google.cn maybe no more… Baidu to the crash i mean rescue

Google released the following on their blog…

These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered–combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web–have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

Google is synonymous with Internet search in much of the world however they have been struggling for recognition in China.  This is a huge step for the Google company as a whole, who was the brunt of many different attacks from various folks on the web for running a filtered engine for China.   The same day they publically admit they are thinking of leaving the chinese market place  ‘Iranian’ hackers paralyze the Chinese search engine Baidu thus showing China that they need more than one big player in the marketplace.  Baidu is by far China’s most-used search engine and is responsible for more than half of China’s Internet search market

One thing is for sure – Google will take a hit moving out of the market place – just like they did moving into it.

In retrospect the hack was a very simple one, just a hijack of the dns control from Register.com – have you changed your login and password for your domain registrar lately?  This is after all the same hack method used to take Twitter offline just one month ago.