The Internet Chronicles: The 8 Biggest "Evil" Events of 2008 - Age1983

As the saying goes, "Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news spreads a thousand miles." As we approach the end of 2008, what kind of internet "bad news" left a deep impression on you? Reviewing the ugly, bad, and absurd events of the past year is only for the purpose of moving forward better in 2009 and allowing the internet to truly develop in a healthy way.

**Listed Event**: The industry winter brought about by the financial crisis.

**Rating Index**: ★★★★★

**Event Summary**: On July 23rd, an internal email written by Jack Ma to Alibaba employees was exposed online. In the letter, Ma warned his colleagues that the economy might enter a very difficult period in the coming years, so let's prepare for the winter! After Ma made this statement, the discussion of "preparing for winter" became the hottest topic even during the summer.

**Event Impact**: Your wealth has shrunk, your company has laid off employees, your businesses have collapsed, your mood has deteriorated, and people are anxious.

**Listed Comment**: This winter of 2008 came more fiercely than the one in 2000.

**2. Asus "Entrapment Gate"**

On November 27th, Huang Jing received the criminal compensation decision notice issued by the Haidian District People's Procuratorate in Beijing.

**Listed Event**: Consumers seeking justice from Asus were instead detained in a detention center for 10 months.

**Rating Index**: ★★★★★

**Event Summary**: College student Huang Jing sought justice from Asus because their notebook computer improperly used a test version of Intel's CPU. However, she was arrested by the police on charges of extortion and was detained for 295 days from March to December 2006. Subsequently, the Haidian Procuratorate decided not to prosecute due to insufficient evidence. Yesterday afternoon, Huang Jing, who returned to Beijing for the first time after the incident, received the state compensation decision notice from her agent, with a compensation amount of 29,197.14 yuan.

**Event Impact**: Once exposed on the internet, this event immediately sparked heated debates, known as the first case of IT consumer rights protection.

**Listed Comment**: The crises faced by large companies like Asus and Intel are mostly caused by underestimating the issues or being "too sophisticated" in handling them.

**3. Microsoft Black Screen**

**Listed Event**: Users of pirated Microsoft products experience a black screen every hour.

**Rating Index**: ★★★★☆

**Event Summary**: To warn users of pirated software, Microsoft China began implementing a black screen every 60 minutes starting October 20th for pirated XP Professional Editions and pop-up reminders for pirated Office products.

**Event Impact**: Examples include:

(1) While vividly explaining a business plan to a venture capitalist, the screen suddenly went black, causing embarrassment;

(2) Informing those deeply engrossed in work that work is never-ending. If you're really immersed in work, it will make you take breaks every hour;

(3) Promoting user eye health. Various health books, experts, and doctors have consistently advised taking a break every hour when reading or using the computer. It was easy to forget before, but now it's fixed thanks to Microsoft's black screen plan. Truly deserving of its status as an international company, how humanized! Protect your eyesight, choose Microsoft.

**Listed Comment**: Microsoft is always full of creativity, undoubtedly so from all angles. Just as the saying goes: Viewed horizontally, Microsoft becomes a peak; seen from afar or near, high or low, each view is different. Unable to recognize the true face of Microsoft, simply because everything is shrouded in the black screen.