Got Two Links (Gifts) Today

Checking my referral log, I find two outstanding links-in (among the 1,472 linking sources today).

One is from Isaac Mao, he mentioned sending link as a gift. :-D Thanks. Isaacmao.com has big traffic since 23 people came in right after the post. The idea of link = gift actually came from Scoble.

The other gift is Salon.com‘s article: Little Red Blogs. It is about the blogging status in China. In the article, the author mentioned both Isaac (“like a Chinese Dave Winer or Jason Kottke in terms of the influence he has had on other bloggers”, as in the article) and me. Although getting attention is always exciting (as Scoble said), I am not 100% sure if I am comfortable with what the author described me in last page of the report. I am reported as a guy “who shies away from overt criticism of the government but treads the line rather closely”. I am not the guy who makes living by criticizing the government. The life here is comfortable and the city is good. I love everything here. Sometimes there are blocks and server down, but…. anyway, it is the reality.

I have to respectfully disagree with the tone Mat used (as many western media used). China is complicated and different than western courties. For example, in SARS period, I recorded daily life in Shanghai – western media was very excited about the first hand news. Meanwhile, I wrote Protect China – Not Only Against SARS. Please read the long thread of discussion in that article if you have time.

Besides this part, I find Mat’s article on China blog status is accurate and complete. Muzimei was included, foreign bloggers were included, cnblog was included and so did the shutdown of major blog providers. Those are some major events in blogging world in the last two years. Great summary.

Anyway, a gift is a gift. Attention is good. Salon has a huge readership base and many people come to my site via the links. If you check the article, you are not the alone to click through the commercial by Saved to get a free day pass to read the article. What a clever, but annoying business model. BTW, they spelled my name as Wang Jianshao. At last, I hope this gift does not turn out to be a mail bomb for me.

P.S. Morris also responded to this article.

P.S. I am having back log to respond emails. I am seeing emails like provide more Xiang Yang Market information from India and the late arrival in Pudong Airport (PVG) but early departure in Hongqiao Airport (SHA). There are many other emails requesting information or asking for help. Please be patient since I am busy cutting grass of my garden – just kidding. I will be back with you soon.

6 thoughts on “Got Two Links (Gifts) Today

  1. “I am not 100% sure if I am comfortable with what the author described me in last page of the report. I am reported as a guy “who shies away from overt criticism of the government but treads the line rather closely”. I am not the guy who makes living by criticizing the government. The life here is comfortable and the city is good. I love everything here. Sometimes there are blocks and server down, but…. anyway, it is the reality.”

    don’t worry about it, Jian Shou. most western media is still caught up with the TAM incident. they don’t see and appreciate the improvement in the lives of millions of chinese over the years due to the stability and economic liberalization brought on by the Deng reforms. all in good time, i say to those who advocate political liberalization. i suspect that most of these people don’t realize that chaos will bring about suffering to the majority of the ordinary people.

  2. not all blogs aim to be political. it’s kinda interesting that most foreigners are vocal about their political opinions and use their blogs as outlets for that purpose. i believe mat has this preconception so he reads into the lines too closely to find “evidence” for your covert political opinions. :D

  3. haha, Mat from salon.com just used your lines as an argument to support his belief that China’s government is still closed, and undemocratic. He can’t use examples that are outside of China, then it will be useless and meaningless, so yours was used. I guess alot of western people still don’t realise why China uses this kind of policy, they believe that democracy is universal remedy for all countries, and should be advocated. They think that in China people live under authority, and there is no freedom. Well, it’s true that freedom is to a certain extent, but that’s also the case for many western countries, especially USA. If you see underneath of the democratic USA, it is most likely that it is the undemocratic country of all. In the case of China, only gradual improvement is for the good, total democracy will only tear it apart.

  4. Please stop discussing the political issues! Otherwise, the “powers above” will be shutting down this wonderful site.

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