"I go back to China quite often, and I've never had Google blocked for me. Facebook has been blocked on occasion, and most blog sites are, but it's honestly never been that problematic."
It is problematic when you are being monitored 24/7 and don't have the alternative of waiting a few days until you are in a free country. It is problematic when you want to have an overseas hosted blog, website, files or photos and you can not access them when and where you want.
As myself a regular visitor to, and on-off resident of, China, there could well be a number of reasons why you don't find sites blocked. Most obvious would be using in the airport or at a major western or expensive hotel chain which have a different level of internet access. Where in the country can also have an effect, with Guangdong/Shenzhen/Shanghai (and sometimes Beijing) being the most open. In rural areas and 'political sensitive' there is significant disruption to non-officially sanctioned sites. Which local access provider has an impact too, along with what part of the national intranet you are using (this also links to location, but literally your results may vary depending on provider). The computer you are using, if local, may have software (pre- or unknowingly installed) which blocks or hinders sites or searches, and if you bring a laptop with you, these level can be overcome. Political issues and party campaigns can have significant short-term impacts on particular sites and their availability, this includes locally sanctioned or owned sites.
Most importantly, when in China you may only check a few times on gmail, fb, whatever sites and they may work from those locations or at those times you try. If you are local or living locally as an expat, your results over time will be far more telling.
It is problematic when you are being monitored 24/7 and don't have the alternative of waiting a few days until you are in a free country. It is problematic when you want to have an overseas hosted blog, website, files or photos and you can not access them when and where you want.
As myself a regular visitor to, and on-off resident of, China, there could well be a number of reasons why you don't find sites blocked. Most obvious would be using in the airport or at a major western or expensive hotel chain which have a different level of internet access. Where in the country can also have an effect, with Guangdong/Shenzhen/Shanghai (and sometimes Beijing) being the most open. In rural areas and 'political sensitive' there is significant disruption to non-officially sanctioned sites. Which local access provider has an impact too, along with what part of the national intranet you are using (this also links to location, but literally your results may vary depending on provider). The computer you are using, if local, may have software (pre- or unknowingly installed) which blocks or hinders sites or searches, and if you bring a laptop with you, these level can be overcome. Political issues and party campaigns can have significant short-term impacts on particular sites and their availability, this includes locally sanctioned or owned sites.
Most importantly, when in China you may only check a few times on gmail, fb, whatever sites and they may work from those locations or at those times you try. If you are local or living locally as an expat, your results over time will be far more telling.