China's recent extreme weather caused death, havoc on roads as families were travelling for New Year celebrations and the need for official involvement in the clean up and rescue efforts. Chinese media (state owned) called operations 'successful' and 'heroic'. The internet has been ablaze with locals criticising weather forecasts and the official responses to the crisis. Just one example of the exciting internet age in China taking a stance against censorship and challenging the official line.

Vincent Brossel of Reporters Without Borders sums up internet boom in China; "China is exporting a model where the internet is a tool for economical development, social networking, marketing business and propaganda, but not for free expression. China is very proud of this. They spent dozens of millions of euros to build firewalls, cyber-police and cyber-censors," says .

The potential for peaceful protest and citizens holding Governments and officials accountable is greatly increased by the internet. The Guardian provides some great examples of people in China taking matters in to their own hands via the internet. Check out the heading 'Fabricated'.

In China there are 6 million new net users every month, a third of the already 210 million web users in China get online at net cafes, known as wangba. What is particularly frightening about this is that internet cafes are strictly regulated. Users of the cafe must register with their full name and show identification before using the computers. Cafe owners are known to have extra layers of censorship software to curb user's viewing material. This is because many cafes were targeted by authorities and shut down after clients were found to be looking at 'inappropriate material'.

Regional parts of China are experiencing the most growth in number of internet users. This is particularly exciting given that many people in more remote areas would have been isolated from their own country not to mention the rest of Asia and the world. The possibilities of the internet are enormous and the potential for people to gain new information, share experiences and learn are growing every day. Yet, for these newest net users, they are denied some of this excitement and opportunity because their Government decided that's the way it would be.

The great firewall (internet censorship in China) is by no means crumbling, in fact in some ways it is increasing however the sheer number of users may drive some change. Individuals continue to write blogs, chat about 'sensitive issues' and attempt to access accurate news reports and the internet helps all of these people. The internet boom in China will hopefully lead to change. Change in policies of Chinese and international internet companies and change in the Government's restrictive laws and policies. The potential of the internet in China is amazing and may just push a very reluctant Chinese Government towards its Olympic commitment of 'free and unrestricted media'.