China’s internet regulators have launched a campaign cracking down on puns and homophones, one of the last remaining ways for citizens to safely discuss sensitive subjects without recriminations or censorship.
“For some time, various internet jargons and memes have appeared frequently, leaving people more and more confused,” said an editorial by the Communist party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily
China’s online spaces are strictly monitored and censored. Some sensitive topics and terms are strictly banned, such as references to the Tiananmen massacre, or criticism of President Xi Jinping. Insulting individuals or China generally is also frowned upon.
In response, users have adapted, using funny or obscure references and in-jokes to get around the censorship. Many rely on homophones, using phrases that sound very similar in Mandarin, but were written with different Chinese characters, such as the word for “paratrooper” (sǎn bīng) instead of “idiot” (shǎ bī).
The wrongthink list just keeps growing and growing
China could just make explosive collars that read minds and when the thought criminals have that thought that crosses the line; boom.
No more thought crime after the first few weeks AND a boost to employment for a month or two as the janitorial service backup with work.
You’re welcome, China.
I hope these poor souls learn to use TOR and a VPN
Clearly you have never been to China. It can take extra steps to VPN
Now that’s an old thumbnail picture. Android 4.x on an old-style LG phone, along with the “green blocks” design play store (just after the android market rebrand)
I’m not an android guy. How old?
Android 4 was the reunification of Android 2 for phones and Android 3 for tablets. I think it coincided with the launch of the original Nexus 7 and Google Assistant, and I think I was installing third-party Android 4 builds on one of the first US phones with 4G LTE.
Android 4 released in 2011
Likely the article author (or editor) simple searched their stock photography subscription with the keywords “chinese text on smart phone” and went with the first result.
Imagine demanding that the world make sense to you.
That’s not really an accurate translation of 傻屄 (shǎbī), it’s a very vulgar way to say “stupid cunt”, and you’d usually substitute the second character for, e.g., 比/逼 or even an actual “B” because the character itself is considered offensive (meaning components are 尸 “body” + 穴 “hole/cavity”, worsened by the fact 尸 is actually the “corpse” radical).
Andy Zaltzman will be devastated.
Move along, nothing to see here.
