It’s now been nearly a month since a Boxing Day earthquake near Taiwan damaged some of the Internet cables that connect China to the rest of the world. International websites are still accessible from China, much in the same way that a magazine at the other end of a football field is technically readable if you have binoculars. You can do it with some patience, but it’s a drag turning the page.

We’ve had a series of updates from the Chinese government on repair status. Every update says more or less the same thing: Another two weeks.

So what do you do if every Internet site and service that you rely on is essentially inaccessible? Well, you either get used to reading your news off Chinese websites or (whisper it) a printed newspaper, or you get a non-Internet based hobby, like stamp collecting or base jumping.

And if you’re an IM addicted Chinese youth, you consider dumping your nonfunctional MSN or AIM for QQ.

--more at CNET Asia--

Note: The quake has also made Imagethief's administration tools very hard to reach. Along with my Shanghai scramble, that has made posting a bit hard. Apologies.