back to article Peking University preps online swearing edict

In a magnificently ambitious move, Peking University is thinking of banning its students from gossiping or being sweary online. According to China Daily, University president Xu Zhihong is considering obliging students of the institution and perhaps its tutors to abide by new rules of internet cleanliness and decorum. The …

COMMENTS

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  1. Wize

    How unanonymous should they be?

    The people of Kentucky will not be allowed to post anonymously? How much information must they post with. Even using their real first name would be technically anonymous as there will be lots of Davids in Kentucky. Should they post their full name and address with every comment?

  2. Matt

    Pot kettle

    Bit difficult to criticise the Chinese if you're in the UK with 20% of the worlds spy cameras pointed at you. Not allowed to protest near parliament, not allowed to protest against nuclear weapons, police shooting of innocent tube travellers........

    Well, you get the idea.

  3. James Pickett
    Thumb Down

    Eh?

    "Take away the right to say 'f*** the government'"

    What do you mean, 'take away'? Anyone who did is already rotting in jail with a piece of bamboo up their arse...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Nation of sheep.

    'nuff said.

  5. Slaine
    Thumb Up

    Weather Warning, snow seen falling in Hell.

    For once I side with the authorities here...

    The forum and internet access, albeit a restricted and sanitised version in this particular case, is a service that is provided at a cost to the University and thus they should be empowered to limit, restrict or "censor" anything that is posted or viewed. Yes, okay I have a go at the cowardly way some of my posts are evapourated into the ether but I don't pay to read and contribute to "El Regio" so I take it on the chin (a rather delicate and bruised chin I might add, that's a fearsome right hook that Sarah Bee's got).

  6. Jamie
    Linux

    Com'on ANONYMOUS

    There is very little anonymity left in the world and if people in power have their way every person and all new borns will have a chip inserted so that when you pass through door frames or on/off ramps on a motorway it is logged in a DB.

    Could be great you say in that it will rule out being falsely imprisoned for crimes? Well who will control the DB will control justice. Then if you speak out against the gov't they could just "amend the DB" to say that you were at a location where a crime was committed.

    Too far fetched. What do you think the rational is behind biometric ID cards.

  7. lee harvey osmond
    Joke

    But how ...

    ... will they be able to develop Ruby on Rails applications if swearing is outlawed?

  8. Garth
    Dead Vulture

    Disgusting

    What a disgusting waste of time and a dangerous thing to do. There should be some sort of criminal consequence from knowingly legislating unconstitutional laws. Regardless of if it is just to 'call attention to' some issue. Should be hanged for treason or something.

    Dead vulture to represent the state of our constitution.

  9. Steve

    @ Pot kettle

    That's a bit over the top, don't you think?

    You are allowed to protest against nuclear weapons, the police shot *one* guy on the tube. The protest laws are bullshit and I'm no fan of the police, but to say it's anything like China is just retarded.

  10. Adam Foxton
    Stop

    @matt

    Rewrite to "police shooting of presumed terrorist (good thing!)... then trying to cover it up when they realise they screwed it up (irredeemable.)"

    You ARE allowed to protest against Nuclear Weapons, unfortunately. Just not break into sub pens.

    Not being able to protest near parliament is a big of a ridiculous idea, though- it's like saying "If you're going to kill us, do it quietly."

    And it's 20% of the world's _visible_ spy cameras.

    AND prisons are nothing like as bad in the UK as in China. We've got prisoners successfully suing about being made to empty their own toilets- it cuts into their TV and Playstation time.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What's the fucking internet for...

    ... if not swearing and spreading rumours? ;-)

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Comments rarely Free

    The Guardian also bans people who swear on their CiF (sic) forums.

    The poo faced, uptight, wankers

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This week's homework

    Compare and Contrast Olympics 1936 v Olympics 2008 paying attention specifically to host nation media.

    Arse. Feck. Nuns.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "What's the fucking internet for... "?

    Porn.

  15. Gaz
    Flame

    @Matt

    The fact is though in the UK you can still for the most part say what you want without fear of being locked up. A quick trawl of just El Reg will turn up plenty of comments critical of the government.

    If you criticise the government in China even on your own site (let alone on a publicly funded one like BBC's HYS) you run the risk of being arrested or worse. I have family members there whose friends have dissappeared for complaining about food prices or the corruption of local officials.

  16. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: "What's the fucking internet for... "?

    You're confusing the fucking internet with the fucking-internet.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    mooommmm

    I dunno with aims against "cyberbullying" in the uk it isn't that farfetched that institutions here may try and implement the same lame forced politness.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    @ Sarah Bee

    Who cares?

    As Trekkie from Avenue Q says....

    Why you think the net was born?

    Porn, porn, porn!

    Of course the Internet was really born from the DARPA project to create a resiliant network across the states, so that in times of nuclear war US generals could still look at pictures of naked ladies! :)

  19. Dave
    Coat

    Programming Language

    Will this new rule prevent the discussion of that great programming language brainf*ck?

    Dave

    P.S. Mine's the one with the redacted stickers...

  20. Matt

    Making a point

    I just wanted to make a point, yes we still have freedoms that they don't in China, but they are being taken away, we have helped the yanks torture people etc.

    To the others who posted:

    1. The police have shot more than one innocent person, man carrying a chair leg ring a bell and so on.

    2. I thought they'd stopped the protesters outside the pens, not just inside.

    As I say, I just wanted to make a point.....

  21. Gaz

    Re: Making a point

    Just trying to keep a sense of perspective on things, although I agree we are slowly sliding in the wrong direction again. Things like our involvement with extraordinary rendition and recent "anti-terror" laws all leave a particularly bad taste in the mouth.

    As for the police shooting innocents, it has happened before like you said and will probably happen again. I'm sure they do their best to avoid such tragedies but mistakes happen (small comfort to the families I know). Unless theres negligence involved I don't think its fair to blame the officers on the ground who have to make difficult often split second life or death decisions under pressure.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    pot a lot

    >>"Take away the right to say 'f*** the government'" // What do you mean, 'take away'? Anyone who did is already rotting in jail with a piece of bamboo up their arse..<<

    No, actually, a large number of them are probably working in the central business district leading normal lives and expressing such opinions quite loudly over lunch.

  23. Dr Patrick J R Harkin

    Darn them all!

    Darn them all to heck!

  24. Slaine
    Unhappy

    Sarah Bee!!!!

    ... and I thought you were such a polite and well spoken young lady. Ah well, that's that idea fucked.

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