Steam has been banned in China • Hacker News Board

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#111

Post by tombh » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:07 PM UTC

rosndo wrote: post #76

tombh wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must offer another data point. I'm British, and often find myself in these threads criticising criticism of China. Not because I'm being paid by the CCP, but because I believe that mainstream anti-Chinese sentiment tells us more about the West's psychological struggles to come to terms with its own historically unprecedented imperial past, than it does about China itself.

Have you ever spent time in China? If you had, I suspect you wouldn’t be writing this comment.

I lived there for 18 months

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#112

Post by legofr » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:07 PM UTC

izacus wrote: post #17

Abroszka wrote: post #9

Recently I have been getting a lot more annoyed about China. Sure they can ban things, it's their right. But I just don't understand why we are not doing the same.

You don't understand why your own nation isn't following the tantrums of a totalitarian regime? That would make your own nation into China, why the heck would you want that?!

We wouldn't be turning into China if we only banned Chinese companies, if we only blacklisted/punished western companies that spread CCP propaganda (nine-dash line, calling Taiwan a province of China, etc).

To quote HN user stale2002: Tit for tat reciprocity is the basis of most modern trade relations.

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#113

Post by robbedpeter » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:07 PM UTC

miohtama wrote: post #58

dkjaudyeqooe wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'll find the same with any article critical of China. The party is paying people (quite well) to defend China online. It's another kind of misinformation campaign.

You can also check the comment history of these people to see if they are outright government trolls or brainwashed university students. Sometimes it is pretty clear.

It's not always brainwashing and indoctrination, it can also be the threat to family social standing, political scrutiny, and the ability to travel freely. If they have family or close friends that already have trouble with the state, China makes exquisite use of those factors in controlling people.

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#114

Post by tombh » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:07 PM UTC

mgsk wrote: post #87

tombh wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must offer another data point. I'm British, and often find myself in these threads criticising criticism of China. Not because I'm being paid by the CCP, but because I believe that mainstream anti-Chinese sentiment tells us more about the West's psychological struggles to come to terms with its own historically unprecedented imperial past, than it does about China itself.

> Not because I'm being paid by the CCP But you _are_ being paid by the CCP?

Doxxing myself, check my comment history and website https://tombh.co.uk

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#115

Post by steelstraw » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:08 PM UTC

ganzuul wrote: post #3

In my eyes, the attack on 'effeminate men' is the nail in the coffin for the government of China. They are as dead to me and my actions will reflect it. Down with Emperor Pooh!

No post body was provided.

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#116

Post by manuelabeledo » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:09 PM UTC

ChemSpider wrote: post #84

qybaz wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should be sceptical of all the news about China that come from the West.

Why? It matches exactly my experience while being in China.

Same here. And lately I’m getting the feeling that people systematically “distrusting” western media takes on China, would just take Chinese media at face value.

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#117

Post by whycombinatore » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:10 PM UTC

rocknor wrote: post #105

mrjin wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you tell that?

Quoted post unavailable.

No post body was provided.

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#118

Post by RealityVoid » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:11 PM UTC

legofr wrote: post #85

foverzar wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really love how we all have an impression of China as a country without access to global internet, but then there are things like "Most Chinese Steam users have historically been using the global service instead". Really makes you want to visit and see how this actually works for yourself. The more I read about China, the more unbelievably contradictive it gets.

I'm personally opposed to the idea of visiting certain countries, such as China and North Korea, to 'see for yourself', especially when you don't know the language, when you're not willing to risk your life to understand and uncover the parts the government doesn't want you to see, like VICE did in Xinjiang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7AYyUqrMuQ That being said, if you go then please try to walk into a random h…

I am surprised at what you say regarding the hosting of foreigners. My girlfriend was there for a couple of months and she didn't notice any such thing, and she actually rented a place with a couple of friends, also foreigners. Is this what you describe because of racism or because of government?

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#119

Post by yodsanklai » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:13 PM UTC

siva7 wrote: post #25

What is going on here with the comment section? Seems like it's flooded with pro ccp activists

I didn't read the comments but 1. it could be flooded with pro cpp activists, it's a known fact that China pays people to influence forums 2. It may be difficult to understand for Americans, but (I think) some people here are "pro-china" as they see China as an alternative to US imperialism, or at least something that can be less harmful.

Personally, my wife is Taiwanese so I'm extremely concerned about China in a very concrete way. I'm not sure the people who advertise themselves as "pro-China" really have a sense of what's going on.

Re: Steam has been banned in China

#120

Post by netheril96 » Sat, Dec 25, 2021, 1:13 PM UTC

nothis wrote: post #63

qybaz wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Also, some high end hotels did provide unfettered access to the Internet for some reason, so I guess anyone could go there and browse Facebook for the price of an expensive coffee. Practically everybody who is knowledgeable with computers uses a VPN - restrictions are only for "the plebs"

Whenever I read about countries banning sites, people post "just use a VPN, lol". But I wonder: If China really wants to, couldn't they just block VPNs? At the worst, just whitelist a bunch of sites and services and literally block everything else?

The GFW is evolving. Many VPN protocols or servers that worked in the past works no longer. It’s definitely not as simple as “just run a VPN”, but more like a cat and mouse game.