Good news everyone! The Chinese can finally get their censored information in a quick, easy, online format!
China's biggest internet search engine has launched an online encyclopedia modelled on the US-based website Wikipedia, which is blocked by Beijing.
However, entries on Baidupedia, the service from Nasdaq-listed Baidu.com launched last month, are censored by the Chinese Government.
Searches conducted today for the banned spiritual movement "Falungong" or for "Dalai Lama" – in both Chinese and English – yielded no results, but generated the message: "The page cannot be displayed."
Baidu's chairman and chief executive Robin Li told Britain's Financial Times newspaper his online encyclopedia was modelled on Wikipedia.
But he said he was unaware Beijing had banned the Florida-based reference website.
"I certainly hope our encyclopedia will be the most authoritative one for any Chinese users," Mr Li was quoted as saying.
One might think that censorship kind of defeat's the purpose of Wikipedia, though... (Free online editable encyclopedia! As long as you don't go against what the Chinese government wants you to write!)
Congrats guys...but you still don't have a Chinese Wookieepedia.
So there!
Posted by Quentin George at May 11, 2006 06:01 PM