Mirky world of ‘commentators’ keeps forces of dissent quiet
Ivan Zhai 05 October 2009
They usually are invisible but can appear within seconds, challenging internet posts they consider “politically sensitive”.
It is a reminder that on the mainland’s internet, you are always being watched.
“Online commentators” have been around for years, but their origin and number are unclear, identities unknown and existence rarely acknowledged. Nevertheless, they are on the front line of the Communist Party’s battle to stifle free speech on the internet.
Internet users have another name for them, wumaodang, or the “50 cents party”, a mocking reference to rumours that they are paid 50 cents for each comment defending the government or spreading propaganda. Commentators and their handlers told the South China Morning Post the wumaodang tag might be unwarranted, as many were not paid for the extra work.
The system is generally disorganised, relying on dedicated workers within state structures, they say.
“I do not earn extra income as a part-time online commentator,” a student counsellor at Henan Business College in Zhengzhou said. “I think only full-time commentators formally hired by the government might have that.”
Zhan, 33, who did not want to give his full name, was chosen by his department’s party committee two years ago to be a commentator. He was a former internet forum administrator and, most important, he is a party member.
The college established a website and forums for students in 2006, and staff were assigned to monitor it. Zhan is one of 32 online commentators among faculty staff, about 5 per cent of the total.
A student counsellor whose main responsibility is to pay attention to students’ lives and organise after-class activities, he said it was not surprising he had been chosen for the job.
“You must be a party member, you must know how to explain the party’s policies to the students and you must firmly believe in the government,” he said.
Commentators also must be familiar with online communication styles and check the internet regularly. Because of that, Zhan said most team members were unmarried staff aged between 25 and 35.
“Once you have a wife or children, you don’t have enough time to spend online,” Zhan explained.
The term wumaodang came into use in 2004. An article in the state media, which is no longer available online, reported that commentators were working for departments in Changsha, Hunan. They were paid 600 yuan a month and 50 cents for each post.
Though internet users widely believe the wumaodang must be well organised, it is not always easy to set up the operation.
Zhang Muxiu of the Shenzhen Health Bureau’s news office said it took the city’s health authorities more than two years to set up an online commentator system.
In 2007, the propaganda department of Shenzhen’s party committee asked them to establish a team, but Zhang said it was hard to find people from clinics, hospitals and other sections with time for the extra duty.
“Also, there has not been any training,” he said. “How can we know what we should look for and delete?”
Henan Business College’s efforts were more organised, and Zhan recalled that in the training sessions they were told how to follow party instructions and delete all negative posts immediately.
They were told to communicate with dissatisfied students, delete posts with illegal or anti-government content and even block the IP address of students who failed to toe the line.
“We know the IP address of each computer in the dormitories. If someone repeatedly posts information that might threaten social stability, we will go to their rooms, find out which student did it and block his IP,” Zhan said.
He said online commentators would not chat with students using their real identities, so they could be more persuasive. “Students will trust people who sound like students or ordinary people, but not teachers or officials.”
But Zhan admitted he was occasionally labelled wumaodang when his online tone was too blatantly pro-government.
According to statistics, there are 338 million internet users on the mainland. Though it is unknown how many online commentators there are, posts about recruitment, training and meetings of commentators can easily be found online.
Authorities are unwilling to shed any light on the system.
An official with the internet section in Guangzhou’s news office refused to comment. “I’m sorry, it is not convenient for us to be interviewed on this topic,” he said.
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Party monitors untangle Web of disharmony
Mirky world of ‘commentators’ keeps forces of dissent quiet
Ivan Zhai
05 October 2009
They usually are invisible but can appear within seconds, challenging internet posts they consider “politically sensitive”.
It is a reminder that on the mainland’s internet, you are always being watched.
“Online commentators” have been around for years, but their origin and number are unclear, identities unknown and existence rarely acknowledged. Nevertheless, they are on the front line of the Communist Party’s battle to stifle free speech on the internet.
Internet users have another name for them, wumaodang, or the “50 cents party”, a mocking reference to rumours that they are paid 50 cents for each comment defending the government or spreading propaganda. Commentators and their handlers told the South China Morning Post the wumaodang tag might be unwarranted, as many were not paid for the extra work.
The system is generally disorganised, relying on dedicated workers within state structures, they say.
“I do not earn extra income as a part-time online commentator,” a student counsellor at Henan Business College in Zhengzhou said. “I think only full-time commentators formally hired by the government might have that.”
Zhan, 33, who did not want to give his full name, was chosen by his department’s party committee two years ago to be a commentator. He was a former internet forum administrator and, most important, he is a party member.
The college established a website and forums for students in 2006, and staff were assigned to monitor it. Zhan is one of 32 online commentators among faculty staff, about 5 per cent of the total.
A student counsellor whose main responsibility is to pay attention to students’ lives and organise after-class activities, he said it was not surprising he had been chosen for the job.
“You must be a party member, you must know how to explain the party’s policies to the students and you must firmly believe in the government,” he said.
Commentators also must be familiar with online communication styles and check the internet regularly. Because of that, Zhan said most team members were unmarried staff aged between 25 and 35.
“Once you have a wife or children, you don’t have enough time to spend online,” Zhan explained.
The term wumaodang came into use in 2004. An article in the state media, which is no longer available online, reported that commentators were working for departments in Changsha, Hunan. They were paid 600 yuan a month and 50 cents for each post.
Though internet users widely believe the wumaodang must be well organised, it is not always easy to set up the operation.
Zhang Muxiu of the Shenzhen Health Bureau’s news office said it took the city’s health authorities more than two years to set up an online commentator system.
In 2007, the propaganda department of Shenzhen’s party committee asked them to establish a team, but Zhang said it was hard to find people from clinics, hospitals and other sections with time for the extra duty.
“Also, there has not been any training,” he said. “How can we know what we should look for and delete?”
Henan Business College’s efforts were more organised, and Zhan recalled that in the training sessions they were told how to follow party instructions and delete all negative posts immediately.
They were told to communicate with dissatisfied students, delete posts with illegal or anti-government content and even block the IP address of students who failed to toe the line.
“We know the IP address of each computer in the dormitories. If someone repeatedly posts information that might threaten social stability, we will go to their rooms, find out which student did it and block his IP,” Zhan said.
He said online commentators would not chat with students using their real identities, so they could be more persuasive. “Students will trust people who sound like students or ordinary people, but not teachers or officials.”
But Zhan admitted he was occasionally labelled wumaodang when his online tone was too blatantly pro-government.
According to statistics, there are 338 million internet users on the mainland. Though it is unknown how many online commentators there are, posts about recruitment, training and meetings of commentators can easily be found online.
Authorities are unwilling to shed any light on the system.
An official with the internet section in Guangzhou’s news office refused to comment. “I’m sorry, it is not convenient for us to be interviewed on this topic,” he said.
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