Microsoft has launched an experiment in tightly-controlled liberty called MSN Spaces whose attitude is very oriental, nearly Chinese.

Spaces is a blogging tool (Microsoft loves to own the language, thus blogs become spaces as bookmarks became favorites) with a difference, namely central control and censorship.

However it's defended, and whatever it's called, control is the essence of the Microsoft experience. You will only use Microsoft tools, and Microsoft formats, under Microsoft rules, and write what Microsoft allows.

What could be more Chinese? (The link preceding is to the location of the art at the right.)

Unfortunately, Microsoft is launching this in America, where folks don't take kindly to Maoism in any form, even Billism. Thus Boingboing readers recently played around with trying to name spaces in dirty ways that got past the automated censors -- Butt Sex is Awesome got through, Pornography and the Law didn't.

Can't wait until they try this out with the inside text, pictures, and sounds. Of course the last two filters may be more copyright-oriented than sex-oriented.

But my point is that the East is Red, and Spaces may do fine in the Red states of the world. Freedom isn't very popular these days.

To those offended by the comparisons above, let me suggest that tyranny is an attitude, not a borderline. If you assume the need for central control of what people write and feel it doesn't matter where you place the border -- you've already crossed the line.