Comments on: Cute Cat Theory: The China Corollary http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/ EthanZ's musings on Africa, media and international development Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:45:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ethan Zuckerman on Chinese Censorship « virtues of the absurd http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-2377482 Ethan Zuckerman on Chinese Censorship « virtues of the absurd Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:22:11 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-2377482 [...] Ethan Zuckerman on Chinese Censorship February 7, 2011 // 0 [Full article here.] [...] [...] Ethan Zuckerman on Chinese Censorship February 7, 2011 // 0 [Full article here.] [...]

]]> By: Mary C Joyce on liberation technology « virtues of the absurd http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-2373027 Mary C Joyce on liberation technology « virtues of the absurd Sat, 05 Feb 2011 22:20:37 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-2373027 [...] with less respect for privacy). It take the explicit action of a repressive government to block (or, in the case of China, replace) these liberation technologies with ones that are apolitical, inaccessible, un-usable, and [...] [...] with less respect for privacy). It take the explicit action of a repressive government to block (or, in the case of China, replace) these liberation technologies with ones that are apolitical, inaccessible, un-usable, and [...]

]]> By: What Makes a Liberation (or Repression) Technology? | meta-activism project http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-2371271 What Makes a Liberation (or Repression) Technology? | meta-activism project Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:05:54 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-2371271 [...] with less respect for privacy).  It take the explicit action of a repressive government to block (or, in the case of China, replace) these liberation technologies with ones that are apolitical, inaccessible, un-usable, and [...] [...] with less respect for privacy).  It take the explicit action of a repressive government to block (or, in the case of China, replace) these liberation technologies with ones that are apolitical, inaccessible, un-usable, and [...]

]]> By: When Falls the Coliseum » Stone age memes: Radioactive lolcats http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-1632855 When Falls the Coliseum » Stone age memes: Radioactive lolcats Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:54:05 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-1632855 [...] offer one more way to make some of us squirm when it comes to the struggle for human rights. By the Cute Cat Theory, Ethan Zuckerman explains that protest movements are increasingly using “read/write [...] [...] offer one more way to make some of us squirm when it comes to the struggle for human rights. By the Cute Cat Theory, Ethan Zuckerman explains that protest movements are increasingly using “read/write [...]

]]> By: …My heart’s in Accra » The Cute Cat Theory Talk at ETech http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-894993 …My heart’s in Accra » The Cute Cat Theory Talk at ETech Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:17:55 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-894993 [...] more on China and net censorship at “Cute Cat Theory: The China Corollary” and “Michael Anti and the end of the golden age of blogs in [...] [...] more on China and net censorship at “Cute Cat Theory: The China Corollary” and “Michael Anti and the end of the golden age of blogs in [...]

]]> By: Τάκης Μπουγιούρης » souvlatzidiko.gr http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-685399 Τάκης Μπουγιούρης » souvlatzidiko.gr Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:30:55 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-685399 [...] χώρες. Ψάξτε να δείτε τι γίνεται σε χώρες όπως η Κίνα (ενδεικτικά), η Αίγυπτος, ορισμένες αραβικές χώρες κ.α. από όπου [...] [...] χώρες. Ψάξτε να δείτε τι γίνεται σε χώρες όπως η Κίνα (ενδεικτικά), η Αίγυπτος, ορισμένες αραβικές χώρες κ.α. από όπου [...]

]]> By: Transpacifica » links for 2007-12-06 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-683782 Transpacifica » links for 2007-12-06 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:20:12 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-683782 [...] Cute Cat Theory: The China Corollary (Ethan Zuckerman) (tags: China internet chinatech blogging michaelanti) [...] [...] Cute Cat Theory: The China Corollary (Ethan Zuckerman) (tags: China internet chinatech blogging michaelanti) [...]

]]> By: Mathieu http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-682396 Mathieu Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:54:38 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-682396 So activists should stay on local Web 2.0 sites, right? But China's strategy of blocking foreign Web 2.0 tools and making service providers filter local ones, thereby confining activists to lilmited Web 1.0 tools, seems cheap and effective. I don't see why wouldn't other governments wouldn't follow suit, except during that key time when userbases are growing, local tools aren't comparable, and global companies haven't been co-opted yet. That's when cute cat effects could not so much broaden "dissidence" (against what? in which circumstances?) but make people aware of the possibilities - personal, social, political - of Web 2.0, and therefore discontented when those are denied to them. In addition to requiring (and helping) our companies to be responsible in countries that censor, I think we need to imitate repressive governments, i.e. speculate less about technology and think more about political culture and history. Otherwise Web 2.0 will almost certainly be a wash for free speech, as Rebecca puts it. So activists should stay on local Web 2.0 sites, right? But China’s strategy of blocking foreign Web 2.0 tools and making service providers filter local ones, thereby confining activists to lilmited Web 1.0 tools, seems cheap and effective. I don’t see why wouldn’t other governments wouldn’t follow suit, except during that key time when userbases are growing, local tools aren’t comparable, and global companies haven’t been co-opted yet. That’s when cute cat effects could not so much broaden “dissidence” (against what? in which circumstances?) but make people aware of the possibilities – personal, social, political – of Web 2.0, and therefore discontented when those are denied to them.

In addition to requiring (and helping) our companies to be responsible in countries that censor, I think we need to imitate repressive governments, i.e. speculate less about technology and think more about political culture and history. Otherwise Web 2.0 will almost certainly be a wash for free speech, as Rebecca puts it.

]]> By: Rebecca MacKinnon http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-678990 Rebecca MacKinnon Wed, 05 Dec 2007 03:49:28 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-678990 Hi Ethan. Great follow up. You've hit the nail on the head. Your question: "It’s worth asking the question whether other governments would follow China’s lead even if they were technically able" is *the* question. Hopefully projects like Global Voices Advocacy and ONI will be able to monitor for signs of whether this is or isn't happening, where, and how, and why... Hi Ethan. Great follow up. You’ve hit the nail on the head. Your question: “It’s worth asking the question whether other governments would follow China’s lead even if they were technically able” is *the* question. Hopefully projects like Global Voices Advocacy and ONI will be able to monitor for signs of whether this is or isn’t happening, where, and how, and why…

]]> By: ScribbleSheet Blog http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/comment-page-1/#comment-677391 ScribbleSheet Blog Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:25:40 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/12/03/cute-cat-theory-the-china-corollary/#comment-677391 [...] and control. This article is definitely worth a read. Check out reactions from the blogosphere here and [...] [...] and control. This article is definitely worth a read. Check out reactions from the blogosphere here and [...]

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