that’s a possibility, but why would someone ban an entire TLD?
I don’t think it’s worth doing the procedure while Lemmygrad is still so small. Also if Chinese comrades joined most of us could not even speak to them lol.
I’m not a lemmygrad user, but I think it’s worth it. we can probably integrate some translation add-on for Lemmy so that we can communicate? it would be interesting. I also read somewhere that a news website became available after a request.
We just haven’t seen anything objectionable so far 🤷♂️
I assume you’re talking about the firewall, not surveillance or alternative platforms. I still think restricting instead of educating is indeed objectionable. if these platforms are harmful to citizens (and I do think facebook and twitter are harmful to everyone except their owners), then it should be possible to convince citizens to avoid them by educating them, there’s no need to restrict them. have you ever experienced such restrictions? it’s frustrating, and makes you resent whoever has put limitations on your access. not to mention that using VPNs to get around it can also be a problem, users might end up handing over their data to an untrustworthy company. not to mention that censorship on this scale harms China’s public image.
that’s a possibility, but why would someone ban an entire TLD?
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because you can apparently register a .ml domain for free. I don’t have any statistics to back me up here, but it’s likely that spammers/scammers/other shady stuff commonly use .ml domains as a result, since it would allow them to create a large number of websites for free for use in things such as manipulating SEO, making websites with a similar url to a legitimate one for use in phishing, making websites that will only last a short time, etc.
I still think restricting instead of educating is indeed objectionable. if these platforms are harmful to citizens (and I do think facebook and twitter are harmful to everyone except their owners), then it should be possible to convince citizens to avoid them by educating them, there’s no need to restrict them.
The problem with just educating users, is that it likely wouldn’t be enough. I’m sure you’ve seen people who are well aware of how social media is manipulating them into continuing to use it, but they still can’t get themselves to stop, even when it’s making their mental health noticeable worse. It’s literally designed to make you feel like you’re in control and can stop at any time, while being designed in such a way as to make it feel very rewarding to continue using it (content fed to the user in small pieces, people “interacting” with your content as a form of validation, thus encouraging continued use), and very difficult to stop (fear of missing out). On top of that, many social media platforms sell advertising services that subtly change what a user sees, in a way that can be very difficult to notice (and thus consciously counteract) in order to make them more likely to buy a product or take a certain action.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because you can apparently register a .ml domain for free. I don’t have any statistics to back me up here, but it’s likely that spammers/scammers/other shady stuff commonly use .ml domains as a result, since it would allow them to create a large number of websites for free for use in things such as manipulating SEO, making websites with a similar url to a legitimate one for use in phishing, making websites that will only last a short time, etc.
that’s plausible and possibly the reason behind the ban. however, this makes it harder for poor people to make a website, it’s free to register a domain for a reason.
update: checked lemmy.161.social and it’s accessible, so most probably you’re right.
The problem with just educating users, is that it likely wouldn’t be enough. I’m sure you’ve seen people who are well aware of how social media is manipulating them into continuing to use it, but they still can’t get themselves to stop, even when it’s making their mental health noticeable worse. It’s literally designed to make you feel like you’re in control and can stop at any time, while being designed in such a way as to make it feel very rewarding to continue using it (content fed to the user in small pieces, people “interacting” with your content as a form of validation, thus encouraging continued use), and very difficult to stop (fear of missing out). On top of that, many social media platforms sell advertising services that subtly change what a user sees, in a way that can be very difficult to notice (and thus consciously counteract) in order to make them more likely to buy a product or take a certain action.
I think if people were being educted on the dangers of centralized corporate-owned and propritary social media and then were given proper decentralized, free and open source platforms that are owned by users, there whouldn’t be a chance they would intentionally choose to become a slave and give their data to companies and government agencies.
now, there are two points, first, we know that currently there are many people in China accessing this services by circumventing the firewall. this in itself shows that there’s a need for such a education.
second point is that China’s alternatives aren’t any better, the only reason China is using them instead of western software, is to be able to control the data of its citizens (instead of NSA doing that job for them). so it’s not out of consideration for citizens, or protecting their freedom. if one of the most powerful contries in the world really wanted to give freedom to the users of their social media and respect them, they could do it, they just don’t want.
that’s a possibility, but why would someone ban an entire TLD?
I’m not a lemmygrad user, but I think it’s worth it. we can probably integrate some translation add-on for Lemmy so that we can communicate? it would be interesting. I also read somewhere that a news website became available after a request.
I assume you’re talking about the firewall, not surveillance or alternative platforms. I still think restricting instead of educating is indeed objectionable. if these platforms are harmful to citizens (and I do think facebook and twitter are harmful to everyone except their owners), then it should be possible to convince citizens to avoid them by educating them, there’s no need to restrict them. have you ever experienced such restrictions? it’s frustrating, and makes you resent whoever has put limitations on your access. not to mention that using VPNs to get around it can also be a problem, users might end up handing over their data to an untrustworthy company. not to mention that censorship on this scale harms China’s public image.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because you can apparently register a .ml domain for free. I don’t have any statistics to back me up here, but it’s likely that spammers/scammers/other shady stuff commonly use .ml domains as a result, since it would allow them to create a large number of websites for free for use in things such as manipulating SEO, making websites with a similar url to a legitimate one for use in phishing, making websites that will only last a short time, etc.
The problem with just educating users, is that it likely wouldn’t be enough. I’m sure you’ve seen people who are well aware of how social media is manipulating them into continuing to use it, but they still can’t get themselves to stop, even when it’s making their mental health noticeable worse. It’s literally designed to make you feel like you’re in control and can stop at any time, while being designed in such a way as to make it feel very rewarding to continue using it (content fed to the user in small pieces, people “interacting” with your content as a form of validation, thus encouraging continued use), and very difficult to stop (fear of missing out). On top of that, many social media platforms sell advertising services that subtly change what a user sees, in a way that can be very difficult to notice (and thus consciously counteract) in order to make them more likely to buy a product or take a certain action.
that’s plausible and possibly the reason behind the ban. however, this makes it harder for poor people to make a website, it’s free to register a domain for a reason.
update: checked lemmy.161.social and it’s accessible, so most probably you’re right.
I think if people were being educted on the dangers of centralized corporate-owned and propritary social media and then were given proper decentralized, free and open source platforms that are owned by users, there whouldn’t be a chance they would intentionally choose to become a slave and give their data to companies and government agencies.
now, there are two points, first, we know that currently there are many people in China accessing this services by circumventing the firewall. this in itself shows that there’s a need for such a education.
second point is that China’s alternatives aren’t any better, the only reason China is using them instead of western software, is to be able to control the data of its citizens (instead of NSA doing that job for them). so it’s not out of consideration for citizens, or protecting their freedom. if one of the most powerful contries in the world really wanted to give freedom to the users of their social media and respect them, they could do it, they just don’t want.