internet - A visiting editor

Today a relaxing day strolling around Shanghai with Melissa Ludtke, editor of the Nieman Report, her Chinese daughter Maya and their friend Christine. I did not see yet their summer edition, but Melissa was eager to hear my opinion on two pieces written about the internet in China.
Back online I checked of course right away. Xiao Qiang, director of the Berkeley China Internet Project had actually a very good piece, focusing on the social change caused by the internet in China. I would disagree with his conclusion that the government control on the internet is still effective, I think this battle has been lost by the government. But that is more a matter of how to look at things, the government is certainly still playing a role, and is certainly having an effect.
I was a bit more worried by the contribution by Jonathan Zittrain of Harvard University, the Berkman center. Already during the China internet conference in Berkeley I found his contribution there out of touch with reality in China. While his research into the filtering techniques China uses is useful, he does not realize that the system is not very effective and is easily circumvented. During the few periods China really used those filters, the economic fallout was so damaging, it had to be stopped again. When China has proven one thing, then it is that technology is not going to stop people.
Maybe I should write a letter to the editor of the Nieman report.