China's freelance internet propagandists

A term refers to paid internet commentators working for the People’s Republic of China, whose role is posting comments favorable towards the government policies to skew the public opinion on various Internet message boards.

In 2008, the above number of members was estimated at 300,000, other names include “red vests”, “red vanguard”, and “50 Cent Army”.

The Guardian newspaper calls it the 50-cent Army (a reference to the pay: 50 Chinese “cents” per post, which is equivalent to about 7 US cents) and has published China joins a turf war on Sep. 22, 2008 by Malik Fareed.

The BBC has published China’s internet ‘spin doctors’ on Dec. 16, 2008 by Michael Bristow.

The Datamation warned that the 50 Cent Army Could Wreck Web 2.0 on Jan. 8, 2009 by Mike Elgan.

And the Far Eastern Economic Review also published China’s Guerrilla War for the Web on August 2008 by David Bandurski.

After all, the wikipedia listed even more links in its reference area on this topic: 50 Cent Army.

Chinese cyber hacking, Chinese freelance internet propagandists, self-censorship by foreign corporations doing business with China or by cultural events organizers on events held outside of China but sponsored by Chinese capitals, what have we got left for freedom of speech and access to genuine information?

And that’s not all in China's favor, we have also got “Chinese experts” who run China-related consulting business and at the same time act as advisors for the US government (conflict of interests?!), and those journalists who forget to keep neutrality and feed biased info into our mainstream media.

China is a rich poor country

Rich enough to lend everywhere in the world yet still poor to need foreign aids, how controversial?!

China’s state-owned banks diversifying lending beyond US Treasury Bills as the Washington Post reported.

My question: If China’s state-owned banks have money to lend globally, does China still need any international aids?

The Guardian reported: iPhone apps about Dalai Lama blocked in China.

My comment: Is self-censoring going to extend its boundary beyond China in future?  I’m afraid it has started from its neighbor, Taiwan’s MAC office.

Earthworm census may provide clues to the relationship between climate change and drainage in soil per the EPSO article.

"There are three different groups of earthworms; those that stay near the top of the soil, those that burrow horizontally and those that burrow vertically," said Dr. Neilson. "The paths of the horizontal and vertical earthworms cross; creating important natural drainage channels in the soil. If there is a reduction in the earthworm population there would be less natural drainage and that combined with increased rainfall caused by climate change could result in more flooding."