The 7 Wonders Of World (UNESCO)
The first 7 Wonders of the World UNESCO World Heritage Site (or heritage).
Jozefina Topalli
The last shift of my tour seemed to be nothing more than one alcoholic after another. Individuals with drinking problems that go beyond binging. Emotional and psychological dependence on the stuff is what I'm talking about. This is not the same for me as picking up a gutter-vomiting teenager who needs to be taught when to stop drinking. This tugs on you and reminds you of how vulnerable humans are and where they can end up when things go wrong and they just can't cope with it all.
Before all that, I'd gone through nights and days where aggression and trauma mixed into the scheme of my world so fluently that they became one and the same.
A taxi driver crashed into a lamp-post, flattening it and continued on until he was stopped by a traffic light post, which was bent halfway by the force of the sudden deceleration. We were the second ambulance on scene and it was immediately apparent that it was not safe. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called because the engine was still 'live' and there was a spillage of diesel under the cab.
Inside the taxi were a driver (obviously) and a passenger. Both had been thrown forward violently by the crash but only the driver had been wearing a seat belt. However, he seemed in a worse state than his passenger, who was conscious, alert and somewhat annoyed by the situation. His neck was being held stable by a FRU pilot and one of the crew from the first ambulance on scene.
Magician Dynamo levitates on side of London bus
DYNAMO performs outrageous stunt on red double-decker as it drives past major London landmark
The Baby Killers back in San Jose California AKA Hells Front Yard
The Baby Killers back in San Jose California AKA Hells Front Yard - Death By Cold Steel Report!
SAN JOSE, Calif. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office charged a 28-year-old San Jose man with the murder of his mother and his young nephew and the attempted murder of his niece. The victims were stabbed.
Ruben Ramirez lived in the house with his mother, who took care of her grandchildren during the day. A neighbor described Ramirez as a ticking time bomb because, in his opinion, he showed signs of mental health issues. Sheriff's deputies were called there multiple times for disturbances.
Epic Fail: Lauren falls into Las Vegas Fountain While Trying to Look Hot
Epic Fail: Lauren falls into Las Vegas Fountain While Trying to Look Hot
Valeria Lukyanova Amatue - Real-life Barbie and Ken Meet for the First Time
Valeria Lukyanova Amatue - Real-life Barbie and Ken Meet for the First Time
How to Run in Hot Weather
Step 1: Know the heat index
Check the heat index, which is how hot it feels when the temperature and the humidity are combined. According to the National Weather Service, exercising in a heat index over 89 degrees Fahrenheit puts you at risk for heat-related health problems like sunstroke.
Step 2: Hydrate
Drink 16 to 20 ounces of water two to three hours before running; drink another 12 to 16 ounces 15 minutes before you begin; and drink about 5 ounces of water every 10 to 15 minutes during your run. If you plan to run more than 60 minutes, substitute a sports drink that contains electrolytes and 6 to 8 percent carbohydrate concentration for the water.
Tip
By the time you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.
Step 3: Protect yourself from the sun
Slather on waterproof sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30, wear a hat with a broad bill, and put on sunglasses. Caps with a "sun skirt" around the back offer additional protection for your ears, back of head, and neck.
Step 4: Wear moisture-wicking fabrics
Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing made of moisture-wicking fabrics. Dark colors absorb more heat and cotton retains moisture.
Step 5: Get wet
Consider dousing yourself with cold water right before your run so you don't heat up as fast. Take a shower; jump in the pool; or just dump a pitcher of cold water over your head.
Step 6: Run with the wind
Begin your run with the wind at your back so you'll have a nice breeze in your face on the way back.
Step 7: Take it slow
Don't go for any records; keep your first couple of miles below your usual pace.
Step 8: Don't ignore warning signs
If you _stop_ sweating and begin to feel dizzy or nauseous, stop running, get in the shade, drink some water, and get medical attention. Those are symptoms of heatstroke.
Tip
Heat cramps, which usually strike runners in the legs, are the first sign that you're overheating. So if you experience one, stay on the safe side and terminate your run.
Step 9: Bottoms up!
Drink another 16 to 20 ounces of water or a sports drink after you finish your run.
Leonardo DiCaprio's Mystery Balcony Girl Revealed Aferdita Dreshaj
Leonardo DiCaprio's Mystery Balcony Girl Revealed Aferdita Dreshaj
The Craziest Scare Prank
Two girls getting taxi funny but very freaking
What would you do if you were in that taxi?
World's Strongest man- Squat Lift- Zydrunas Savickas
Big Z performing the squat lift at the 2011 World's Strongest Man qualifiers. The total weight is 715 pounds (325 kg), NOT 1430!
Why are some Google services not yet available in Albania?
Why does Google not support Albania at all? No Places, google.al not advanced, Albanian - is not a supported language in AdSense, not a single Albanian website is on Google News, etc. Does Google hate Albania? :)"
Dardan Hasku, Kosovo
China Air-Freight Handlers at Guangzhou Airport -
College University Evening Degree Programs In response to our students’ diverse needs, Grand Canyon University is now offering selected degree programs in an evening format. These programs are designed to meet the needs of today’s working adults as they balance their work and personal lives with the desire to earn a degree. With programs that meet just one evening per week, students can conveniently integrate advancing their education with maintaining their career. Many programs will be offered on the main GCU campus, located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. Some specialized programs may be offered at strategic off-site or satellite locations through the greater Phoenix metro area as well as other areas. Developed specifically for working professionals, these evening programs are designed for a specific number of students. By keeping classes small, students will receive individual attention and progress through the program with the same classmates, providing an opportunity to forge relationships that go beyond the classroom. Evening Program Benefits Convenience. Courses conveniently meet one evening per week. Various Phoenix locations. Evening programs are primarily offered in Phoenix. Some programs will be offered on GCU’s main campus and others will be available in strategic locations. Small class size. With just 15-20 students, class sizes are kept intentionally small so each student can receive the individual attention he/she needs. Face-to-face instruction. For students who are more comfortable working with instructors and peers face-to-face rather than online, GCU’s evening programs allows them this opportunity. Builds team camaraderie. For selected programs, GCU can develop an evening program for a group of coworkers, allowing them to learn together and in turn strengthen their ability to work together more effectively in the workplace. Networking opportunities. Evening programs provide networking opportunities with others in a chosen field. Part of a growing campus community. GCU just completed a $200 million campus expansion project with a 55,000-square-foot student recreation center, an additional dining facility featuring a 6-lane bowling alley, and a 5,000 seat arena that is the new home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Construction has begun on a new classroom building and a student dorm, both of which are scheduled to open in 2012. Tour GCU’s Campus (VIDEO) GCU & Keller: Master Degree Online Edu American School Master College University Grow the Business of You with Keller When you earn a degree from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management, you’ll gain the professional credibility and essential skills necessary to advance your career. From practitioner faculty and a curriculum that’s highly responsive to industry trends to on campus and online learning options that fit your life, Keller delivers flexible graduate management degree programs that give you an outstanding educational experience, including the skills employers value and the confidence you need to advance in your career and stay ahead of the competition
How To Lose Belly Fat For Men
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The Best of World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man (WSM) competitions held around the world. This highlight reel consists of clips from the following videos: Magnus Samuelsson WSM 1997 by swestrongman Nathan Jones Arm Wrestles Phil Martin and Magnus Samuelson by Link9286 The Viking 1 by elliotstorey The World´s Strongest Man - Jon Pall Sigmarsson 1990 by SnaevarIvarsson Amazing WSM finish
What Happens When You Quit Smoking?
What happens when you quit smoking? While quitting is tough you can start seeing benefits from giving up cigarettes and nicotine in less than 20 minutes.
Eldora Big Brother
There are a number of different types of film production in the world videoconference. Some films in video conferencing have a lot of action, a lot of shocking content and others can make a sad or a laugh. The latter relate to the comedies. People want to choose these movies because they want to be entertained. About it, they would like to be informed about special topics, and video conferencing. These are the reasons why viewers watch comedies. The first reason why people watch comedies, is because they want to be entertained. Recipients must be happy to talk, because they relax and try to escape from reality. A lot of people have a stressful life, and they need time to rest and calm down. So they try to observe from their hectic lives to escape funny stories and video conferencing. For example, a stressed employees feel better, during and after watching the Simpsons Movie, because the content is easy to understand and fun. It is easy to understand due to its simple structure and less difficult information. Out about it myself, people want to be entertained by watching comedies and video conferencing due to their mood. If an observer is in a bad mood or feels sad, just, a Comedy or a video conference to help him to Change a better mood, balanced like the feeling. Comedy movies can do that because of the funny and easy to understand content that you present. So you can easily follow the story and can only by watching the funny moments to relax. For example, Ice Age, an animated film for adults and children, a lot of jokes in it and have a predictable, simple story. Consequently, watching this film is called relax and distract yourself from your outer world and your problems. Another reason for the search for a Comedy Entertainment Video conferencing is the time to market. If people do not know what to do and being bored, watching TV, and how they search for things easy to understand. Comedy movies and video conferencing provide exactly this kind of content. These films maintain a can, if one feels bored because of the predictable and simple story. The story is obviously because the producers predefined characters and actions, similar in many comedy movies, and video conferencing, to use for their stories. This type of content is what you can see, for example, in the Comedy Freaky Friday. This film is a predictable story using a habitual history that exists in many other comedies. This story is about two people who find her body a chance and therefore is in a different body. In the movie Freaky Friday, almost all actions are similar to other films such as falls of older women in a large younger body. Therefore, you can just relax and give time if you have a movie like this or a video
Millennials Fight Back! (60 Minutes Spoof)
Lately our generation has been labelled "Millennials" and the media is having a field day trashing us for being lazy and self absorbed. In this 60 Minutes Spoof our own "Me" reports on how Generation Y has evolved into an alien culture known as "Millennials".
Eminem Freestyle & Kon Artis (Mr. Porter) Freestyle For Westwood
Eminem passed through the BBC Maida Vale studios in May 2009 along with fellow D12 member Kon Artis.
Rob Kardashian's Ex Rita Ora is LOOKIN' GOOD
Rob Kardashian got really comfortable while dating his ex and that's when he gained all this weight
Rebel a.k.a Unikkatil Records !
The best rappers in the world ! Rebel a.k.a Unikkatil ! New song & new records in the world
Showbiz & AG “Toca Tuesdays” Freestyle
They don’t buy out the bars, they just drop ‘em. During their visit last week on Tony Toca’s show, AG shows and proves that he still got it over Hov’s “30 Something”.
New Music: Showbiz & AG “Jumpin’ Off The Roof”
Bubble gum rappers are welcome to take a leap off the building on Showbiz & AG’s latest recording.
D.I.T.C. Cypher With DJ Premier
With Premo on the 1s and 2s, AG of Showbiz & AG rounds up a few upcoming talents from the South Bronx to showcase their skills. Listen up.
PRINCVALENTINO CORLEONE - NR1 (OFFICIAL)
PRINCVALENTINO CORLEONE - NR1 (OFFICIAL)
Vali Corleone new hits summer hit !
Prince Double H ( Full Version Track )
Prince Double H ( Full Version Track )
Song for Unikkatil & TBA
Beff Hysen Maniken !
Miley Cyrus: People wanted 'to make me the white Nicki Minaj'
The 'We Can't Stop' singer opened up about her career ambitions and why she isn't much like the 'Pink Friday' rapper
.Miley Cyrus opened up about her new musical direction in Billboard Magazine. Miley Cyrus is moving away from the cheery pop numbers of her youth and into spunkier dance songs like her recent hit, " We Can't Stop." But she wants her fans to know that she's not trying to ape any other chart-toppers. 'People wanted to make me the white Nicki Minaj,' Cyrus said. 'I'm not coming in trying to rap.' "A lot of people wanted to try to make me the white Nicki Minaj," Cyrus, 20, told Billboard. "That's not what I'm trying to do. I love 'hood' music, but my talent is as a singer." That means, Cyrus explains, that her upcoming album shouldn't be filed as an attempt to rap.
Cyrus brushed off criticism of her single 'We Can't Stop.' 'I didn't make this song for the critics, but for the people living it,' she said. "I've always wanted country-rock influences, but now I'm moving over to a more urban side," she said. "It's not a hip-hop album, though — it's a pop album. I'm not coming in trying to rap. It's more like, 'I don't see any girls out there doing what Miguel and Frank Ocean are doing.'" Cyrus also opened up about the backlash "We Can't Stop" received from listeners who thought the single encouraged reckless partying.
"I'm 20 years old, and I want to talk to the people that are up all night with their friends," Cyrus said. "It's based on a true story of a crazy night I had: When I heard the song for the first time, it captured exactly what I was living." "I didn't make this song for the critics, but for the people living it," she continued.
I'm not the same person I was six months ago — I'm not even the same person I was two weeks ago,' Cyrus confessed. And even if she spends the occasional night staying up too late with her pals, Cyrus is a tireless worker when it comes to her music. "I never stop working, ever — I put my track list together this morning," she said. "I want my record to be the biggest record in the world, and I've given everything to get here, even down to friends and family and relationships — I've just put this music first."
Rihanna parties with NY Knicks J.R. Smith at swank SoHo club after Chris Brown split Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/rihanna-parties-knicks-star-article-1.1338889#ixzz2WLcNXl4c
With Rihanna and Chris Brown rumored to be taking some time off from their tumultuous relationship, the Barbadian bombshell was seen at the same venue with Knicks star.
Tongues were wagging on Tuesday at Greenhouse in SoHo were rumor had it that Rihanna, who was attending Talib Kweli's Album Release Party, got cozy with NY Knicks star J.R. Smith. Out with the brawler, in with the baller. Knicks star J.R. Smith partied with Rihanna at the swank SoHo club Greenhouse Tuesday night, mere hours after his team dominated the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their playoff series.
Why the world needs better loos
If you want to know a country, look at its loos. I’ve just returned from two weeks in Japan, and in between enthusing about its effortlessly superior trains, food and socks, my greatest level of wonder is still reserved for its toilets.
First, they are everywhere. If in London you are never more than six feet from a rat, then in Japan – even in an ancient shrine, or a lonely wooded mountain – you are never more than 12 feet from a ladies’. When we climbed 1,755ft up Mount Misen on the holy island of Miyajima, off the coast of Hiroshima, there were at least three signs regretfully warning us that there were, due to renovation, no loos at the top. We would have to make do with some tucked behind a temple 100 yards down the path.
Second, they are spotless. Normally, public loos operate on a version of James Q Wilson and George L Kelling’s famous “broken windows” theory – where vandalism is held to encourage antisocial behaviour and criminality by subtly normalising it. Britain’s bogs are a bit grubby when you enter them, which many people take as an excuse to leave them in a state closer to “utterly horrific”. In Japan, however, the average cubicle is considerably cleaner than my kitchen, and bountifully provided with paper which has mysteriously manged to stay in the holder, rather than trail itself like sodden streamers through the puddled floor. You are even trusted with proper rolls of the stuff, rather than having to risk your fingers in a battle of wills with a viciously serrated plucker that yields one sheet at a time.
Finally, Japan’s johns are – famously – hi-tech. Given the country’s continuing aversion to central heating, they often feature seat-warmers, and the Toto Washlets – over 30 million sold and present in two-thirds of homes – also come with a control panel offering you a range of bidet spray strengths, accompanied by baffling graphical representations of buttocks looking like sideways 3s. In ladies’ loos, you also get a button that plays “realistic flushing sounds” to mask any embarrassing noises. The only problem is that the flushing noise is obviously tinny and prerecorded, so you might as well sound an “Alert! I’m passing solids!” klaxon in your cubicle. Essentially, you’ve replaced one embarrassing sound for another.
Now, by this point, I feel as though I’ve marked myself out as some kind of creepy coprophile, but that’s just our western aversion to having any kind of sensible discussion of bathroom matters. In Rose George’s astonishing, compelling book on sanitation (a phrase that’s probably never been written before) The Big Necessity, she records Toto’s attempts to sell the Washlet internationally. Although they had managed to convince the Japanese to ditch their traditional squat toilets for western-style thrones within a couple of decades, Toto’s persuasive skills deserted them when it came to getting Europe and America interested in their up upgraded versions. Why? Because, as the sociologist Harvey Molotch found, in America, “the bidet has never risen above being seen as unavoidably French and therefore louche”. Their new prospective customers were simply not prepared to entertain the possibility of switching paper for water, even though the latter is demonstrably cleaner and less wasteful, because it seemed “foreign”.
That Japan has such a thing as a famous toilet manufacturer at all is pretty telling. I’ll bet the majority of Britons would never dream of comparison shopping through dozens of technical specs to find the perfect purchase. (“Nozzle at 43 degrees, you say? I’ll take it!”)
But isn’t it odd that of the two places that we think of as private – the bedroom and the bathroom –what happens in the first is now exhaustively chronicled across the vast frozen steppes of the internet, while the second remains stubbornly unmentioned outside academic journals and the pages ofViz? No sexual act is too baroque to be filmed in eye-watering high-definition, but after one crack at having someone talk about poo on television, the nation suffered a collective fit of the vapours and packed Gillian McKeith and her dodgy doctorate back into obscurity.
None of this would matter, of course, if our squeamishness didn’t cost lives. Rose George’s book rightly notes that the “waterborne” diseases that claim so many lives in the developing world are really faeces-borne, and yet a charity like WaterAid is well-advised not to change its name to the Diarrhoea Suppression Society. Every day, 200,000 tonnes of human waste deposited in fields and by roads and train tracks in India, by people who are too poor or overworked or Untouchable to get to a toilet. “Open defecation damages women most, because modesty requires them to do it under cover of darkness, leaving them vulnerable to sexual assault, snakes, disease and infection,” writes George, yet somehow I don’t think I’ll get many takers for my next Faeces Are A Feminist Issue rally. (Perhaps we can all burn those little blue cistern blocks in solidarity? We could call it SlopWalk.)
Loos are really, really important. Forget civilisation being two meals from anarchy; if all our privies broke tomorrow, there’d be rioting before breakfast and a hell of a stink by lunchtime. But we can’t repress the snigger that springs to our lips, even in serious medical or policy discussions. In Britain, for example, pensioners’ rights groups periodically try to get people interested in the steady closure of public WCs over the last decade, which have led thousands of elderly people to worry about leaving the house in case they’re caught short (called the “bladder leash”). Meanwhile, models and actresses are happy to pose winsomely in pink T-shirts advertising the existence of breast cancer but there’s no “celebrity face” of bowel cancer, even though it’s the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. And no one’s making ironic designer clutches shaped like colostomy bags. We’d rather die of shame.
China’s Paid Trolls: Meet the 50-Cent Party
In February 2013, Ai Weiwei tweeted that he would like to conduct an interview with an “online commentator”. Commentators are hired by the Chinese government or the Communist Party of China to post comments favourable towards party policies and to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums. The commentators are known as the 50-Cent Party, as they are said to be paid 50 cents for every post that steers a discussion away from anti-party content or that advances the Communist Party line.
Below is the transcript of Ai’s interview with an online commentator. As requested, an iPad was given as compensation for the interview. To protect the interviewee, relevant personal information has been concealed in this script.
Question: What’s your name, age, city of residence and online username?
Answer: I cannot make my name public. I’m 26. I have too many usernames. If I want to use one, I just register it. I won’t mention them here.
What do you call the work you do now?
It doesn’t matter what you call it: online commentator, public opinion guide, or even “the 50-Cent Party” that everyone’s heard of.
What is your level of education and work experience? How did you begin the work of guiding public opinion?
I graduated from university and studied media. I once worked for a TV channel, then in online media. I’ve always been in the news media industry, for four or five years now.Over a year ago, a friend asked me if I wanted to be an online commentator, to earn some extra money. I said I’d give it a try. Later, I discovered it was very easy.
When and from where will you receive directives for work?
Almost every morning at 9am I receive an email from my superiors – the internet publicity office of the local government – telling me about the news we’re to comment on for the day. Sometimes it specifies the website to comment on, but most of the time it’s not limited to certain websites: you just find relevant news and comment on it.
Can you describe your work in detail?
The process has three steps – receive task, search for topic, post comments to guide public opinion. Receiving a task mainly involves ensuring you open your email box every day. Usually after an event has happened, or even before the news has come out, we’ll receive an email telling us what the event is, then instructions on which direction to guide the netizens’ thoughts, to blur their focus, or to fan their enthusiasm for certain ideas. After we’ve found the relevant articles or news on a website, according to the overall direction given by our superiors we start to write articles, post or reply to comments. This requires a lot of skill. You can’t write in a very official manner, you must conceal your identity, write articles in many different styles, sometimes even have a dialogue with yourself, argue, debate. In sum, you want to create illusions to attract the attention and comments of netizens.
In a forum, there are three roles for you to play: the leader, the follower, the onlooker or unsuspecting member of the public. The leader is the relatively authoritative speaker, who usually appears after a controversy and speaks with powerful evidence. The public usually finds such users very convincing. There are two opposing groups of followers. The role they play is to continuously debate, argue, or even swear on the forum. This will attract attention from observers. At the end of the argument, the leader appears, brings out some powerful evidence, makes public opinion align with him and the objective is achieved. The third type is the onlookers, the netizens. They are our true target “clients”. We influence the third group mainly through role-playing between the other two kinds of identity. You could say we’re like directors, influencing the audience through our own writing, directing and acting. Sometimes I feel like I have a split personality.
Regarding the three roles that you play, is that a common tactic? Or are there other ways?
There are too many ways. It’s kind of psychological. Netizens nowadays are more thoughtful than before. We have many ways. You can make a bad thing sound even worse, make an elaborate account, and make people think it’s nonsense when they see it. In fact, it’s like two negatives make a positive. When it’s reached a certain degree of mediocrity, they’ll think it might not be all that bad.
What is the guiding principle of your work?
The principle is to understand the guiding thought of superiors, the direction of public opinion desired, then to start your own work.
Can you reveal the content of a “task” email?
For example, “Don’t spread rumours, don’t believe in rumours”, or “Influence public understanding of X event”, “Promote the correct direction of public opinion on XXXX”, “Explain and clarify XX event; avoid the appearance of untrue or illegal remarks”, “For the detrimental social effect created by the recent XX event, focus on guiding the thoughts of netizens in the correct direction of XXXX”.
What are the categories of information that you usually receive?
They are mainly local events. They cover over 60 to 70 per cent of local instructions – for example, people who are filing complaints or petitioning.
For countrywide events, such as the Jasmine Revolution [the pro-democracy protests that took place across the country in 2011], do you get involved?
For popular online events like the Jasmine Revolution, we have never received a related task. I also thought it was quite strange. Perhaps we aren’t senior enough.
Can you tell us the content of the commentary you usually write?
The netizens are used to seeing unskilled comments that simply say the government is great or so and so is a traitor. They know what is behind it at a glance. The principle I observe is: don’t directly praise the government or criticise negative news. Moreover, the tone of speech, identity and stance of speech must look as if it’s an unsuspecting member of public; only then can it resonate with netizens. To sum up, you want to guide netizens obliquely and let them change their focus without realising it.
Can you go off the topic?
Of course you can go off the topic. When transferring the attention of netizens and
blurring the public focus, going off the topic is very effective. For example, during the census, everyone will be talking about its truthfulness or necessity; then I’ll post jokes that appeared in the census. Or, in other instances, I would publish adverts to take up space on political news reports.
Can you tell us a specific, typical process of “guiding public opinion”?
For example, each time the oil price is about to go up, we’ll receive a notification to “stabilise the emotions of netizens and divert public attention”. The next day, when news of the rise comes out, netizens will definitely be condemning the state, CNPC and Sinopec. At this point, I register an ID and post a comment: “Rise, rise however you want, I don’t care. Best if it rises to 50 yuan per litre: it serves you right if you’re too poor to drive. Only those with money should be allowed to drive on the roads . . .”
This sounds like I’m inviting attacks but the aim is to anger netizens and divert the anger and attention on oil prices to me. I would then change my identity several times and start to condemn myself. This will attract more attention. After many people have seen it, they start to attack me directly. Slowly, the content of the whole page has also changed from oil price to what I’ve said. It is very effective.
What’s your area of work? Which websites do you comment on?Which netizens do you target?
There’s no limit on which websites I visit. I mainly deal with local websites, or work on Tencent. There are too many commentators on Sohu, Sina, etc. As far as I know, these websites have dedicated internal departments for commenting.
Can you tell which online comments are by online commentators?
Because I do this, I can tell at a glance that about 10 to 20 per cent out of the tens of thousands of comments posted on a forum are made by online commentators.
Will you debate with other people online? What sorts of conflicts do you have? How do you control and disperse emotion?
Most of the time we’re debating with ourselves. I usually never debate with netizens and I’ll never say I’ve been angered by a netizen or an event. You could say that usually when I’m working, I stay rational.
When the government says, “Don’t believe in rumours, don’t spread rumours,” it achieves the opposite effect. For example, when Sars and the melamine in milk case broke out, people tended to choose not to trust the government when faced with the choices of “Don’t trust rumours” and “Don’t trust the government”.
I think this country and government have got into a rather embarrassing situation. No matter what happens – for example, if a person commits a crime, or there’s a traffic accident – as long as it’s a bad event and it’s publicised online, there will be people who condemn the government. I think this is very strange.
This is inevitable, because the government encompasses all. When all honour is attributed to you, all mistakes are also attributed to you. Apart from targeted events, are individuals targeted? Would there be this kind of directive?
There should be. I think for the Dalai Lama, there must be guidance throughout the country. All people in China hate the Dalai Lama and Falun Gong somewhat. According to my understanding, the government has truly gone a bit over the top. Before I got involved in this circle, I didn’t know anything. So I believe that wherever public opinion has been controlled relatively well, there will always have been commentators involved.
How do your superiors inspect and assess your work?
The superiors will arrange dedicated auditors who do random checks according to the links we provide. Auditors usually don’t assess, because they always make work requirements very clear. We just have to do as they say and there won’t be any mistakes.
How is your compensation decided?
It’s calculated on a monthly basis, according to quantity and quality. It’s basically calculated at 50 yuan per 100 comments. When there’s an unexpected event, the compensation might be higher. If you work together to guide public opinion on a hot topic and several dozen people are posting, the compensation for those days counts for more. Basically, the compensation is very low. I work part-time. On average, the monthly pay is about 500-600 yuan. There are people who work full-time on this. It’s possible they could earn thousands of yuan a month.
Do you like your work?
I wouldn’t say I like it or hate it. It’s just a bit more to do each day. A bit more pocket money each month, that’s all.
What’s the biggest difficulty in the work?
Perhaps it’s that you have to guess the psychology of netizens. You have to learn a lot of writing skills. You have to know how to imitate another person’s writing style. You need to understand how to gain the trust of the public and influence their thoughts.
Why can’t you reveal your identity? Why do you think it’s sensitive?
Do you want me to lose my job? Whatever form or name we use to post on any forums or blogs is absolutely confidential. We can’t reveal our identity, and I definitely wouldn’t reveal that I’m a professional online commentator.
If we do, what would be the purpose of our existence? Exposure would affect not just me, it would create an even greater negative effect on our “superiors”.
What do you mean by “superiors”?
Our superior leaders – above that should be the propaganda department.
Is your identity known to your family? Your friends?
No. I haven’t revealed it to my family or friends. If people knew I was doing this, it might have a negative effect on my reputation.
You say: “If I reveal inside information, without exaggeration this could lead to fatality.” Do you think that the consequence would be so serious?
With my identity, I’m involved in the media and also the internet. If I really reveal my identity or let something slip, it could have an incalculable effect on me.
If you say you want to quit, will there be resistance? Are there any strings attached?
Not at all. This industry is already very transparent. For me, it’s just a part-time job. It’s like any other job. It’s not as dark as you think.
How many hours do you go online each day and on which sites? Do you rest at the weekend?
I go online for six to eight hours nearly every day. I’m mainly active on our local BBS and some large mainstream internet media and microblogs. I don’t work over weekends, but I’ll sign in to my email account and see if there’s any important instruction.
In daily life, will you still be thinking about your online work?
Now and then. For example, when I see a piece of news, I’ll think about which direction the superiors will request it to be guided in and how I would go about it. It’s a bit of an occupational hazard.
Do you watch CCTV News and read the People’s Daily?
I usually follow all the news, particularly the local news. But I generally don’t watch CCTV News, because it’s too much about harmony.
Do you go on Twitter? Who do you follow?
Yes. I follow a few interesting people, including Ai Weiwei. But I don’t speak on Twitter, just read and learn.
How big a role do you think this industry plays in guiding public opinion in China?
Truthfully speaking, I think the role is quite big. The majority of netizens in China are actually very stupid. Sometimes, if you don’t guide them, they really will believe in rumours.
Because their information is limited to begin with. So, with limited information, it’s very difficult for them to express a political view.
I think they can be incited very easily. I can control them very easily. Depending on how I want them to be, I use a little bit of thought and that’s enough. It’s very easy. So I think the effect should be quite significant.
Do you think the government has the right to guide public opinion?
Personally, I think absolutely not. But in China, the government absolutely must interfere and guide public opinion. The majority of Chinese netizens are incited too easily, don’t think for themselves and are deceived and incited too easily by false news.
Do you have to believe in the viewpoints you express? Are you concerned about politics and the future?
I don’t have to believe in them. Sometimes you know well that what you say is false or untrue. But you still have to say it, because it’s your job. I’m not too concerned about Chinese politics. There’s nothing to be concerned about in Chinese politics.
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