Google may be the one company ...

Google's move is brilliant simply because it might be the only one that can pull it off.

Where Chinese people do not simply have a nationalist, defensive backlash (e.g. Carrefour), but pause to consider and ask themselves, "What is happening? Why is this happening? Why would Google take such an action."

They love Google. I think they might possibly love Google -- or at least admire it, for its innovation, business acumen, but also general sense of public decency, more than they love the government.

Google is, for once, an unquestionable good. It's not a country, a sovereign government, a greedy, rapacious, imperialistic foreign corporation bent on exploiting the China market for profit. It's a group of engineers, creative, inspired and innovative, who just want to do good for the world by expanding the availability of information.

And I think that vision of Google inspires a lot of people, including students and Netizens in China.

I know a lot of this is the Silicon Valley part of me speaking. But I am animated by the culture of this place where I grew up, and even though I sometimes still wonder about the impact and ability of technology to be relevant in people's lives, I still believe in its ability to bring improvement.

More analysis from CNET to come ...

Google, continued.

Here are a couple of interesting analyses． I can't wait to get the SJ Mercury tomorrow.

From James Fallows at The Atlantic:

"It is a significant development. Significant for Google; and while only marginally significant for developments inside China, potentially very significant for China's relations with the rest of the world.... If a major U.S. company -- indeed, Google has been ranked the #1 brand in the world -- has concluded that, in effect, it must break diplomatic relations with China because its policies are too repressive and intrusive to make peace with, that is a significant judgment."

He also reminds readers of the distinction between "China" and its rise, which he sees as largely positive, and this particular government that has promulgated a certain set of policies:

"For my Chinese readers, let me emphasize again my argument that China is not a "threat" and that its development is good news for mankind. But its government is on a path at the moment that courts resistance around the world." (Read more)

From ZDNet:
Assessing Google's showdown with China: Does it make sense?
Looks at the issue from Google's perspective.

"Google’s currency is user trust. As a global business that profits from tracking users and tailoring ads to them security matters a lot. If users don’t trust Google to keep their data safe Google’s business suffers. In that light, Google’s showdown with China makes sense. Google can’t let one country -- even one that could be insanely profitable -- erode the company’s goodwill it has built up in its short history. What happens in China can hurt Google’s other businesses." (Read more)

Overall coverage from the New York Times here.

URLs:
http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2010/01/first_reactions_on_google_and.php
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=29457
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/world/asia/13beijing.html

Google this. (Reflections)

Google is showing us there is not only one approach, not only one way forward in China. There are legitimate options aside from capitulation -- options that uphold human decency and take into account ethical considerations while meeting company objectives. (Perhaps those conditions are themselves included among company objectives -- CSR, right?) Until now, you had to go in their way, whether you were gritting your teeth or happily diving into the pool. Well, it seems at least that Google is saying there are lines that should not be crossed -- that we are not willing to give up everything for this one market. (Even if it is the biggest potential market).

The Chinese government can try to pin this on Google, but I'm sorry, I don't think most Chinese people (or most other Netizens in the world) are going to buy the line that Google is some evil, imperialistic company bent on the destruction of the Chinese nation. Please, don't try to tell us that Google is a splittist terrorist organization, or that it hurts the feelings of the Chinese people. Such prevarications and falsehoods (oh screw that, such lies) won't work.

It's been too deeply ingrained in all of our minds that ... Google is good. Google is creative. Google is innovative.

We strive to be like Google. We aspire to create the next Google! How many children, how many countless CS and EE grads in Chinese universities, have looked to the story of Google for inspiration? (It's not only in China ... it's really a global phenomenon).

And this is not simply dogma or ideology. It's because we see, on a daily basis, this company innovating, reaching for new frontiers, attempting to expand human knowledge, make information more easily available, more useful, more accurate and relevant, for all of us. From basic search to collaborative documents to road maps to music, Google has demonstrated its commitment to putting information at our fingertips and making it easy to use. They literally democratized GIS and brought remote sensing to the masses with Google Earth. They try for good, too -- reducing deforestation and carbon emissions, assisting with public health alerts, creating power metering tools and promoting energy efficiency.

Google even brightens up our day with playful logos over its search bar. And more than that ... our classmates, friends and siblings work there. This isn't some mysterious black box; we know who they are. Google is composed of bright, talented, dedicated and creative folks, who hope to make a difference, and maybe do a little good in this world -- and have fun while doing it!

Google is the good guy. Are you really going to bash a leading embodiment of Silicon Valley right when it is living up to the Silicon Valley ethos? Does China want to be un-Google? (Or un-Googley as it were?)

 

Google! And the Silicon Valley ethos

Wow, just absolutely, wow. Google's "new approach to China" must be lighting up the blogosphere around the whole world.

Here is Google's blog announcement that it will uncensor its search results in China, following hacking attempts against its Gmail servers that attempted gain access to information and correspondence of Chinese human rights activists.

This is a real statement. When one of the world's most brilliant, most creative, and most widely admired companies -- one that embodies innovation and entrepreneurship -- says, "It's not okay for us to operate here in China. These conditions are no longer acceptable to us." Well, that's a real signal. "We are no longer going to sacrifice our ethics for access to this China market. Profits are not everything. We are going to take a stand."

P.S. For those bemoaning the loss of service, Google is perfectly willing to operate in China. It's really in the Chinese government's court now. Do you want to deprive 1/3 of your internet users of their main search engine and all of Google's services? Or are you willing to allow Google to live up to its core ideals as an Internet company? Its information-sharing ethos and commitment to unfettered exchange and open access?

P.P.S. Do you know how bad it looks when the embodiment of Silicon Valley, the hub of innovation and creativity and freedom that you are trying to replicate, decides to get out because it no longer wants to countenance the human rights abuses, the censorship, and the threat posed to its users' security?

Honestly, I don't know if Google just feels its presence is no longer helping more than it is hurting. Of course there are considerations of market share. But Google is really up in arms about this whole security threat. Maybe it doesn't want to put Chinese users at risk by providing what one would hope is a secure environment, but can't live up to that billing because of government intervention.

In any case, Google is finally standing up for something. "Don't be evil" indeed.

URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html