On the internet, I've been trying to read up on PRC (China), and want to read the news exactly as it is reported in a state controlled media, but on a couple of Chinese news websites , I get a message saying something like :
"To display characters correctly, you need to install the following components: Simplified Chinese Text Display"

Goes on to explain how to do this, the file size and dowload time.
I can't read much of anything on the websites.
Are these downloads generally safe?
How does the downloaded file work, and will it be a lot of trouble to use?
Do they automatically convert the Chinese news text to something I can read? (English)
The reason I ask, is because it is going to be a lengthy download time on dialup, and I don't want to do it if it is going to be really hard to use it.

It's a font. It makes it so stuff written in chinese actually shows up as chinese text on the screen instead of strings of boxes. You still won't be able to read it if you can't speak chinese.
Font downloads are Usually safe.

I've seen this and similar with CN and other asian sites. Some South Korean sites also do it. (I deal with allot of pacific rim web sites due to computer support needs.)

When you see this... They are embeding a font into the page. In most cases you do not need to accept this to view the page. It appears to be part of a template that is used in english language pages even tho the localized font isn't needed. IE It's lazy page coding in many cases. Unless you can actually read Chinese, the font won't do you any good.

Note that depending how the font call is coded, it will not be permanently installed. It will live in the browser cache and you'll see the same prompt on later visits even after accepting it.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurasic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top of every forum page...)

These pages are just lines and lines of Chinese looking symbols, but it sounds like the download won't translate them, so I guess I'll have to settle for the sanitized news releases for the west.
Thanks Jax and Ogre

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 04-08-2006).]

OK, take those chinese characters and c/p them into www.altavista.babelfish.com. It won't give you the exact translation but it will probably give you something you can understand. Good Luck

------------------
John

quote Originally posted by THE REAL Fieronut: OK, take those chinese characters and c/p them into www.altavista.babelfish.com. It won't give you the exact translation but it will probably give you something you can understand. Good Luck

Or better yet, just feed babelfish the URL of the page. Of course it will still come out complete gibberish.
"The clip that won't clip yet the sea urchin will"
"IT CONTINUES" (link to next page)
"Please sever relations with the scotch tape"

hmmn better be carefull:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060407/ts_nm/china_surveillance_dc