China hires Net squad to sway opinion from <The Times of India>

Undercover group of commentators working for the government will post on blogs and Internet bulletin boards as 'ordinary netizens'

Beijing -- China has formed a special force of undercover online commentators to try to sway public opinion on controversial issues on the Internet, a newspaper said on Thursday.

China has struggled to gain control over the Internet as more and more people gain access to obtain information beyond official sources. The country has nearly 100 million Internet users, according to official figures, and the figure is rising.

A special force of online commentators had already been operating in Suqian city in the eastern coastal province of Jiangsu since April, the Southern Weekend said.

Their job was to defend the government when negative comments appeared on Internet bulletin boards and chatrooms, the weekly quoted local officials as saying. Suqian city’s propaganda department recruited the commentators from among government officials, the weekly said, adding that they must "understand (government) policies, be versed in (political) theories and be politically reliable". "They will guide public opinion as ordinary netizens. This is both important and effective," Ma Zhichun, one of the recruited commentators, was quoted as saying.

More here:
www.asiamedia.ucla.edu...

So?
You dont think america hasnt been doing the exact same thing probably from the start of the internet...without DOD no net.

Oh, so they are tryin to take over the internet now. Hmm, Agent Henry and gang wat's ur opinon?

Originally posted by NotheRaGe
Oh, so they are tryin to take over the internet now. Hmm, Agent Henry and gang wat's ur opinon?

Exactly, and the funny thing is, they do a pathetic job of it. We've been running circles round Henry and Co here on ATS in the past few days. And now I notice that I can't access the ATS Epoch Times thread without using software to circumvent the CCP's Internet blocks (I'm in China). Every time I try to access that one thread, my connection to my ISP goes down for 10 min or so. They did the same with the Shen Yang massacre story when it was up in ATSNN. I think Henry and his colleagues got mad that we de-pantsed them and they told their superiors to block that thread. Tsk tsk... :shk: bad losers...

[edit on 2005-7-23 by wecomeinpeace]

What!!!!

They blocked my thread? The jerks.....

But I guess we both knew that was coming. What a shame, I was somewhat proud (a sin, I know, but I'm only human) that we had some of the best coverage available in China about the resignations.

Originally posted by Duzey
What a shame, I was somewhat proud (a sin, I know, but I'm only human) that we had some of the best coverage available in China about the resignations.

OK, it's accessible again. The ShenYang thread was blocked for about a week, and then I could access it again. Weird...don't ask me why.

EDIT: Scratch that, page 4 was fine. I just tried page 3 and bam, shut me down again. Start up my censor skirting software and I can view it no problem. Seems they have blocked it. Hopefully it's just temporary.

[edit on 2005-7-23 by wecomeinpeace]

Pffft. Weenies....

At least they didn't block the entire site. It would suck for you to have to get a life....

hoho, sorry, it is time for summer vocation here now...Some of my colleagues just went to Jamaica...Beach, sand, sunshine...really cool...
Btw, please don't look up yourself and this website...I already tell this website to many chinese people and almost none of them have interest to visit a english website....What a pity!

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace

Originally posted by NotheRaGe
Oh, so they are tryin to take over the internet now. Hmm, Agent Henry and gang wat's ur opinon?

Exactly, and the funny thing is, they do a pathetic job of it. We've been running circles round Henry and Co here on ATS in the past few days. And now I notice that I can't access the ATS Epoch Times thread without using software to circumvent the CCP's Internet blocks (I'm in China). Every time I try to access that one thread, my connection to my ISP goes down for 10 min or so. They did the same with the Shen Yang massacre story when it was up in ATSNN. I think Henry and his colleagues got mad that we de-pantsed them and they told their superiors to block that thread. Tsk tsk... :shk: bad losers...

[edit on 2005-7-23 by wecomeinpeace]

Looks like you know nothing about the Information technology or has the same level as my POOR english.
If a website is blocked by CCP then whole website will be blocked not a single thread, it is common sense for every Chinese

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace

Originally posted by Duzey
What a shame, I was somewhat proud (a sin, I know, but I'm only human) that we had some of the best coverage available in China about the resignations.

OK, it's accessible again. The ShenYang thread was blocked for about a week, and then I could access it again. Weird...don't ask me why.

EDIT: Scratch that, page 4 was fine. I just tried page 3 and bam, shut me down again. Start up my censor skirting software and I can view it no problem. Seems they have blocked it. Hopefully it's just temporary.

[edit on 2005-7-23 by wecomeinpeace]

Originally posted by HenryXY
Looks like you know nothing about the Information technology or has the same level as my POOR english.
If a website is blocked by CCP then whole website will be blocked not a single thread, it is common sense for every Chinese

Wrong. They can and often do block single pages within domains. Try again.

Shoot...I already said I am not in China so I can view every thead easily.

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace

Originally posted by HenryXY
Looks like you know nothing about the Information technology or has the same level as my POOR english.
If a website is blocked by CCP then whole website will be blocked not a single thread, it is common sense for every Chinese

Wrong. They can and often do block single pages within domains. Try again.

What do you expect from a communist government that values propaganda over truth. In the end, it won't help them much.

I'm currious How they do it, and wondering if by spoofing your IP Nos one could bypass their block.

What do you expect from a communist government that values propaganda over truth. In the end, it won't help them much.

errrrrrr... I ain't gonna touch that one - are you sure it's limited to communist governments, seems like ours has been doing that for a LONG time.

Originally posted by HenryXY
Btw, please don't look up yourself and this website...I already tell this website to many chinese people and almost none of them have interest to visit a english website....What a pity!

So you are thinking we are trying to tell the truth to the ordinary chinese people about CCP using ATS? The aims of these threads are meant to tell the world about the evil doings of CCP. But again we know who you are working for, so we know your point of view...University Undergrads doin part-time jobs for money?

Originally posted by dancer
I'm currious How they do it, and wondering if by spoofing your IP Nos one could bypass their block.

What do you expect from a communist government that values propaganda over truth. In the end, it won't help them much.

errrrrrr... I ain't gonna touch that one - are you sure it's limited to communist governments, seems like ours has been doing that for a LONG time.

I think they tell the company to stop people from visting that page. for example, let said people in china uses juno internet sevice and they will tell juno to block what website and such if juno don't then juno is out of business in china. so people who uses juno cannot view some website because it was blocked.
i don't know, i am not sure lol at least thats waht i think on how they block it.

Originally posted by NotheRaGe

Originally posted by HenryXY
Btw, please don't look up yourself and this website...I already tell this website to many chinese people and almost none of them have interest to visit a english website....What a pity!

So you are thinking we are trying to tell the truth to the ordinary chinese people about CCP using ATS? The aims of these threads are meant to tell the world about the evil doings of CCP. But again we know who you are working for, so we know your point of view...University Undergrads doin part-time jobs for money?

Well, that is OK. Just tell the boring "TRUTH" to other people again and again...However I am sure MOST of them will change their mind when they visit China and see the real China using their own eyes.

After viewing your(u, welcomeinpeace, oct) threads for few days, I feel u still almost know nothing about China, CCP and Chinese people. Also, you wasn't, are not and will ever be able to understand the complicated feeling of Chinese, including adore and hate, to the CCP and China gov.

To tell the truth, at the beginning the reason for me to join here is to improve my english(I still don't understand the meaning of many words here) . However since I am already be treated as a Agent by some guys then maybe I should't stay here anymore and leave here for all you guys to post the only negative news about China and CCP.

The only thing I want to serious clarify is that I have nothing to do with CCP and China gov. What I wrote here is only my personal view as a normal Chinese and many of them might be wrong so please judge them by yourself.

Btw, my current salary are so high that I think CCP gov can't never offer me a satisfied pay. Also I am 95% sure my salary is higher than yours

See you guys , have a nice summer vocation~~!!

[edit on 25-7-2005 by HenryXY]

So long, and thanks for the fish.

that guy HenryXY said he makes more $$$ than us
hes just begging for a fight because his Ego is so big

isnt that somehow agianst the terms and conditions? baiting people into a flame war?
because im totally ready to have a flame war with him lol

but i will hold back because i want ATS to be a nice place where everyone can be friends and share information and unite

still it greatly disturbs me to see someone with no heart; making fun of poor people like that , hey 95% of us are poor , you may be biting off more than you can chew

anyways; about the topic

i think china should adopt the western policy
instead of blocking websites ; its better they just create a whole slew of lies and cast doubt on whatever they dont like
the same way america does with aliens/ufos

just make the subject unbelivable and laughable; and most will never care to read those websites anyways; and no one will think your oppressive either

its been shown to work thru history especially in america
china should at least give it a try...it will probably work

*its better than outright blocking you, you know?*

Henry, you said you earn more money than 95% of us? thats sad. what is your job? how much you earn?

Sorry, what I meant "YOU" only refer to NotheRaGe whose article I replied to, not all of you guys. Moreover it is just a joke if you read the underlying
meaning.

Originally posted by ulshadow
Henry, you said you earn more money than 95% of us? thats sad. what is your job? how much you earn?