The Chinese Socialist MMOG

GP writes "How different is China? In the online game version of the idealized Socialist state, you gain experience points by 'doing good deeds' and 'thwarting spys'. You can even meet Chairman Mao!" From a great writeup by Scott Jennings on the game: "And now we have the online MMO version, 'Learn From Lei Feng Online', which allows you to... mend socks. Again - not making any of this up. To quote from the original Xinhua story 'For beginners, sewing and mending socks is the only way to increase experience and to upgrade,' said Jiao Jian, a six-grade pupil in Yuexiu District, quoted by the newspaper. He then continues. 'Every time you are promoted to a higher level, your clothes will become more average,' he said. I'm pretty sure this isn't a translation screw up. The longer you grind, the more you look like everyone else. I guess new users wear designer pastels or something."

Re:Excellent advice

[Ekhymosis]

Actually, it comes from an ancient Taoist belief. Not too sure exactly what, but the elderly men were deemed to be suffering from a lack of balance (Ying and Yang) so it was believed that the virgin woman would provide some counter to the ailments the elderly men were suffering. This is why back in the old days old men were always shagging young girls and hoarding virgins.

Gettin' some ying for their yang! (There goes my karma...)

Re:Easy way to install rootkits onto computers

[pomo monster]

Insightful? Hardly. Believe it or not, China isn't some kind of Orwellian nightmare where everything you say or write is monitored by truncheon-dragging thugs, or by brains cloistered in the Ministry of Thoughtcrime, for that matter. Nowadays, you could parade around downtown Shanghai yelling "Down with the Party!" and people would care about as much as people in New York care about the drunk guy on the subway prophesizing the return of Jesus. Don't get me wrong--China's certainly no paradise for dissenting voices, but then, neither was America in the '60s and '70s. Frankly, I think you have a better chance of being spied on by the government today in America than you would in China.

That's not to excuse the ongoing horrors perpetrated by the Chinese government. But I'd really like to know where this popular conception comes from, of China as equivalent to North Korea or Zimbabwe.

Re:Easy way to install rootkits onto computers

[pomo monster]

I've got friends from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong whom I met in college. Having grown up in Ohio, living and talking with people with different perspectives really enlightened me as to what life is actually like for Chinese citizens today. I also happen to read a lot, and pay attention to a diverse set of media. I find The Economist [economist.com] particularly illuminating--read the articles in that section, and you can come away with a pretty good sense of what it's like to live in China.

BTW, what makes you think I hate America? I do know enough about China to know that I'd prefer to live here in New York, where the culture is much more tolerant. And thanks for "foe"-ing me for daring to challenge your preconceptions of China. How open-minded of you.

Re:Hmm

[linzeal]

Bullshit, I have a cousin who married a Chinese woman and her family demonstrated killing an infant girl while he was there for only 2 weeks. To say it does not go on is to ignore the fact that places like Shanghai are now approaching 60% male population because of the practice. Places like India are not far behind.

translation mess up?

[SYSS Mouse]

I read a news on tihs report in Chinese.

From this article "Every time you are promoted to a higher level, your clothes will become more average."

"More average" is not it is supposed to mean. That word should mean "simple".

Also, the title should read the Chinese Revolutionary MMO.This has to do with the person Lei Feng itself and the background at that time. "He was characterized by propaganda as a selfless and modest figure after his death and consequently was an idol to many." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lei_Feng [wikipedia.org]

He is protrayed as a selfless person, including his accidential death at 22. A quote from him: "Life is limited, but the service to the country is boundless. I want to use my limited life to boundless serve the country."

It was the time whe loyality to the party that matter's most. In was in the 1950 and 60's in the history, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward [wikipedia.org]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution [wikipedia.org]

Re:wow

[HTTP Error 403 403.9]

Since when is an advertisement not propaganda?

--

I'll be the karma whore.

Propaganda is a promotion of a cause or a particular idea - often times presented with a one-sided or distorted bias.
Advertising is a promotion of a product or service - often times presented with a one-sided or distorted bias

Put it another way, advertising may compel me to become fat or poor while propaganda may lead me to the gallows or the gas chamber.

Re:Why does it matter anyway?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll bite.

The point is to provide a safe refuge for people who are sick of hearing "gay" or "fag" being tossed around as an insult. As a human being, I hear things like that and think "Are they ignorant or just being thoughtless?" As someone who's bisexual, it makes me queasy to think that the people I game with might spit on me in real life.

Consider what it's like to be a member of an openly despised minority and to have the slang word for that group be used as an insult. Nigger, kike, spic. If you're caucasion and say that won't happen to you, think of what it would be like to go to Japan and hear an old lady calling you "devil" behind your back.

That's just silly

[rsilvergun]

if a right can vary by culture, then it's not fundamental. By definition a fundamental right is one that applies across cultural boundries. You can argue that there are no fundamental rights if you like, but you can't argue that they vary from one country to the next. That's a non-sequitor.