Darren Reed is probably the record holder in length of time a visitor stay in Sun China. His blog entry is candid and illuminating.

In case you don't know, Darren is the creator of IPFilter, a popular and open host-based packet filter for the Unix operating systems.

An supplemental note to the DVD piracy matter — something I am personally interested in. It is easy to buy legal DVDs in China from reputable retail chains, such as CarreFore or WalMart, there is usually a media section that has a collection of US (and European) movies. The going price is about US$2. Lately, I have observed a new brand, "DVD-9," that is about the same price and sold at small DVD retail stores. The quality is impeccable, none of those "theater camcorder" craps. The viewing experience is identical to any legitimate ones. They are localized to include a subtitle menu that includes at least Chinese. The packages bear the copyright notices. The movie starts with an anti-piracy commercial (it is a theft to pirate movie) and a very authentic looking copyright display.

The pirated DVDs, at slightly less than US$1 on street, are usually in cheap sleeves and work only about 80% of the time. Consumers should vote with their wallets and choose the legal ones.