Wikipedia's SOPA box

[CaptRory]

Just to touch on SOPA and the other bits.

We have laws for protecting intellectual property. We have systems and people in place to deal with this.

Why are we introducing new legislation?


There are several reasons.

First, the internet is the last place that hasn't been regulated to death. The government still doesn't get to pick winners on the internet. If you pay attention you'll find that for a century or more, government has been picking the winners and losers. Or at least trying to. Therefore any regulation gives the government more power. This whole blackout over SOPA and PIPA? Blogs keeping tabs on the government because the "Mainstream Media" isn't anymore? Doesn't happen anymore once the government gets more control of the internet.

Second, the biggest non-governmental sponsors of internet regulation are traditional media companies. It is no surprise that those most threatened by the internet are those who want to see it regulated. As someone pointed out, "No one is forcing them to change. They're free to be obsolete." I'm paraphrasing. But yes, we don't need additional anti-piracy laws and regulations, we have those if they would just enforce them. Why do we need more? To turn losers into winners.

Third, some people genuinely believe more government is the answer to any problem. I'm a free market guy, I think a lot of stuff would take care of itself if it was left to run its course. (Doesn't mean I'm an anarchist, we do need some government and regulation.) But the internet is like the wild west. Anyone with a good idea and ambition and drive has a chance of making it there. We don't need more government stamping it down.


To summarize, it is my belief that the government wants control over the content of the internet for it's own purposes. Traditional media giants also want it regulated to increase demand for their traditional products in which interest is waning for both legitimate and less than legal reasons and to give them the audience to push their own agenda and propaganda. And they're using Big Government Groupies as Useful Idiots to get the firepower to do it.

[X-Codes]

Your post is too conspiratorial.  The Government is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of various corporate interests.  It doesn't have any desires of it's own, it's just mindlessly following the orders of it's owners.  Seriously, it's a very high HD zombie, and the rest of us a bunch of necromancers trying to assert control over it.

[bhu]

http://celebs.icanhascheezburger.com/2012/01/23/funny-celebrity-pictures-freedom/

now dats funny

[solara]

Umm . . . I wouldn't give up on the argument that SOPA/PIPA/whatever-A violate free speech, at least in the US. This current Supreme Court has been very zealous in defense of free speech, and since the traditional arguments for regulating media (limited scope, as in radio/TV) are completely bogus wrt the intertubes, well, I foresee a 5-4 decision (maybe 6-3, depending on Scalia, Kennedy, and whether Thomas just votes with Scalia or actually thinks the case over for himself this time) overturning such an act. That, of course, won't help anyone in other countries where it gets passed, or repair the damage such a law could do while in effect, during arguments (assuming it wasn't put on hold during the trial, which it should be) or before a suit is properly filed.

The scary thing about all this is I'm starting to realize just how out-of-touch my parents are. Of course, I knew my dad was having troubles when he was talking about supporting Ron Paul because he's so liberal compared to Obama  And my mom . . . don't get me started. I can't tell her SOPA/PIPA are bad, b/c she'll disbelieve it simply because I said it and I can't be right except when she already agrees with me.

How did I come about, with this sort of gene pool?

[skydragonknight]

How did I come about, with this sort of gene pool?

Natural 20.

[bhu]

Umm . . . I wouldn't give up on the argument that SOPA/PIPA/whatever-A violate free speech, at least in the US. This current Supreme Court has been very zealous in defense of free speech, and since the traditional arguments for regulating media (limited scope, as in radio/TV) are completely bogus wrt the intertubes, well, I foresee a 5-4 decision (maybe 6-3, depending on Scalia, Kennedy, and whether Thomas just votes with Scalia or actually thinks the case over for himself this time) overturning such an act. That, of course, won't help anyone in other countries where it gets passed, or repair the damage such a law could do while in effect, during arguments (assuming it wasn't put on hold during the trial, which it should be) or before a suit is properly filed.

The scary thing about all this is I'm starting to realize just how out-of-touch my parents are. Of course, I knew my dad was having troubles when he was talking about supporting Ron Paul because he's so liberal compared to Obama  And my mom . . . don't get me started. I can't tell her SOPA/PIPA are bad, b/c she'll disbelieve it simply because I said it and I can't be right except when she already agrees with me.

How did I come about, with this sort of gene pool?

My mother thinks Glen Beck is the second coming of jesus christ.  Parents are always embarrassing.  It's part of being a parent.

[SolEiji]

I'm gonna be talking politics with my parents this coming weekend.  Should be "fun".  Last time I did, they were "shocked that I was a Republican" (I'm not actually, I was just giving an arguement for the republican at the time).  We'll see if they've been paying attention.  If my predictions are correct, they probably aren't even AWARE of internet blackouts or anything going on.

Also, found this.  Kinda interesting: https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/actually-take-these-petitions-seriously-instead-just-using-them-excuse-pretend-you-are-listening/grQ9mNkN#thank-you=p
I went ahead and put in my signature.  I encourage you to as well. 

[dman11235]

With regards to that last post

[Hallack]

I knew my dad was having troubles when he was talking about supporting Ron Paul...

  Go your dad!!

also, with Obama signing that treaty everyone needs to be contacting their Senators to convince them not to ratify it.

[Jackinthegreen]

I knew my dad was having troubles when he was talking about supporting Ron Paul...

  Go your dad!!

also, with Obama signing that treaty everyone needs to be contacting their Senators to convince them not to ratify it.

Which treaty?

Edit: You mean this one? http://www.infowars.com/obama-signs-global-internet-treaty-worse-than-sopa/

[SolEiji]

Three big things occur:

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120126/11014317553/european-parliament-official-charge-acta-quits-denounces-masquerade-behind-acta.shtml

and

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120126/03162017547/public-interest-groups-speak-out-about-next-weeks-secret-meeting-hollywood-to-negotiate-tpp-think-international-sopa.shtml

and also

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120126/03543117549/people-poland-come-out-to-protest-acta-large-numbers-polish-govt-calls-it-blackmail.shtml

Amazed at the last one, ashamed at the response.  And the first... holy crap.

[ariasderros]

With regards to that last post

Yeah... a friend* of mine told me he had signed an online petition for SOPA. I ranted for a little while on how online petitions are meaningless, due to the impossibility of verification and how easy they are to ignore, and how what he was supposed to do was call or write his representatives. He didn't know who they were, or how to find out. This is someone who like to try to act like he's smart and well-informed, and is frequently condescending about it.

*note: I game with him, but do not hang out with beyond that. I am actually only friends with two people I game with.

[SolEiji]

I don't mean to imply that clicking petitions is the only thing to do (indeed, calling is the most effective), though I rebuke the idea that it's pointless.  It's a little effort for a little benefit as I see it, and mostly goes to serve the purpose of showing strength of numbers so more competent debaters can use them. 

Got to keep on the offensive though. 

[Prime32]

This one made me laugh though.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120126/12313917555/polish-politicians-don-guy-fawkesanonymous-masks-to-protest-acta-signing.shtml

[Jackinthegreen]

Remember, remember
The people you've censored

[ariasderros]

I don't mean to imply that clicking petitions is the only thing to do (indeed, calling is the most effective), though I rebuke the idea that it's pointless.

It is less pointless now than it used to be, I will grant. Especially with ones like the White Houses one, where you must make an account to sign.

But the problem is the same as why these boards have protections against spambots. It would be just as easy to make a bot that made a bunch of "shadow accounts" to drive up the votes on certain petitions. Because of this, online petitions are regarded as being less reliable than other means of polling the populace.

The point I was trying to make though, was with all of these links being passed around right now, the best thing to do is do the basic legwork and make the calls.

[veekie]

Yeah, its much harder to dismiss someone you actually spoke to.

[SolEiji]

Jesus, can't go one day with something scary going on.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120103/01412317256/govt-able-to-keep-details-entirely-private-public-hearing-over-twitter-subpoena.shtml

[veekie]

Really?

[SneeR]

I love the whiny producer in that movie. "I lose all of my back revenue on my own project!"

People wouldn't torrent a movie, watch it, then never think about it again if the movie were actually good. It is much more satisfying to have a physical copy of a great movie you will watch again and again than a digital one! If a person torrents a movie and never thinks of it again, it is because they were curious, and the movie \did not meet their standards!