individual. After all, I am about to figuratively hurl a few large bricks at Google for their chasing the almighty dollar at the expense of the Chinese people. Where else could I do this and bring my views to the attention of hundreds or thousands of people but here.
Google though in their wisdom or greed are now collaborating with the Chinese government in censoring the results they deliver to ordinary Chinese people. The USA as a nation embrace the ideals of democracy. American servicemen and women risk their lives daily bringing the ideals of democracy and freedom to people. Whilst at the same time Google collaborate with the Chinese government in restricting the freedom and information available to hundreds of millions of ordinary Chinese people.
Let us not forget that the Chinese government has an appalling record on human rights.
Stand up and criticize your leaders in China at your peril.
Stand up and proclaim your religion at your peril.
Can we the ordinary people, do anything about Google's tacit support of the totalitarian regime in China? Yes we can.
Is it right that the American nation risks the lives of it's service men and women and yet this leading provider of information should collude in repressing the Chinese people? Of course not.
Google? Just say no. There are others. Change your search engine in your browser.
If you have shares sell them.
If you advertise with Google cancel and use a more ethical company.
Complain as I am.
The reason Google went into China in the first place was money. Money became more important to Google than ethics. So hit them where it hurts.
About the Author
Terry Llewellyn is the CEO of the GhostLog group http://www.search-engine-optimization-software.co.uk/and has experiance of the Internet since it's inception.
