Wikipedia Available in China

The tide has turned once again: barriers have been removed and Wikipedia is now again accessible throughout China in both English and Chinese versions.  Wikipedia, the free, online, collaborative encyclopedia whose content is generated by its users, has oft been subject to censorship in China. 

"Nobody knows what the Wikipedia unblocking means and how long it's going to last," Berkman fellow Rebecca MacKinnon said in an article in today's Boston Globe.  The article continues, "[i]ndeed, the Chinese government denies censoring the Internet at all, despite widespread complaints that many Western news and information services are inaccessible. Because of these official denials, said MacKinnon, 'it makes it difficult to figure out why anything happens.'"

The article also considers the rules of engagement for a nonprofit like Wikipedia versus for-profit corporations in their entry and service provision in China.  Berkman Center Executive Director John Palfrey speaks to the issue deeper in the story.

Read the full piece here, and find Wikipedia's detailing of the string of previous blocks here.