The flood of Chinese spam is not only a nuisance in itself. I get about 150 to 200 spams a day. I have not yet been able to make it clear that 1) I am not a sexy guy 2) I don’t need a boost in bed 3) I don’t suffer from underdeveloped body parts (except my brain maybe). But the Chinese spam has suddenly brought some real nasty problems.
In short, I have suddenly adware that from time to time forces Firefox to visit Chinese gaming websites (plus a pop-up)(two different sites). We all scanned the web to find comments, a solution – nothing.
Many say, MAC does not have real virus problems nor adware. Whatever they say, dead wrong. You are invited to check my MAC. It definitely has adware 100% confirmed. Finding any program at all to remove adware on the MAC resulted in NOTHING.
Let me give an overview for the techies:
– MAC OSX 10.4.7 with all updates done
– Firefox 1.5.0.6 (where the adware appears!)
– Norton Antivirus 9.0.4 (5) (did not find anything)
– downloaded and run: MACSCAN 2.2 (version 31 July 06) – no spyware found
– deleted: all cookies, checked passwords, etc.
– checked HD for funny looking files (tough job, did not find anything really, even looking at invisible files, startup items, etc. – the usual suspects)
– updated Flash Player (the older version was apparently a security risk)
– did not understand the ActiveX story and Firefox (underdeveloped brain?)
– disabled pop-ups in Firefox
I have done all kinds of funny things, watch the CPU activities but since then the adware does not show up. Maybe I did something without knowing it? The adware came mostly after being one hour on Firefox.
So, if anybody has a comment, except “use PC”, or “use a PC adware remover” or alike, happy to read.
E-mails in Beijing: back to “normal”
As I reported in earlier blogs, we have been suffering from e-mail problems since May at least. I wrote a couple of strong-worded reports to the Beijing authorities, my usual frustrating task. Indeed, one should never expect a direct feedback from our Chinese officials. But they did take note as I learned in a meeting with them.
On the other hand, our not-so-enthusiastic (foreign) chambers of commerce here were running away and burying their heads in the sand. Pathetic really. I wrote to some people who were experiencing serious problems; some did not even bother to acknowledge receipt. Sometimes I wonder why I try to help people. As my wife says, I am too friendly.
As I have explained, I was convinced the problems were rather technical, not really a result of a tightening control on communications – just bad software.
Well, we certainly have to say thanks to our English “boffins” from Cambridge University, one Mr. Richard Clayton in particular. They made a serious study of the way CISCO routers look for keywords that the Chinese government wishes to censor. The routers allow data packets in and out, but send a burst of resets to shut connections if they spot particular keywords. And they found a couple of interesting hitches. In a surprise move they have reported their findings to the Chinese Government so that it can fix the problem. This is not the first time Cambridge boffins have assisted a Communist power with its security, according to an article from Nick Farrell. In this case it was a smart move and we are grateful.
You can guess who provides all the equipment!? (cartoon from the IHT)
Yes, “thank you Uncle Sam”. We all know how much you are concerned in “defending freedom”. Just put them together with all those other famous companies of the same kind – no need to name them, you know who they are. Except Wikipedia who refuses to “cooperate”.
At least CISCO and their friends started cleaning up their mess and we are now again back to normal, well, kind of. At least for our e-mail. I did not experience any more breakdowns in downloading e-mails from overseas servers (e.g. to Outlook, not my case coz I never touch this pest).
Even download speeds seem to have picked up. I also note the Internet routing has been reconfigured through different routers before diving into the submarine cable – where we still see a sizeable reduction in transmission speeds before emerging on the US West Coast.
All in all, reason to be more happy.
If now our Chinese “specialists” would take care a bit of the flood of spam that has increased lately. We all can see the bulk is generated in China – even foreign spammers are said to use Chinese servers. The spam is totally out of control, I was told there is lots of sex stuff as well as scams (I don’t read the Chinese spam). Despite some tepid announcements from certain officials, nobody really cares. I guess they want to respect our freedom of choice?
Cheapskate companies: out to get expertise free of charge
Being a consultant, especially in China, is not always easy. On this Saturday, I’ve got to get it off my chest.
Many companies think we should be happy to dump all our expertise on them free of charge and still say thanks for their patience to listen to us.
I have seen many of those passing by to bug me on the Olympics, on doing business in China, requesting contact details of Chinese companies or entities.
A couple of days ago one more of those “well-known companies” tried to bug me. They wanted a list of key people they could invite for an event to promote their products for the Olympics. I explained it required several steps to achieve a real result:
– we need to understand which products exactly they want to promote and to what type of end-users;
– we verify that the people they themselves propose actually have input in the decision-making process;
– we suggest other people that they missed out and have an impact in the process;
– we call each person to explain the background for the event and try to convince them to attend;
– we make sure the interested parties get the invitation and double-check again they will really attend.
Organizing dinners, seminars or any event without the right preparation often results in no-shows, half empty tables and guests who actually have no real connection with the whole story. I have been to many seminars where the foreign company was mostly making presentations to their own staff with very few of the actual customers being present (an listening).
Many foreign companies target the wrong people to attend as they don’t understand the decision-making process in the Chinese bureaucracy. For the Olympics, most foreigners insist to invite BOCOG delegates. As a matter of fact, BOCOG has little to do with the overall infrastructure projects and the sports venues – except when it has a relation with the Games. Many companies fail to identify the real end-users and decision-makers.
Especially for Olympic-related projects the Chinese side receives many invitations. Reaching out to key people requires a personal good contact so they can be convinced to attend. If you just send an invitation through the mail or even the driver it risks to be used for recycling only (Green Olympics, remember?)
As consultants we invest an awful amount of time trying to understand the complexity of the Chinese bureaucracy, to monitor the press, to attend seminars, to spend time with our contacts, to help them out when they need assistance. In my case it also involves helping the Chinese government as an advisor – free of charge. It all creates the goodwill, trust and “guanxi”. So, when we ask them something they will at least check it out seriously.
We receive numerous requests from companies to “understand” what opportunities exist in this market, how to proceed, to whom to talk to, and so on. They expect us to give seminars and spend hours with their delegates. We are then supposed to give away our expertise gained during years of hard work. We are expected to be happy that their great leaders want to meet with us and we should be honored to be taken out for a lunch or to receive one of their crappy company gifts. Thank you, I have enough pens and I don’t like to spend a lunch talking and trying to eat at the same time. I prefer to stay home and have a nice sandwich, surely better for my digestion.
Companies are offended when we ask a fee for the meetings, seminars or helping them to sort out the right attendants to their party. How dare we! How outrageously expensive we are! Well, if they think it is all so easy – “My goodness! You just need to make some phone calls!”, go ahead, read China Daily and call yourself.
Well, I tell them: if you consult your lawyer, your doctor: you don’t pay either?
So, the well-known company of course was not willing to pay the fee. Bye bye and good riddance (I already knew they were a real cheapskate type of company).
Worse in a sense but rather typical: it was (again) a Belgian company. For sure explains why I am mostly reluctant to even lose 15 minutes of my time with them. They are all so friendly till you talk euro language.
Same for visiting trade delegations or EMBA groups. Many of those trips are organized by overseas consultants who ask pretty nice fees to show China. “Discover China through our fact-finding tour, listen to local specialists”. Yep, there we come. Those consultants want us to give a seminar for the delegation, get from us all the insights, put it in their book on China and give seminars about it when back home. Of course they pocket the money all along the way. We here in China, paying thousands of euro of rent per month and all the rest, well, we should be honored to be a speaker. Nice try folks. No fee, no seminar. Anyway, I have to go to the gym to train for my next marathon. (Damn! Who is going to pay the membership fee?)
Of course we do make exceptions. We do actually meet some nice people here.
I’ll be back!
Some people have been complaining about one month of inactivity. They are right but I have some good excuses. First of all, I needed to put some order in my private papers, neglected since FIVE YEARS. Done. Then, this blog site needed a software update and it scared the hell out of me. Done all backups, studied the instructions over and over again and finally just did it. Unless I did not see the disaster in front of my eyes, seems it is working. So, unless the sky falls on my bloghead, I’LL BE BACK and with a vengeance. Just hold on.
We lost our server of the main website and mail system in the US for several hours this week because some clever worker dug up and cut the fiber cables in the area. The blog remained on line – being on a different server in a different location. The ISP (HostMySite.com) at least was so nice to send a report with apologies including pics of the cable being repaired; the CEO remained with the repair crew, well that is something people can learn from here: 1) communication with the clients 2) transparency 3) hands-on top management 4) no meetings with speeches and lots of tea drinking to decide what to do.
That also explains why I stick to that company instead of opting for a cheaper hosting: you get what you pay for. You can even call them up and a REAL PERSON will answer the phone.
Drugs and the Internet in Beijing
Beijing has set up the “Beijing Center to Report Drug Abuse” just recently. Their e-mail address:
bjgajjdc@sohu.com and contact number: 010-83552022/83552012
I had sent a report to the Center about the increasing drug trade in Sanlitun and the negative impact it has on the image of Beijing, the expatriate community and the tourists. Now you can freely buy drugs, pirated DVD and afterwards get a “sexy bar visit”, all thanks to Chinese and dark-skinned touts roaming free.
The South China Morning Post published some sharp articles on the drug trade in Beijing and the indignation of the African community:
2 July 2006 “Beijing’s new street hustlers” and 2 July 2006 “African community fears backlash over drug dealers” – both by Peter Simpson
Not all Africans are drug traders and many fear all black people will be suspected to be in drugs, fights, scams. All explained in the SCMP articles. The journalists and others tried to report the drug trade and other dubious activities to the local police. They were not interested.
I sent my e-mail, no reaction yet. But I don’t give up and I am still passing my comments to the Beijing authorities who are digesting it all. The wheels of the bureaucracy turn slowly – everywhere.
Lip service with the usual Beijing style. Media articles of drug dealers being executed, international drug day, etc.
But hey! the police just LOVES those black-skinned people, also, you don’t want to have the nice police accused of racism, do you?
Anyway, silly me. The police is just too busy with the REAL problems: cleaning up the Internet, cutting scenes from movies, shutting down blogs. Internet screening is becoming worse by the day. Finally some businesspeople are getting very upset by the problems – not even being able to download normal e-mails.
I would not be surprised one day there will be a serious backlash from the international community. It will be very interesting to see how it will be by 2008 – and during the Olympics. I am not exactly part of the optimist’s club. As far as I understand from the foreign media they are preparing themselves for a good scoop.
While it is often so pathetic the way they are getting paranoid, it is sad for Beijing.
Yesterday I watched the DVD “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Never mind what one thinks of the movie in itself, our family was just wondering for what sensible reason the movie could not be shown in China. Bad Chinese girls really, going to bed with Japanese actors. Disgrace for the country. Imagine, with Japanese! Horror. (*)
No problem for our Japanese guests here however, they can go to Sanlitun, just get out of a taxi and the touts will promptly arrange “sexy massage” with all the trimmings. They can increase their stamina by buying some drugs with our friendly dark-skinned friends before heading for the massage. And in case of need, I am sure they can buy some real good blue DVD to get inspiration. And no need to look for it, it will come to them. That’s service!
By the way, I wanted to write about the daily thunderstorms we are having lately in Beijing (we are rather happy with that). The highest authorities are now clamping down on any media writing about “public emergencies” (to include accidents, public health crises, social unrest and natural disasters). Chinese journalists expressed strong resentment against the draft law that has provisions for heavy fines, despite officials’ assurances it would apply only if a report caused “serious damage”.
So I am having second thoughts. Is a thunderstorm a “public emergency”? Hmmm…. tough question. Better safe than sorry. Look, we have perfect weather here, blue sky, no polluted Internet and so much more.
(*) On a more serious note, it all tells a lot about cultural differences and clumsy politics by the Japanese government. While it has funded tremendous financial assistance for China’s development it has failed to address its war history, upsetting both China and South Korea. In China, the word Geisha is assimilated with prostitution but in Japan it is seen as “skilled persons”, going through rigorous training. I see nothing wrong with multi-national casts of actors. One can argue Chinese don’t look like Japanese but I found the Chinese actresses trying to perform reasonably well even if some aspects of their Geisha interpretation conflict at times with the traditional Japanese concept of the “skilled persons”. Also, would the American public be shocked if a famous US actress would be cast in a role of a “prostitute”?