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Originally Posted by Winged Globe
In that regard, Wikipedia can take whatever stance it wants, and everyone can applaud their moral high ground, but it won't help make the change go faster or more effectively. Whether appeasement is any better, I don't know. I do know, though, that it opens a channel into the country that is not ultimately government controlled (unlike state-sponsored companies). I'd think that would count for something in the long run...
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an interesting question. By refusing to allow the Chinese government to limit parts of what Wikipedia can make assessable in China, they are in effect creating a total ban on themselves. Wikipedia has taken an all or nothing approach, and the result is nothing.
There was a folk song going around in the 60s about how you cant pave over grass with concrete, because the grass will find cracks and the concrete will eventually buckle, and the grass will grow through, just like you cant pave over the truth - eventually the truth will break through everywhere.
So if Wikipedia had agreed to the Chinese government terms, they would have foot in the door, they might have been a small crack in the pavement. Instead they have in effect totally censored themselves.