internet - Google gets more defenders

The move by Google to offer a censored Chinese search engine initially caused much indignation. I participated a few day ago in a call-in live broadcast by the BBC and explaining that the move did not mean that much was hardly appreciated by the other participants.
But the tide is (as it always does) going into a different direction. BBC-commentor Bill Thompson defends the move by Google as does Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft. (You do need a proxy in China to read the BBC-piece though.) Gates:

"I do think information flow is happening in China ... saying that even by existing there contributions to a national dialogue have taken place. There’s no doubt in my mind that’s been a huge plus."