To Blog Or Not To Blog, That Is The Question

The People's Republic of China has come a long way, baby. China's citizens are slowly gaining more personal freedoms than they have seen in quite some time. However, it seems that the blogging underworld proves to be a bit more sinister in their eyes.

The following is a recent news article.

China Cracks Down on Blogs, Search Engines

BEIJING (AP) - China's Internet regulators are stepping up controls on blogs and search engines to block material it considers unlawful or immoral, the government said Friday.

"As more and more illegal and unhealthy information spreads through the blog and search engine, we will take effective measures to put the BBS, blog and search engine under control," said Cai Wu, director of the Information Office of China's Cabinet, quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency. The government will step up research on monitoring technology and issue "admittance standards" for blogs, the report said, without providing any details.

China encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to block access to obscene or subversive material. It has the world's second-biggest population of Internet users after the United States, with 111 million people online.

China launched a campaign in February to "purify the environment" of the Internet and mobile communications, Xinhua said. China has 37 million Web logs, or blogs, Xinhua said, citing a study by Beijing's Tsinghua University. It said that number was expected to nearly double this year to 60 million.

The government has launched repeated crackdowns on online material considered pornographic.

O.k. Mom, I know what you are thinking... other than when you can hold Harper; "How will your journey (to my granddaughter) be able to be documented step-by step, or diaper-by-diaper if we can't read it on your illuminating yet slightly off kilter blog? I have pictures to print out (of my granddaughter) and people to show them to for goodness sake. Honey, we don't really care about your so-called-sense-of-humor or your need to type the word 'nipple' into your blog, we just really want to follow you on your 'trip of a lifetime' (to my granddaughter). You really should try to do something about this."

Never fear, faithful blogees! This slightly of kilter blogger has created some viable options in case our 'blog' has been deemed, "unlawful or immoral" while in China. There is chance that our blog may not work, but I would categorize our blog as being, let's say... immature or asinine, certainly not unlawful.

Nevertheless, I have created some additional web space for us and I will post links to that space shortly before we leave. And yes Mom, I understand that video and pictures are a must-have.

So on with the adventure! (and some funny pictures for those who don't read any of my words.)