Microsoft Shutting Down LinkedIn In China (wsj.com) 38
phalse phace writes: Facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China, Microsoft has decided to shut down LinkedIn in the country. The announcement follows the rebuke of LinkedIn executives by China's internet regulator in March for failing to control political content and gave them 30 days to do so. In recent months, LinkedIn notified several China-focused human-right activists, academics and journalists that their profiles were being blocked in China, saying they contained prohibited content. LinkedIn said it would replace its Chinese service, which restricts some content to comply with local government demands, with a job-board service lacking social-media features, such as the ability to share opinions and news stories.
Can we get this version of LinkedIn in America? (Score:5, Insightful)
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I for one appreciate the ability to read a feed of news tailored to my professional role and work, as opposed to all of the random political crap that shows up on every other social network, Slashdot included.
And yet, here you are, right here on Slashdot...
But I do feel your pain. I too yearn for the heydays of Slashdot back when it was under Cmdr Taco. The problem is, the political climate has grown so overbearing, no one can ignore it and focus on their specialization anymore. Stay at home and vaccine mandates, foreign invasions, globalism, environmentalists, monopolists -- these things have become far too big to ignore.
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I just want to see my nice Winnie the Pooh stories on Linked-In.
Re: Can we get this version of LinkedIn in America (Score:1)
You can buy winnie-the-pooh merchandise at many places in Beijing, including Universal Studios, if you want some.
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Newsflash: the world does not revolve around you.
Maybe he's a scientist living at the south pole. Then you'll look pretty foolish!
Re: Can we get this version of LinkedIn in America (Score:2)
John F. Kennedy was something else. Just sayin'
Re:Can we get this version of LinkedIn in America? (Score:5, Insightful)
Agreed. When I first joined LI, it was a fairly useful tool for staying in touch with people in my field. (Remember when there were job postings that were exclusively for LI members?) Ever since Microsoft took over the feed content has become nothing but ads for MBA programs, "feel good" stories (I'm sure you're glad your child has graduated college but that's not something 99.99% of LI members care about), and recruiters posting ads for more recruiters at their headhunting shop. (TBH, this started even before MS's ownership but it's gotten worse since their purchase.) The technically-oriented LI groups have become targets for what seem to be, essentially, MAKE.MONEY.FAST schemes. The site has devolved into something that only barely resembles its original intent. I'm looking for a good alternative. (Any leads?)
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I don't give a shit about the news feed...people posting their fake inspirational stories, horrible memes, and pointless accomplishments. Profiles is all we need.
If you're using it as a job board.
But if you're using it for sales, fundraising, or business development then seeing what other businesses are doing can be quite useful.
Lets bend the back even more (Score:3)
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As stated, they don't have the means to abide by their [for us free ppl] very silly rules, so you have two options; one is to bend to their will and create the tools necessary to keep LinkedIn operational in China, or, option two, not operate in China.
et voila
The bold option to keep operating in China AND define your own laws for China means just a block from their side, so I think it is nice of MS to give
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Now we just need Apple and Google to give China the finger instead of kowtowing.
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Now we just need Apple and Google to give China the finger instead of kowtowing.
There is a certain logic to that. If the Chinese people are isolated while the world moves around them, it might get them to be a tad pissed off at their dictator
Re:Lets bend the back even more (Score:5, Insightful)
So the real question is - did Microsoft decide to 'sack up and stand up to China' or did they just see the writing on the wall and cut their losses? China has been known to make 'compliance' a question of moving goal post when they have a domestic/state sponsored alternative the CCP favors.
That keeps the water muddy if a trade dispute happens or if its convenient for the sake of domestic tranquility to feed the public the line well those foreigners just could not follow the law.
China is rather masterfully allowing western business to fill any gaps or shoulder the expense of being the market creators they have in the market place right up until they have a domestic player to turn it over to and then running others out. Maybe some Western Corporate leadership is finally starting grasp this.
Re: Lets bend the back even more (Score:1)
"stand up to"???
The problem with that idea, is that they're right.
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Microsoft continues to operate in China. Bing is available there (and fully censored), as is Azure cloud. And Windows of course.
Most likely LinkedIn just wasn't making any money there. I doubt many people bothered with it, all the networking seems to be via WeChat.
No choice [Re:Lets bend the back even more] (Score:2)
They chose to shut down rather than censor.
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Lets bend the back even more to all gov just so we can make some more money.
Let's pretend that closing a service translates into more money.
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If a service is losing money, or if announced changes to regulations would cause it to lose money, closing it translates to stopping the losses, that is, more money.
Re: Lets bend the back even more (Score:2)
Newspapers and radio which was the 'internet' of the 30's and 40's did just that. An of course there was plenty of "yellow journalism" too.
Nothing new under the sun.
Microsoft Shutting Down LinkedIn! (Score:2)
Oh. In China.
neither [Re:Microsoft Shutting Down LinkedIn!] (Score:2)
Is it just me, or is China looking better and better?
Neither.
You're not looking better, and China isn't either.
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It's like an ugly date. You have to drink lots of alcohol for them to look better.
Re: neither [Re:Microsoft Shutting Down LinkedIn!] (Score:1)
China is great. You should try it.
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Are we missing something? (Score:3)
"LinkedIn notified several China-focused human-right activists, academics and journalists that their profiles were being blocked in China"
Am I reading it wrong, or does this simply mean LinkedIn plans to keep profiting from its relationship with China, while people on Winnie the Pooh's shit list will still be banned from the site, along with any political commentary he deems unsuitable?
Oh, sorry. I meant to say Xi Jinping's shit list.
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Oh geez (Score:1)
Why did they have to add "in China" to the headline?
Too bad so sad (Score:3)
China is in the perfect position to take over the 21st century. But they are sabotaging themselves by hanging on to late 19th to mid 20th century cruft.
They can ban the whole internet from their country for all I care. They are simply shooting themselves in the foot by doing so.