Looks like you all knew this but it hasn't caught fire in here..... yet its a huge, big deal. China is by many metrics now the most important economy in the world. This is obviously going to force a lot of people to switch away from Gmail - those who need to connect with China. A lot of my friends over there use Gmail and they'll have to switch.
I don't exactly blame China for this though - in light of Hong Kong this year and the upcoming 25th anniversary of Tianamen Square. The fact is that China's economy is kind of self contained now, they almost have everything they need within their own borders.
Gmail blocked in China | Reuters