This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
Maybe it’s cause those 3 letter agencies don’t have their hooks in TikTok the way they are embedded in Twitter, et al.
Also what’s the difference between American vs Chinese propaganda.
Is there no MDM used for government devices? Why do people need to be asked to remove it?
Yes. Most MDMs don’t allow end-user installation of apps but that only works when people are forced to use it. Of course I bet most government users have two phones. Problem is too many use private phone for doing government business even though that’s illegal.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
You are a liar! I have said here many times that I have nothing to do with Chinese government. And you China hater keeps making lies about me. And would you bet that every word I posted here have been recorded by CIA? US government has the world's largest network of spying. It is much larger than China or any other country. Can you deny it? NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know how to spy on every one. This is why they worry TikTok will spy on US. US has far more superior military power than China. I believe this is the simple reason CCP feel it is useless to spy everything on US. Of course they want to know what the US Congress is planning on Taiwan. And this is the reason US Congress don't want CCP to know. And this is democracy? I thought democracy is for peace like Jesus do.
I personally believe you DO NOT have direct ties to the CCP. However, based on your written defenses of anything pertaining to China, I would say that your wording is quite similar to other posts outside this forum authored by what are known as Chinese Nationalists. Nationalists are average Chinese citizens who are extremely patriotic and defensive of China in general. And while these nationalists are not affiliated with the CCP, they basically do precisely what the CCP wants insofar as the nationalists spread the same pro-China propaganda, and leave the door closed to anything negative about China.
Overall, I would say your posts defending China here in this forum tend to be more defensive of China than just about any other person in the forum. That shouldn't make you a target of hate, but it will attract the attention of people who strongly disagree with your largely pro-China stance.
Personally, I wish we could all get along without strife. But the only way to achieve that is to stop watching the news, stop being nationalistic/patriotic, and just view life in mostly optimistic terms. Not everyone can do that.
And so, because we are all different, the best we can do is just debate and fight for a time, then shake hands and agree to disagree in the end. I think that's really the best way to settle matters of strong disagreement. There's nothing wrong with even heated debate as long as it doesn't result in us hating each other.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
But it's perfectly okay for the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc, etc to spy on every one of us everyday isn't it.
I’d trust the U.S. intelligence services before any foreign outfit. You goddamn U.S. government haters and your paranoid deep state shit have read too much crap from your right wing lunatic fringe.
Sometimes it is really hard to tell the difference between the right wing lunatic fringe in the left wing lunatic fringe.
One thing that is super striking to me, though, is that everybody from Nancy Pelosi to Josh Hawley to John Gruber supports banning Tik Tok. It would seem that the only people on the other side of this issue are CCP shills or wackos.
Why "refreshing"? Because I enjoy reading the comments about as much, and sometimes more, than the articles under which the comments are found.
++
I do not completely object to moderation. I do not object to occasionally wielding the ban hammer. But for my taste, AI has sometimes gone too far in turning off comments entirely. I am getting to a point where if I see the comments are turned off for an article, I am just not going to click on the article.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
You are a liar! I have said here many times that I have nothing to do with Chinese government.
Well that settles it, then. The first rule for all Chinese operatives is to openly admit that they are a Chinese operative whenever anybody asks.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
But it's perfectly okay for the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc, etc to spy on every one of us everyday isn't it.
False equivalencies / whatabout-ism is unbecoming -- I urge you to strive to be better than that.
The FBI/CIA/NSA are far from perfect, to say the least. In many cases, it's bad apples / rogue agents who use the (necessary) secrecy of their work as a cover to do things that American citizens would never approve of. Sometimes, it's more than bad apples, sometimes there have been systemic problems.
But the critical difference relative to the CCP/PLA is that in the US there is oversight by these agencies (and the military) by democratically elected civilians. That process can be slow and it doesn't always work, but it exists, and it does make a positive difference.
So in the real world, where we have to make choices among competing feasible alternatives (not fantasy land alternatives), I'll always trust the FBI/CIA/NSA over the CCP+PLA or FSB (KGB).
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
But it's perfectly okay for the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc, etc to spy on every one of us everyday isn't it.
False equivalencies / whatabout-ism is unbecoming -- I urge you to strive to be better than that.
The FBI/CIA/NSA are far from perfect, to say the least. In many cases, it's bad apples / rogue agents who use the (necessary) secrecy of their work as a cover to do things that American citizens would never approve of. Sometimes, it's more than bad apples, sometimes there have been systemic problems.
But the critical difference relative to the CCP/PLA is that in the US there is oversight by these agencies (and the military) by democratically elected civilians. That process can be slow and it doesn't always work, but it exists, and it does make a positive difference.
So in the real world, where we have to make choices among competing feasible alternatives (not fantasy land alternatives), I'll always trust the FBI/CIA/NSA over the CCP+PLA or FSB (KGB).
All this equivalency bullshit that the U.S. is no different than the totalitarian dictatorships of China, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc. These nut jobs wake up every morning hating their country, their government, even their own fellow citizens.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
No one is making it a national security issue, other than China itself. The company can protest all it wants, but they are obligated to be in bed with the Chinese communist party. That is just a fact. You also should take a look at the algorithms in China for youth versus the algorithms here for youth.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
But it's perfectly okay for the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc, etc to spy on every one of us everyday isn't it.
I’d trust the U.S. intelligence services before any foreign outfit. You goddamn U.S. government haters and your paranoid deep state shit have read too much crap from your right wing lunatic fringe.
At this point, I wouldn’t trust almost any US government agency. The FBI, CIA, CDC, NIH, DHS, TSA, you name it. They’ve proved not only to be liars, but are blatantly violating the US Constitution with impunity. The FBI and other government agencies had regular meetings with social media on censorship. They literally flagged posts to be taken down. It wasn’t because those posts were threatening illegal activity or possibly involved in some kind of plot. It’s that they were deemed “misinformation.” This applies to Covid, elections, and pretty much any other political topic (and before you start with “Covid shouldn’t be political,” I mean “political” as in a debate on public policy).
Let’s just take one agency, the FBI: since at least 2015, the FBI has been irreparably broken. They used a known liar (Steele) to corroborate “collusion” between Trump and Russia. The information was laundered from the Clinton campaign at the highest levels, particularly by then Senator Harry Reid, and CIA Director, John Brennan. The FBI swallowed the bait and paid confidential human informants to try to corroborate these accusations. Even when it was clear there was no such corroboration to be had, they kept renewing FISA warrants. They ended up getting Robert Mueller, a pilot, special counsel, who was of course, a former Director of the FBI. Jim Baker, who later would work at Twitter, personally received information from those associated with the Clinton campaign.
The point is this. It’s not a “deep state conspiracy theory” when it’s not a theory. This stuff actually happened. We are now learning it was much worse, particularly as it pertains to freedom of speech, and other government agencies like the CIA being involved in policing it. It’s not a Republican or Democrat thing. The FBI and several other agencies are hopelessly corrupt and need to be disbanded and rebuilt. Of course, none of that changes the fact that TikTok is a security threat because it’s a data collection tool for the Chinese communist party, but also a cultural warfare tool. The algorithms show cleaner, more wholesome, and patriotic content to Chinese visitors. In the United States and the west, the algorithms are geared towards people doing things like twerking nude with a candle in their butt.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
No one is making it a national security issue, other than China itself. The company can protest all it wants, but they are obligated to be in bed with the Chinese communist party. That is just a fact. You also should take a look at the algorithms in China for youth versus the algorithms here for youth.
Are you saying US Congress is China? LOL You better read this AI article carefully.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
You are a liar! I have said here many times that I have nothing to do with Chinese government. And you China hater keeps making lies about me. And would you bet that every word I posted here have been recorded by CIA? US government has the world's largest network of spying. It is much larger than China or any other country. Can you deny it? NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know how to spy on every one. This is why they worry TikTok will spy on US. US has far more superior military power than China. I believe this is the simple reason CCP feel it is useless to spy everything on US. Of course they want to know what the US Congress is planning on Taiwan. And this is the reason US Congress don't want CCP to know. And this is democracy? I thought democracy is for peace like Jesus do.
I personally believe you DO NOT have direct ties to the CCP. However, based on your written defenses of anything pertaining to China, I would say that your wording is quite similar to other posts outside this forum authored by what are known as Chinese Nationalists. Nationalists are average Chinese citizens who are extremely patriotic and defensive of China in general. And while these nationalists are not affiliated with the CCP, they basically do precisely what the CCP wants insofar as the nationalists spread the same pro-China propaganda, and leave the door closed to anything negative about China.
Overall, I would say your posts defending China here in this forum tend to be more defensive of China than just about any other person in the forum. That shouldn't make you a target of hate, but it will attract the attention of people who strongly disagree with your largely pro-China stance.
Personally, I wish we could all get along without strife. But the only way to achieve that is to stop watching the news, stop being nationalistic/patriotic, and just view life in mostly optimistic terms. Not everyone can do that.
And so, because we are all different, the best we can do is just debate and fight for a time, then shake hands and agree to disagree in the end. I think that's really the best way to settle matters of strong disagreement. There's nothing wrong with even heated debate as long as it doesn't result in us hating each other.
You are one of reasonable white Americans like GeorgeBMac. You know what is funny that despite what I said here I have not downloaded TikTok although I enjoy watching numerous TikTok videos my friends share with me, they are better and more decent that Google Shorts.
Why I defend China? It is simple. There are so much misconception and bias toward China. If you can convince me this is untrue I will stop defending China immediately.
Many years ago, one of my classmates who is studying at Stanford U took me on a tour to Fisherman's Wharf. While we walk along the crowded street a white guy walk past us and started yelling at me saying "go back to China!". Is this America? Is this democracy supposed to work? The US democracy is not for peace, it is to incite hatred. Although I admit there are more decent Americans than this guy, but you need just one to do bad things.
When I was young I watched Hollywood movies, we found there are good buys and bad guys. And in the end the good guys always win. Now I am getting old, I found this is a Western culture. In America, a woman walking outside after night is a risky thing. Most of them try to find a companion or escort. Some universities even provide such services for females. On the other hand, in East many females walk alone on streets at night. Why they are not afraid? Because they don't have the concept of good guy and bad guy when they grew up. Why do I say this? I think this is the reason why US is creating enemies. The culture has trained people in separating good and bad as much as possible. You will think you are on the good side. You are the victim of the bad side. This is the root of the conflict between US and China. Or Democrats and Republicans.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
You are a liar! I have said here many times that I have nothing to do with Chinese government. And you China hater keeps making lies about me. And would you bet that every word I posted here have been recorded by CIA? US government has the world's largest network of spying. It is much larger than China or any other country. Can you deny it? NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know how to spy on every one. This is why they worry TikTok will spy on US. US has far more superior military power than China. I believe this is the simple reason CCP feel it is useless to spy everything on US. Of course they want to know what the US Congress is planning on Taiwan. And this is the reason US Congress don't want CCP to know. And this is democracy? I thought democracy is for peace like Jesus do.
I personally believe you DO NOT have direct ties to the CCP. However, based on your written defenses of anything pertaining to China, I would say that your wording is quite similar to other posts outside this forum authored by what are known as Chinese Nationalists. Nationalists are average Chinese citizens who are extremely patriotic and defensive of China in general. And while these nationalists are not affiliated with the CCP, they basically do precisely what the CCP wants insofar as the nationalists spread the same pro-China propaganda, and leave the door closed to anything negative about China.
Overall, I would say your posts defending China here in this forum tend to be more defensive of China than just about any other person in the forum. That shouldn't make you a target of hate, but it will attract the attention of people who strongly disagree with your largely pro-China stance.
Personally, I wish we could all get along without strife. But the only way to achieve that is to stop watching the news, stop being nationalistic/patriotic, and just view life in mostly optimistic terms. Not everyone can do that.
And so, because we are all different, the best we can do is just debate and fight for a time, then shake hands and agree to disagree in the end. I think that's really the best way to settle matters of strong disagreement. There's nothing wrong with even heated debate as long as it doesn't result in us hating each other.
You are one of reasonable white Americans like GeorgeBMac. You know what is funny that despite what I said here I have not downloaded TikTok although I enjoy watching numerous TikTok videos my friends share with me, they are better and more decent that Google Shorts.
Why I defend China? It is simple. There are so much misconception and bias toward China. If you can convince me this is untrue I will stop defending China immediately.
Many years ago, one of my classmates who is studying at Stanford U took me on a tour to Fisherman's Wharf. While we walk along the crowded street a white guy walk past us and started yelling at me saying "go back to China!". Is this America? Is this democracy supposed to work? The US democracy is not for peace, it is to incite hatred. Although I admit there are more decent Americans than this guy, but you need just one to do bad things.
Just FYI - @Jdw is from Japan, not America. And how did you come to the conclusion of his skin color? You would be better off reading more and posting less (like @Jdw does) in AI forums. And that free advice is valid for me as well, so I will try my level best to follow my own advice going forward.
CNBC notes that part of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress earlier in December, includes a TikTok ban. That bill's measure regarded a ban of the app from some government devices, plus all executive branch devices, though not members of Congress and their staff.
Similarly, the new directive from the House does not apply to the Senate.
I love how Congress conveniently exempts itself from nearly every damned law they pass. "Good for me, but not for thee!"
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
You are a liar! I have said here many times that I have nothing to do with Chinese government. And you China hater keeps making lies about me. And would you bet that every word I posted here have been recorded by CIA? US government has the world's largest network of spying. It is much larger than China or any other country. Can you deny it? NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know how to spy on every one. This is why they worry TikTok will spy on US. US has far more superior military power than China. I believe this is the simple reason CCP feel it is useless to spy everything on US. Of course they want to know what the US Congress is planning on Taiwan. And this is the reason US Congress don't want CCP to know. And this is democracy? I thought democracy is for peace like Jesus do.
I personally believe you DO NOT have direct ties to the CCP. However, based on your written defenses of anything pertaining to China, I would say that your wording is quite similar to other posts outside this forum authored by what are known as Chinese Nationalists. Nationalists are average Chinese citizens who are extremely patriotic and defensive of China in general. And while these nationalists are not affiliated with the CCP, they basically do precisely what the CCP wants insofar as the nationalists spread the same pro-China propaganda, and leave the door closed to anything negative about China.
Overall, I would say your posts defending China here in this forum tend to be more defensive of China than just about any other person in the forum. That shouldn't make you a target of hate, but it will attract the attention of people who strongly disagree with your largely pro-China stance.
Personally, I wish we could all get along without strife. But the only way to achieve that is to stop watching the news, stop being nationalistic/patriotic, and just view life in mostly optimistic terms. Not everyone can do that.
And so, because we are all different, the best we can do is just debate and fight for a time, then shake hands and agree to disagree in the end. I think that's really the best way to settle matters of strong disagreement. There's nothing wrong with even heated debate as long as it doesn't result in us hating each other.
You are one of reasonable white Americans like GeorgeBMac. You know what is funny that despite what I said here I have not downloaded TikTok although I enjoy watching numerous TikTok videos my friends share with me, they are better and more decent that Google Shorts.
Why I defend China? It is simple. There are so much misconception and bias toward China. If you can convince me this is untrue I will stop defending China immediately.
Many years ago, one of my classmates who is studying at Stanford U took me on a tour to Fisherman's Wharf. While we walk along the crowded street a white guy walk past us and started yelling at me saying "go back to China!". Is this America? Is this democracy supposed to work? The US democracy is not for peace, it is to incite hatred. Although I admit there are more decent Americans than this guy, but you need just one to do bad things.
Just FYI - @Jdw is from Japan, not America. And how did you come to the conclusion of his skin color? You would be better off reading more and posting less (like @Jdw does) in AI forums. And that free advice is valid for me as well, so I will try my level best to follow my own advice going forward.
Frankly speaking, when I wrote I know I was making an assumption. Thanks for the clarification.
This is frivolous to the lowest level. TikTok is an entertaining tool. Government building is for working. Of course it is inappropriate to use TikTok. But making it a national security issue is a plot by China haters to silence democracy.
Maybe the NSA, CIA, and the U.S. Military know something you don’t. But then you’re just a Chinese government operative spreading disinformation and propaganda. And who are you to be talking about democracy when your leader is a vicious despot.
But it's perfectly okay for the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc, etc to spy on every one of us everyday isn't it.
I’d trust the U.S. intelligence services before any foreign outfit. You goddamn U.S. government haters and your paranoid deep state shit have read too much crap from your right wing lunatic fringe.
US Intelligence...isn't that an oxymoron? For the record...I'm not right wing either, very from it in fact.
Please allow me to offer the clearest clarification of all.
While I am "from Japan," I am also NOT from Japan. :-)
I was born and raised in central California. The percentage of melanin in my skin does not and should not matter, but for the sake of crystal clarity, I shall divulge that I am fair complexioned and even have some freckles. My hair was a bit more red in my youth and its a bit dust blonde or light brown these days.
My next door neighbor in my youth in California was a kid my age and we often played together. His father was so-called "white American" and his mother "Chinese America." We got along just fine. He and his dad made some of the best RC planes back in the day, and it was a joy to go out with them on their flights, except for the fact his Dad chain-smoked and I have an allergy to tobacco. Ack!
I graduated from the CSU system with an BSEE degree in 1994 -- the same year I received a job offer in Japan. I've lived continuously in Japan ever since. My wife is Japanese. I've lived longer in Japan than in the USA, but I still retain my US citizenship, which is something rather foolish to give up, despite the benefits giving it up may have.
There has long been a rivalry between Japan and China, but that isn't my rivalry because I wasn't born, raised or educated in Japan. Therefore, such influences of bias never had any impact on me. That remains true even though I know the history and atrocities committed by Japan. My assessment of China as per what I often write in this forum is based on my own observations, travels there, and watching videos authored by people who have lived there a number of years, both Chinese and non-Chinese. When I write about China, I tend to write more about the CCP or those in power, rather than individual people who are mostly innocent or even unwitting about what their government does.
I remember the first time I visited Shanghai. In my hotel room I turned on the TV and most of the ads were about cooking oil, and most of the shows were war movies about China and the USA, where of course China was the "good guy" and, well, guess what, the USA was "the bad guy." They also had similar shows about Japan. Naturally, you find similar slanted shows in the USA too. As I walked down the streets I noted that KFC was everywhere, which as you know, is a US fast food chicken establishment.
As I close this topic, I should mention one last thing I am quite passionate about because so few people understand the truth in it: There's no such thing as biological "race".
That shocks some people, but it's a fact. Studies of DNA have proven it. Take DNA from people born in Africa, China, the USA and you'll find no differences that warrant separating us into different races. The percentage of melanin in our skin or the width of one's nose, or the curliness of one's hair doesn't establish a different biological race. There's one race on this planet. It's called the human race. Even in the Bible (Christianity) there is no mention of the word race. It uses "kindred" instead.
Race is a word that divides us. Kindred is a word that unites us. And honestly, it is the failure for us to see past the false barriers we construct that causes division, be that Republicans versus Democrats in the USA, or rivalry between nations. We are all the same in that we are human. We simply have been divided into nations by language, and cultural differences are created from that, further driving different groups of people (nations) apart. But when we can get past cultural differences and language barriers and see only our humanity that puts us on equal footing, then we can have productive dialog, assuming we are reasonably educated and not on some kind of mind altering drug.
I appreciate all of you very much, even when we disagree. If we all agreed on everything, it would be a cult and quite scary. The fact we can disagree and still remain cordial is yet further proof of why I've been calling for more openness on AppleInsider's part to give us greater freedom in the comments. This site isn't going to come crashing down if comments are enabled under certain articles. And besides, there is a moderate here anyway. Freedom is risky but worth it. Comments bring life to articles. Let life and freedom reign.
Why "refreshing"? Because I enjoy reading the comments about as much, and sometimes more, than the articles under which the comments are found.
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I do not completely object to moderation. I do not object to occasionally wielding the ban hammer. But for my taste, AI has sometimes gone too far in turning off comments entirely. I am getting to a point where if I see the comments are turned off for an article, I am just not going to click on the article.
I wish to humbly thank you for saying that. Very few people in this forum have provided any kind of solidarity with my writing on that topic. Some people thing I am calling for "no moderation" but I'm not. Moderation and banning comings altogether really are two different things. We do have a moderator here, folks, and I've never asked for that to be taken away.
It's rather depressing so many think it's a good thing comments are banned under certain articles, and nobody but me seems to notice the oddball way comments are banned either. There doesn't seem to be a consistent rule applied at all. Most politically sensitive articles have no comments allowed on AppleInsider, but not all. That is confusing. I think there is basically one guy, and maybe one other, at AppleInsider who comes up with this comment banning craziness on a whim. They think allowing comments under certain "hot button" articles will be picked up by the search engines and make AI look bad as a result, but I think that is poppycock. The good that comes from enabling comments far outweighs any bad that is picked up by Google. Because as I said before, comments bring life to articles and make readers feel more at ease. Indeed, as you just said, you are less inclined to even read an article when comments are banned.
One other important consideration is that because of all the comment banning here at AI, there are far fewer people who participate in the AI forums as compared with MacRumors or similar forums where liberty is more tightly embraced. So with fewer people posting here, any potential "bad" that the top brass at AI think might happen will actually be very little in proportion to the comparatively few people who post in the AI forums.
We need solidarity. I think if the majority of us called for more freedom to comment UNDER ALL ARTICLES here in AI, the top brass would have no choice but to give it a try. And no, anything bad that may have happened in the past should not be used as justification to keep the current haphazard comment banning rules in place. Give "freedom to comment" a chance. It's worth it.
And that doesn't mean I will suddenly start commenting under every single article either. I comment only when something in an article triggers a passionate feeling in me. I am not one of those forum dwellers who has tens of thousands of posts to his name. You know the kind. They post ALL THE TIME, under every article, and replying to nearly every comment so as to be "right." To me, that's nuts.
I come here to read articles, and to SOMETIMES share my thoughts with the rest of you. Yes, that sometimes includes disagreement and debate, and it should! That's the fun, folks. If coming here wasn't fun, we'd be going somewhere else. And if everyone left and no one visited this website, would AI continue to exist?
Please allow me to offer the clearest clarification of all.
While I am "from Japan," I am also NOT from Japan. :-)
I was born and raised in central California. The percentage of melanin in my skin does not and should not matter, but for the sake of crystal clarity, I shall divulge that I am fair complexioned and even have some freckles. My hair was a bit more red in my youth and its a bit dust blonde or light brown these days.
My next door neighbor in my youth in California was a kid my age and we often played together. His father was so-called "white American" and his mother "Chinese America." We got along just fine. He and his dad made some of the best RC planes back in the day, and it was a joy to go out with them on their flights, except for the fact his Dad chain-smoked and I have an allergy to tobacco. Ack!
I graduated from the CSU system with an BSEE degree in 1994 -- the same year I received a job offer in Japan. I've lived continuously in Japan ever since. My wife is Japanese. I've lived longer in Japan than in the USA, but I still retain my US citizenship, which is something rather foolish to give up, despite the benefits giving it up may have.
There has long been a rivalry between Japan and China, but that isn't my rivalry because I wasn't born, raised or educated in Japan. Therefore, such influences of bias never had any impact on me. That remains true even though I know the history and atrocities committed by Japan. My assessment of China as per what I often write in this forum is based on my own observations, travels there, and watching videos authored by people who have lived there a number of years, both Chinese and non-Chinese. When I write about China, I tend to write more about the CCP or those in power, rather than individual people who are mostly innocent or even unwitting about what their government does.
I remember the first time I visited Shanghai. In my hotel room I turned on the TV and most of the ads were about cooking oil, and most of the shows were war movies about China and the USA, where of course China was the "good guy" and, well, guess what, the USA was "the bad guy." They also had similar shows about Japan. Naturally, you find similar slanted shows in the USA too. As I walked down the streets I noted that KFC was everywhere, which as you know, is a US fast food chicken establishment.
As I close this topic, I should mention one last thing I am quite passionate about because so few people understand the truth in it: There's no such thing as biological "race".
That shocks some people, but it's a fact. Studies of DNA have proven it. Take DNA from people born in Africa, China, the USA and you'll find no differences that warrant separating us into different races. The percentage of melanin in our skin or the width of one's nose, or the curliness of one's hair doesn't establish a different biological race. There's one race on this planet. It's called the human race. Even in the Bible (Christianity) there is no mention of the word race. It uses "kindred" instead.
Race is a word that divides us. Kindred is a word that unites us. And honestly, it is the failure for us to see past the false barriers we construct that causes division, be that Republicans versus Democrats in the USA, or rivalry between nations. We are all the same in that we are human. We simply have been divided into nations by language, and cultural differences are created from that, further driving different groups of people (nations) apart. But when we can get past cultural differences and language barriers and see only our humanity that puts us on equal footing, then we can have productive dialog, assuming we are reasonably educated and not on some kind of mind altering drug.
I appreciate all of you very much, even when we disagree. If we all agreed on everything, it would be a cult and quite scary. The fact we can disagree and still remain cordial is yet further proof of why I've been calling for more openness on AppleInsider's part to give us greater freedom in the comments. This site isn't going to come crashing down if comments are enabled under certain articles. And besides, there is a moderate here anyway. Freedom is risky but worth it. Comments bring life to articles. Let life and freedom reign.
Thank you for sharing the details and also your perspective of the humankind. It is nice to read.
Omg! so the Chinese know I like big hooters and cars? oh the shame,
So the Chinese spy on TikTok users? much like Facebook/ twitter etc spy on everyone? US government is just upset they don't have access to that data, like they do the others
if I had to pick one entity that could spy on me, I'd much prefer china than the US i live in the US i will most probably never go to china so what's the problem of them knowing my location or accessing my contacts etc ?
Comments
Overall, I would say your posts defending China here in this forum tend to be more defensive of China than just about any other person in the forum. That shouldn't make you a target of hate, but it will attract the attention of people who strongly disagree with your largely pro-China stance.
Personally, I wish we could all get along without strife. But the only way to achieve that is to stop watching the news, stop being nationalistic/patriotic, and just view life in mostly optimistic terms. Not everyone can do that.
And so, because we are all different, the best we can do is just debate and fight for a time, then shake hands and agree to disagree in the end. I think that's really the best way to settle matters of strong disagreement. There's nothing wrong with even heated debate as long as it doesn't result in us hating each other.
The FBI/CIA/NSA are far from perfect, to say the least. In many cases, it's bad apples / rogue agents who use the (necessary) secrecy of their work as a cover to do things that American citizens would never approve of. Sometimes, it's more than bad apples, sometimes there have been systemic problems.
But the critical difference relative to the CCP/PLA is that in the US there is oversight by these agencies (and the military) by democratically elected civilians. That process can be slow and it doesn't always work, but it exists, and it does make a positive difference.
So in the real world, where we have to make choices among competing feasible alternatives (not fantasy land alternatives), I'll always trust the FBI/CIA/NSA over the CCP+PLA or FSB (KGB).
Why I defend China? It is simple. There are so much misconception and bias toward China. If you can convince me this is untrue I will stop defending China immediately.
Many years ago, one of my classmates who is studying at Stanford U took me on a tour to Fisherman's Wharf. While we walk along the crowded street a white guy walk past us and started yelling at me saying "go back to China!". Is this America? Is this democracy supposed to work? The US democracy is not for peace, it is to incite hatred. Although I admit there are more decent Americans than this guy, but you need just one to do bad things.
When I was young I watched Hollywood movies, we found there are good buys and bad guys. And in the end the good guys always win. Now I am getting old, I found this is a Western culture. In America, a woman walking outside after night is a risky thing. Most of them try to find a companion or escort. Some universities even provide such services for females. On the other hand, in East many females walk alone on streets at night. Why they are not afraid? Because they don't have the concept of good guy and bad guy when they grew up. Why do I say this? I think this is the reason why US is creating enemies. The culture has trained people in separating good and bad as much as possible. You will think you are on the good side. You are the victim of the bad side. This is the root of the conflict between US and China. Or Democrats and Republicans.
I love how Congress conveniently exempts itself from nearly every damned law they pass. "Good for me, but not for thee!"
Please allow me to offer the clearest clarification of all.
While I am "from Japan," I am also NOT from Japan. :-)
I was born and raised in central California. The percentage of melanin in my skin does not and should not matter, but for the sake of crystal clarity, I shall divulge that I am fair complexioned and even have some freckles. My hair was a bit more red in my youth and its a bit dust blonde or light brown these days.
My next door neighbor in my youth in California was a kid my age and we often played together. His father was so-called "white American" and his mother "Chinese America." We got along just fine. He and his dad made some of the best RC planes back in the day, and it was a joy to go out with them on their flights, except for the fact his Dad chain-smoked and I have an allergy to tobacco. Ack!
I graduated from the CSU system with an BSEE degree in 1994 -- the same year I received a job offer in Japan. I've lived continuously in Japan ever since. My wife is Japanese. I've lived longer in Japan than in the USA, but I still retain my US citizenship, which is something rather foolish to give up, despite the benefits giving it up may have.
There has long been a rivalry between Japan and China, but that isn't my rivalry because I wasn't born, raised or educated in Japan. Therefore, such influences of bias never had any impact on me. That remains true even though I know the history and atrocities committed by Japan. My assessment of China as per what I often write in this forum is based on my own observations, travels there, and watching videos authored by people who have lived there a number of years, both Chinese and non-Chinese. When I write about China, I tend to write more about the CCP or those in power, rather than individual people who are mostly innocent or even unwitting about what their government does.
I remember the first time I visited Shanghai. In my hotel room I turned on the TV and most of the ads were about cooking oil, and most of the shows were war movies about China and the USA, where of course China was the "good guy" and, well, guess what, the USA was "the bad guy." They also had similar shows about Japan. Naturally, you find similar slanted shows in the USA too. As I walked down the streets I noted that KFC was everywhere, which as you know, is a US fast food chicken establishment.
As I close this topic, I should mention one last thing I am quite passionate about because so few people understand the truth in it: There's no such thing as biological "race".
That shocks some people, but it's a fact. Studies of DNA have proven it. Take DNA from people born in Africa, China, the USA and you'll find no differences that warrant separating us into different races. The percentage of melanin in our skin or the width of one's nose, or the curliness of one's hair doesn't establish a different biological race. There's one race on this planet. It's called the human race. Even in the Bible (Christianity) there is no mention of the word race. It uses "kindred" instead.
Race is a word that divides us. Kindred is a word that unites us. And honestly, it is the failure for us to see past the false barriers we construct that causes division, be that Republicans versus Democrats in the USA, or rivalry between nations. We are all the same in that we are human. We simply have been divided into nations by language, and cultural differences are created from that, further driving different groups of people (nations) apart. But when we can get past cultural differences and language barriers and see only our humanity that puts us on equal footing, then we can have productive dialog, assuming we are reasonably educated and not on some kind of mind altering drug.
I appreciate all of you very much, even when we disagree. If we all agreed on everything, it would be a cult and quite scary. The fact we can disagree and still remain cordial is yet further proof of why I've been calling for more openness on AppleInsider's part to give us greater freedom in the comments. This site isn't going to come crashing down if comments are enabled under certain articles. And besides, there is a moderate here anyway. Freedom is risky but worth it. Comments bring life to articles. Let life and freedom reign.
It's rather depressing so many think it's a good thing comments are banned under certain articles, and nobody but me seems to notice the oddball way comments are banned either. There doesn't seem to be a consistent rule applied at all. Most politically sensitive articles have no comments allowed on AppleInsider, but not all. That is confusing. I think there is basically one guy, and maybe one other, at AppleInsider who comes up with this comment banning craziness on a whim. They think allowing comments under certain "hot button" articles will be picked up by the search engines and make AI look bad as a result, but I think that is poppycock. The good that comes from enabling comments far outweighs any bad that is picked up by Google. Because as I said before, comments bring life to articles and make readers feel more at ease. Indeed, as you just said, you are less inclined to even read an article when comments are banned.
One other important consideration is that because of all the comment banning here at AI, there are far fewer people who participate in the AI forums as compared with MacRumors or similar forums where liberty is more tightly embraced. So with fewer people posting here, any potential "bad" that the top brass at AI think might happen will actually be very little in proportion to the comparatively few people who post in the AI forums.
We need solidarity. I think if the majority of us called for more freedom to comment UNDER ALL ARTICLES here in AI, the top brass would have no choice but to give it a try. And no, anything bad that may have happened in the past should not be used as justification to keep the current haphazard comment banning rules in place. Give "freedom to comment" a chance. It's worth it.
And that doesn't mean I will suddenly start commenting under every single article either. I comment only when something in an article triggers a passionate feeling in me. I am not one of those forum dwellers who has tens of thousands of posts to his name. You know the kind. They post ALL THE TIME, under every article, and replying to nearly every comment so as to be "right." To me, that's nuts.
I come here to read articles, and to SOMETIMES share my thoughts with the rest of you. Yes, that sometimes includes disagreement and debate, and it should! That's the fun, folks. If coming here wasn't fun, we'd be going somewhere else. And if everyone left and no one visited this website, would AI continue to exist?
COMMENT FREEDOM. IS. WORTH IT.
so the Chinese know I like big hooters and cars?
oh the shame,
So the Chinese spy on TikTok users?
much like Facebook/ twitter etc spy on everyone?
US government is just upset they don't have access to that data, like they do the others
if I had to pick one entity that could spy on me, I'd much prefer china than the US
i live in the US
i will most probably never go to china
so what's the problem of them knowing my location or accessing my contacts etc ?