"Comments, rumours and opinions can be quickly spread between internet groups in a way that makes it hard for the government to censor.
"So instead of just trying to prevent people from having their say, the government is also attempting to change they way they think.
"To do this, they use specially trained - and ideologically sound - internet commentators.
"They have been dubbed the "50-cent party" because of how much they are reputed to be paid for each positive posting (50 Chinese cents; $0.07; £0.05)."
Even today that can be decent money in China. I think this phenomenon has been going on on Usenet since the 1990s. Certainly Usenet was a critical communication resource for students in North America in the China democracy movement that flowered in 1989.
> "They have been dubbed the "50-cent party" because of how much they are reputed to be paid for each positive posting (50 Chinese cents; $0.07; £0.05)."
This is not true. 50-cent party is a word from the times of Beiyang Army. in 1917 they argued whether China should participate the WWI, Duan Qi Rui hired a bunch of ppl to 'protest' in the parliament and urge China to declare ware against Germen. They pay each ppl 50 cents. It's historical.
Now the word '50 cents' means goverment payed voiced. No matter how much they got payed.
Sorry my English is bad but that's the true origin of '50 cents'.
Now 'Internet Commenters' gain more than 50 cents, in universities, students participate this could get 200 Yuan a month, that's about $28 USD.
"So instead of just trying to prevent people from having their say, the government is also attempting to change they way they think.
"To do this, they use specially trained - and ideologically sound - internet commentators.
"They have been dubbed the "50-cent party" because of how much they are reputed to be paid for each positive posting (50 Chinese cents; $0.07; £0.05)."
Even today that can be decent money in China. I think this phenomenon has been going on on Usenet since the 1990s. Certainly Usenet was a critical communication resource for students in North America in the China democracy movement that flowered in 1989.