Newer versions of IE do run on XP but if you have a pirated XP you can access windows update to download and install them.

I signed up for Weibo last week, having lived in China for 6 years. After the signup process I decided never to use it as it was obviously insecure. During the signup/login you are asked, as usual, to create a username and password. I usually use some nice secure passwords, ten or more letters with caps, numbers and punctuation. However, Weibo popped up a error message saying that I must only use lower-case letters a-z. This massively reduces the number of password combinations.

There's actually quite allot of porn available behind the Great Firewall of China. One thing that westerns don't understand about China is that the whole country is corrupt to the core. If you have enough money, you can get around almost any law. Just bribe a few officials and you can sell porn quite openly in the shops.

So what I reckon happened was that 41% of website failed to pay their bribes on time.

I signed up for a Weibo account last week. I've had a Renren account (Chinese Facebook clone) for over a year now. I can't effectively use either of them due to language difficulties. Really need to practice my Chinese reading. So this gives some insight into how Chinese people view western sites. They just can use them - so they don't care that they are blocked. Why would you worry that Youtube is blocked when you have all the videos you need on Youkou or Tudou.

Complete nonsense. Nobody is forced to use any particular browser in China. Though almost everyone here runs Win XP with IE6 it's because they are pirated copies of windows and so blocked from windows update by MS. There's nothing to stop people using Firefox or Chrome if they wanted.

I'm also in China. Never been any problem getting Slashdot in the last 6 years. However, the Great Firewall isn't so great. I can update my Facebook, Twitter and I'm watching Youtube right now. Their not normally available. You just have to know how to jump the wall.

There was an outcry when google first launched GMail. A senator form CA even proposed a bill to curb GMail's scanning abilities.

Your argument is only valid if the customer knows the level of security. If the bank tells me the money is in a steel vault but is in fact in a wooden box, the the bank is liable for losses. What this ruling has done is wooden boxes as adequate when everyone knows they are not.

What is required is some well publicized hacks of bank systems which would cause a run on the bank involved. What all banks fear most is all the investors withdrawing their money all at the same time. If people feel their bank is not secure, then a run will happen. That will give the banks the financial insentive they need to put security to the forefront of their business.