In the past I was very happy with the China Daily website. It was easy to find back articles and download them. I am a heavy user as the newspaper does carry a lot of information. The printed version is still a good source of information to read what is going on and what is the propaganda of the day.
But capitalism has moved into the government newspaper. Now they want to make money and charge to search and view articles. That could still be acceptable if it would work.
It does not. It is one of the worst websites now and since many weeks we do not see any improvement. Total chaos. You want to subscribe? Well good for you, silly foreigner. Every foreigner who succeeds should get a special medal. Our (Chinese) office gave up. Some Chinese friend then found a way around. Problem solved? Nope.
The nitwits or rather empty brain-headed staff in the website section do not let you “log in” as a paying subscriber. Actually if you are logged in (whatever that means), you will have a hard time logging out: there is no login/logout page. OK, so you think you are logged in? Yep, looks like. Sorry, you can’t read the article, you need to subscribe! What the f###! I paid!
The website witnits staff has never heard about cookies. Search is busted. There are so many problems, I would need several pages to explain.
End result: foreigners will slowly figure out China Daily is closing the door on them. Maybe its is becoming a state secret? So far so good to promote China. Or maybe the bosses are just internet illiterates. Or Global Times is secretly boycotting China Daily and organizing a coup. Spare us from that!
I just wonder how “subscribers” in the EU, USA or other parts of the world will be able to use the website. Slowly the overseas sections are crumbling into the Beijing mess.
I did sent requests for assistance through the indicated “channels”. Obviously nobody ever replied, most probably because they don’t know what to say.
Now every time I need an article I need detective work to get it. As a paying subscriber, that is.
And then that Chinese guy wants to buy the NYT or whatever? Kidding right?
China Daily is again proving what we all know: for building a website you NEVER let Chinese touch it. They either screw it all up or put so many bells and whistles on it you can’t read the articles.
All sad because China Daily is supposed the door to China. A promotion.
Oh, yes. It seems Shanghai Daily’s website (paying) does work. But that is Shanghai.