…[A]n issue of growing concern [is that] although Internet connectivity has allowed many people to have access to more information and knowledge, some governments have responded to the free flow of information by censoring or blocking content, or by trying to penalize bloggers and journalists who have criticized their governments online. In this column, I'll discuss the Global Network Initiative (GNI), a partial solution to the plight of these individuals. In particular, I will provide an overview of the GNI and explain that, while it is a promising start, it still leaves some large and unanswered questions – which may be resolved as the GNI begins its work, but will ultimately need to be dealt with to ensure its success. [refers to Alibaba.com, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!]