The important but ambiguous role of Twitter in China

Chinese mass media are sometimes funny. Literally laugh out loud funny, that is. Just the other week, there was this bit of propaganda rolling over several government information outlets that the internet is on the brink of being captured by people whose sole intention is to turn around public opinion by systematically spreading false information through all available internet channels (negelecting to mention that, while this is true, most of these terrible people seem to promote ideas in line with official and hence correct opinion promoted through those media themselves). And now Global Times, which seems to be the chosen instrument of critical discussion of internet-related topics, finally reveals the importance and two-edged-swordiness of Twitter as an instrument to communicate important bits, have an important democratic impact on China (yes, that's how they put it), but being a dangerous instrument of spreading mis-information and tweaked and twisted facts through if only through the character limits imposed by the service. Yes, all fine, but: wouldn't you expect an article in Chinese media about Twitter mention the fact that this service is non-useable from mainland China for quite a while now? Hm… no, why would you expect this, indeed. (see Global Times op ed: http://opinion.globaltimes.cn/editorial/2010-01/495975.html ).