Aside

The connection between cute cats and web censorship

Ethan makes a good point about “Web 2.0” by showing how the many collaborative, user-generated content apps that have become so popular have the dual uses of letting normal people post about normal things (look at my cat!) as well as allowing people in oppressive environments to post about more important things (look at those beatings!). Because these subversive ends are achieved through general purposes means, governments are less likely to censor the outputs and the citizenry is more likely to notice such censorship when it occurs.