I’ve never been to China, so I have a lot to learn.
Of the world’s seven main continents, I’ve only visited or lived in three of them – North America, Europe, and Africa (plus little Zealandia, which isn’t usually counted among the big seven). I’ve never stepped foot in any of the 48 countries in Asia, which, of course, includes the vast, ancient, proud country of China. I’ve read about China, though; and, thanks to Pearl S. Buck’s novels, most of which I’ve read over the years, I feel as if I’ve been there.
Nevertheless, the realities of today’s China remain shrouded in mystery to me. The biggest mystery at the moment is that China seems to be interested in me.
Let me explain:
Lately, as I’ve mentioned in a recent WOW post, I’ve been seeing an enormous number of “views” ostensibly from China in my blog’s statistics, which I check daily. Here’s a recent example:
Although I’ve never been a numbers person, I find it fascinating to see where (to say nothing of whether) my blogposts are being read. I love knowing my words have a broad, if not numerically impressive, reach, because I care about this whole, swirling world and the fate of the estimated 8.2+ billion people in it.
It’s statistically possible, I guess, that of China’s population of about 1.42 billion people, a thousand or so of them on any given day might be interested in reading what I have to say about my small life as a single, retired American woman living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Could my views, ruminations, meditations, or observations be of any value to Chinese people these days? Possibly — but highly unlikely, I’d say.
So who are these Chinese “viewers”? And why are they “reading” my WOWs?
I tried to ask my blog’s administrators in Taos, NM (where WOW was born eleven years and 552 posts ago), and I was met with something of a shrug. Why should I care?, they wanted to know. Numbers are good; the more, the better! And there’s nothing they could do about China anyway.
But of course I wasn’t satisfied. I still wanted to know.
So I turned to “Professor” Google and learned I’m not alone in this quandary. Other bloggers (some more numbers for you: there are well over 31 million bloggers in the U.S. alone) complained about the same phenomenon. Some of these complainants suggested blocking China. My administrators said this isn’t possible.
I took up the issue with the young computer guru at Geek & Coffee here in SMA, and I was met with another shrug … another, Well, what can ya do? … another, Higher numbers — that’s good!
So my questions remain unanswered and the mystery unsolved.
I’d love for my Chinese “viewers” to identify themselves. Leave a comment or two! Answer me: Who are you?
Are you even human? I fear not. I write for human beings who have hearts as well as minds. Do you have both? If you are bots, what are you getting, extracting from my blogposts? What are you looking for? What, exactly, do you want? What are you doing in my WOW world?
I feel as if I’m shouting into the wind, alone on a mountaintop. And, to extrapolate: This seems to be the human condition these days. Computer technology — as my miniscule example may illustrate — is not-so-slowly and very surely invading our lives, sucking up our information like juice through a straw, and leaving us feeling vulnerable, manipulated, used.
Nothing against China. I’m sorry I’ll never get to go there and see it for myself, in person, in this lifetime. But I must say China’s computer prowess is clearly formidable – and to this speck-of-dust human – frightening.
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What a fascinating – and chilling – discovery. Please keep us (your human readers) informed!
Thank you, Joanne! Yes, I’ll try to do that…
I’d love to find out if you learn anything about your Chinese viewers! It is fascinating and likely disturbing lol. The world got small and we’re in a lot less control. Kristin
Thanks, Kristin. A friend e-mailed me with some info she gleaned from ChatGPT. I have yet to study it fully, but it appears to me that the problem (in short) is bots.
Did you see the show 60minutes Sunday night. They did a segment about Chinese cyber infiltration.
No, I didn’t, Rick. Thank you for telling me. I don’t get “60 Minutes” here on my TV, but I’ll look for the segment online.
Extremely interesting question, Bonnie. I’d like to know too and I am looking forward to reading comments from China
Well, we shall see, M-L! I’m anxious to learn more too. — xx
Bonnie, I have a friend who teaches leadership communication at a university in Arizona. Usually it’s in person, but sometimes it’s online. She occasionally has a bot or two in her virtual classroom. They “look” like students, but they never participate and never complete their assignments. They’re like ever-present shadow ghosts. Creepy. I can see why it annoys you to have Chinese “subscribers.” ~Be
Yes, that must really be creepy for your friend to have “ghost”students, Be! I’m not so much annoyed to have “ghost” subscribers as I am baffled: What do they want from my WOWs? Why are they haunting me this way? I’d really like to know the why of it. And, of course, this story is only meant to illustrate the bigger issue of cyber security. We’re all vulnerable now.
Creepy indeed! Can your friend find out through the IT department who they are, or kick them out if they aren’t paying students?
Interesting perspective, Bonnie! I suspect those Chinese hits came from bots, but I’m no expert. Best regards.
Thanks, Mikel. Yes, I suspect you’re right. I’m still investigating…
Bonnie querida! I am afraid that today’s China has very little in common with The Good Earth’s setting. Bueno, the language is still the same, I guess. but other than that… In any case, if there is someone monitoring the bots, they know now that they’ve been found. I get those “visitors” too.
You’re so right, querida Te! The China of my imagination is the China of a long time ago. So you get thousands of Chinese “viewers” on your blog too???
Hi Bonnie, I’ve had the same type of issue with my blog and I was told the hits are fake. I guess you could call them bots. BTW, New Zealand is considered part of Oceania and Oceania is considered by some to be a continent )
Ah, Kim, so my Prof. Google led me astray, telling me it’s called Zealandia! 🙂 … So you get thousands of “hits” from China too? Yes, I guess they’re “fake” if they’re not human. But what I’d like to know is what these fake entities want from me. Several WOW readers have sent me the results (long lists) of info they gleaned from their ChatGPT (and elsewhere) inquiries, but I have yet to understand it all. — Your friend the earthling Luddite.
Dear Bon,
I read this last week, and I had no answers. I still have no answers. My guess is you are correct in thinking they’re all fake. It’s sad.
Much love,
Paul