# Someone snatched my Google **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 3, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788 "2002-09-03T12:21:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/21 "2002-09-04T07:17:03Z")
It’s not repression ME, it’s what Chinese intellectuals call “social and economic rights, the cornerstone of all human rights.” Look how a country like Taiwan callously abuses it’s people’s social and economic rights. How could China NOT intervene to stop these gross violations? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/22 "2002-09-04T11:16:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\*If that means “Google knuckles under and assists the Chinese leadership in politically repressing the Chinese people”, then I certainly hope not. \*\* I hope it means that the Chinese government realizes how useful google is. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/23 "2002-09-04T11:24:44Z")
The Chinese authorities are claiming they have not banned Google at all (or are at least unaware of who is blocking access to it) – [**The Register** : Google, China work to unblock site](http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/26936.html) If access via the IP address remains possible (I have not seen any reports confirming or denying this) then this would add to the suggestion that it’s not a deliberate ban. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/24 "2002-09-04T11:46:51Z")
Tried the IP just now and it doesn’t work. **Derleth** I used to use an anonymous secure proxy, but they went off line for overuse and I don’t have a new one. Google is the first website blocked in China that I normally use. I know some of the news sites are blocked, but I can access all the ones that I want so I don’t really care. Jiang Zemin is slated to step down in October at the National People’s Congress. Lots of stuff going on behind the scenes. In front of the scenes is nothing but paralysis. Wouldn’t surprise me that this would be a move by some dimwit to curry favor with someone somewhere. quite impressed with all the replies and suggestions, especially considering I put this in the pit and there was no rant. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/25 "2002-09-04T16:42:35Z")
**China Dude** : Ask helpful techies, get helpful replies. 🙂 Especially if you ask helpful Libertarian techies with a strong dislike of Totalitarian regimes. I hope you can access at least one of these sites: [http://www.multiproxy.org/](http://www.multiproxy.org/) – List of anonymous proxies. [novelsoft.com - This website is for sale! - novelsoft Resources and Information.](http://www.novelsoft.com/dark/proxy/main.htm) – Another. [sendfakemail.com - Update Tercepat](http://www.sendfakemail.com/~raph/remailer-list.html) – Anonymity in general. Mixmaster anonymous email, secure proxies, etc. Share and enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/26 "2002-09-04T16:43:45Z")
Almost forgot: [http://search.dmoz.org/cgi-bin/search?search=proxies&all=no&cs=&cat=Computers](http://search.dmoz.org/cgi-bin/search?search=proxies&all=no&cs=&cat=Computers) — Open Directory Project (Google’s basis for its directory system) search for ‘proxies’ in category ‘Computers’. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/27 "2002-09-04T17:04:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > Look how a country like Taiwan callously abuses it’s people’s social and economic rights INFIDEL! TAIWAN IS NOT A “COUNTRY”!!! We strongly oppose the agitations of a small minority of troublemakers supporting so-called “Taiwan independence”. Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait agree that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. We can therefore expose the lie touted by “president” Chen Shui-bian of “one country on each side”, which simply is wolfs in sheep clothing way of saying “two Chinas” or “one China one Taiwan”. Apos, expect a call from the head of your neighborhood association shortly. They are very concerned that your inadvertant espousal of incorrect ideas indicates that you may be mentally ill and require care at one of the nation’s respected mental health institutions. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/28 "2002-09-04T20:56:05Z")
Another thing that you can use if you are looking for cached or archived versions of web pages: [The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine](http://webdev.archive.org/) I have used this to track down owners of businesses who have gone out of business and taken their web pages down. The old web pages were still available here and listed the addresses of the owners. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/29 "2002-09-05T18:35:31Z")
Last summer a friend was on internship in Beijing. He couldn’t get to half the sites he was used to, and most of the proxy sites had been blocked. I set him up a proxy page on my own website. You can do the same thing if you have any friends with asp or php supporting websites. In a “worst case scenario” you could buy yourself web-hosting on your credit card and set up the proxy yourself. Easy peasy. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/30 "2002-09-05T18:50:02Z")
Uh, obviously you can use Perl, Cgi etc as well, and mind your bandwidth if you do it through your own hosting. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/31 "2002-09-06T11:07:03Z")
[And now, apparently, China blocks AltaVista](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2240493.stm). ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/32 "2002-09-06T13:23:35Z")
Er . . . China Guy, are you there? . . . Hello? Uh oh . . . ---
**Author:** ![Armilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/33 "2002-09-06T13:26:27Z")
Assuming you can access it, [Peekabooty](http://www.peek-a-booty.org/pbhtml/index.php) may be worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/34 "2002-09-06T16:19:50Z")
Well, I really enjoyed it when someone googled my snatch. But that’s a completely different story. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/35 "2002-09-06T22:47:11Z")
still here. It’s just I have this thing called a new job, and Idon’t access from work ever. Peakabooty link was okay. A guy that burned out and decided to go to law school. Been there, done that. What he says is true, but yet it isn’t. As for the proxies, I can’t seem to get them to work. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. From one of the above links, I typed in [www.cache1.cc.interlog.com](http://www.cache1.cc.interlog.com) and get a page can not be displayed.I tried several of the links. Thanks for the suggestions though. Discussed the google snatching, and most likely because it is the one real search engine that can do Chinese. Not sure about altvista. Either the powers that be don’t want people to seach Chinese sites (likely) or they want a domestic Chinese search engine developed. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/36 "2002-09-07T00:08:37Z")
The proxy pages are fickle things. They go up and down in accordance with the owners interest and bandwidth allowance. Your own access to them will also vary in accordance with whether or not the chinese know about them or not. The CIA sponsored [www.safeweb.com](http://www.safeweb.com) is most likely not accessable to you for example. The link you mentioned above is not accessible to me even without a proxy. [http://www.astalavista.com/privacy/library/proxy/proxyserver.shtml](http://www.astalavista.com/privacy/library/proxy/proxyserver.shtml) Here is a link to a number of proxy services. It is generally kept quite up to date, but your safest bet is to make friends with somone at a university and ask them to set you up a proxy just for you. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/37 "2002-09-09T13:31:22Z")
New Scientist ran this article on 6 September:  [Google mirror beats Great Firewall of China](http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992768) The site: [elgooG](http://www.alltooflat.com/geeky/elgoog/) The creators of the page take the word “mirror” far too literally, but it appears to work. ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/38 "2002-09-09T14:50:56Z")
Just spent a week in Shanghai and Beijing (immensely interesting report here… [http://www.geocities.com/hkhemlock/diary-14sep02.html](http://www.geocities.com/hkhemlock/diary-14sep02.html) ) and couldn’t get Google. But found internet access a pain generally. I was told that a Google search for “Jiang Zemin” pulls up some less than complimentary sites, so the whole search engine has been declared “engine-non-grata”. They’ve also arrested a guy who’s posted (already publicised) details on the covering-up of an HIV-spreading blood-selling scandal. Presumably, Jiang’s reluctance to bow out gracefully is leading to a bit more paranoia than usual. Machine-gun the messenger to death and all will be well. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/39 "2002-09-11T09:28:58Z")
> [@](#): > > [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/financialtimes/business/FT1031119213972.html) > China’s blocking of two popular foreign search engines appears to be an escalation of government policy to control internet content and protect commercial revenues for domestic players. > > Initially interpreted as routine security precautions taken in the lead-up to November’s top leadership meeting, the Google and Altavista engines may in fact be victims of a broader policy to bring the sector under tight state control. > > [An] anonymous posting yesterday on the website of the People’s Daily, the Communist party’s paper, complained that search engines such as Google were “unselective” and “unsupervised”. The article compared Google unfavourably with [Yahoo.com](http://Yahoo.com), which has signed an agreement with the security authorities to block critical content. > > “Yahoo made an agreement with China not to act wantonly and at this point is well behaved,” the writer said. As a result, searches in China on Yahoo about the banned spiritual sect, Falun Gong, for example, are either blocked or give access to sites critical of the body and it leaders. So the problem is Google is not “well behaved” and should take some behavior lessons from Yahoo. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788/40 "2002-09-12T21:39:21Z")
[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/china/test/](http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/china/test/) – Real-Time Testing of Internet Filtering in China. A free web-based service provided by Harvard Law that tells you if a URL is accessable behind the Great Firewall _sans_ proxy. [http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/20472.html](http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/20472.html) – A discussion of peek-a-booty, a peer-to-peer encrypted proxy system designed to allow people to bypass firewalls. It sounds promising, but there are caveats: There are risks involved. This product is not for use by people who are under government surveillence at the moment, for example. Read the article (should be accessable right now in China). [http://www.peek-a-booty.org](http://www.peek-a-booty.org) – The peek-a-booty homepage. Also accessable inside the PRC (for the nonce, anyway). [http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/18017.html](http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/18017.html) – Discussion of the famous Triangle Boy encrypted anonymous proxy. More estabilshed than peek-a-booty, and possibly more secure. Derleth tested, China-filter approved. [https://www.triangleboy.com/](https://www.triangleboy.com/) [https://128.223.22.54:8443](https://128.223.22.54:8443) [https://64.195.245.113:8443](https://64.195.245.113:8443) — Web access points to Triangle Boy. Unfortunately, the proxy tester does not handle secure http (https) transactions, so I cannot test these addresses for availability in the People’s Republic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-snatched-my-google/126788.md?page=3)