Saturday, May 21, 2005
Rounding up a couple of interesting posts
Every time we make the comparison between India and China, we tend to use economic measures and ignore basic freedoms, especially the freedom of speech. I think a lot of Indians tend to undervalue freedom of speech because they've always had it. Maybe that's why many Indians don't notice that very fundamental difference between the two countries.
A recent TOI story suggested that the Indian government was considering granting accreditation to 'serious' bloggers. The Acorn thinks it's a good idea.
Not that this will be any easier than getting a driving license, but it does present an opportunity for interested bloggers to lurk around the corridors of power and ask uncomfortable questions at official government media conferences. With some luck, Indian diplomatic missions around the world too will extend accreditation to bloggers living abroad.
In sharp contrast, China’s reaction to ‘internet journalism’ has been along predictable lines. Blogspot and Blogger are locked out behind the Great Firewall of China. And as CDT reports, the Chinese government ‘has formed a special force of undercover online commentators to try and sway public opinion’.
On a completely unrelated note, Neha has an interesting photo-post from the Infrastructure and Transort Project sites in Bombay. Using the photographs, she questions some of the widely held beliefs about slum demolition drives in the city.
A recent TOI story suggested that the Indian government was considering granting accreditation to 'serious' bloggers. The Acorn thinks it's a good idea.
Not that this will be any easier than getting a driving license, but it does present an opportunity for interested bloggers to lurk around the corridors of power and ask uncomfortable questions at official government media conferences. With some luck, Indian diplomatic missions around the world too will extend accreditation to bloggers living abroad.
In sharp contrast, China’s reaction to ‘internet journalism’ has been along predictable lines. Blogspot and Blogger are locked out behind the Great Firewall of China. And as CDT reports, the Chinese government ‘has formed a special force of undercover online commentators to try and sway public opinion’.
On a completely unrelated note, Neha has an interesting photo-post from the Infrastructure and Transort Project sites in Bombay. Using the photographs, she questions some of the widely held beliefs about slum demolition drives in the city.
