Could it get any worse?

I came across this article today. At one point I thought that China's control over the internet could not get any tighter, but the day has 'officially' come.

China Strengthens Internet Restrictions

I am not sure to what extent this is going to be successful in regulating speech, but apparently the government thinks that it will work. I don't believe it will make any difference in the long run since the fact that the internet is being used so heavily as a medium to discuss issues is only a by product of how easy it is to use and disseminate ideas. It was not like the day the internet was available to China that it was a catalyst for people and their ideas. These people have always had something to say, now they just have a relatively safe and anonymous method of doing it. People will always find methods of exercising free speech no matter the medium or controls placed on that medium. Even Harvard's Cyber Law website will tell you how to hack MSN spaces, so that you can use words that are considered forbidden to use by the Chinese government.

I just hope that I haven't gotten myself banned by now.