SOPA

Yeah, About SOPA . . .

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It'll be back apparently in February.

Also the MPAA and Lamar Smith are both clueless and hypocritical.

Actually even with SOPA back, every delay makes it easier to kill since the diminishing pro-SOPA/PIPA forces are not sympathetic.  But it looks like Lamar is going to be back at it, and of course we'll keep you updated since this is a major legal, ethical, geek, and career issue.

– Steven Savage

SOPA Blackout Tomorrow

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The SOPA Blackout is tomorrow, and Web Pro News has a list. Also Google is notify users about the bill.

There really has never been anything like this before, so I'm curious to see the results. In fact I'm hopeful that people will pay attention to the alerts.

However a few more things come to mind:

  • This could well end in a big showdown. Google seems to be target one among pro-SOPA/PIPA forces and now Google is more aggressive – and this is NOT the most Google could do (think for a moment what they could do that's far more aggressive). It think it's possible the pro-SOPA/PIPA forces may rally further if this gets results.
  • If there is a Stupid Backlash in the form of new internet regulations and proposals in the bills it may, ironically, drag in Net Neutrality issues. "Google used it's access for political power"," will come in one form or another from people missing the irony.
  • This represents a shift in political awareness, and the use of large information resources for political protest by those running them. As I've noted before some businesses rely on freedom – this makes the implicit explicit. This will affect people's political awareness..
  • I think even without the protest, SOPA and eventually PIPA are dead, destined to return in several pieces or a watered-down version. This blackout gives me the gut feeling it's about burying them and asserting power and awareness.
  • This will happen again. The blackout will give people IDEAS.
  • We're seeing a somewhat unified movement of people interested in internet freedom, who are spreading the world (and are backed by their coprorate/organizational positions). This could blossom into more (say, a political party, lobbying group, etc.)

– Steven Savage

SOPA On The Shelf?

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It appears that, more or less, SOPA is shelved.  Now we know these things can change, but still this is promising.  Between the petitions, anger, a potential January 18th internet protest, the White house statements . . . yeah, it's not looking good for SOPA and it's Tweedle-dumb PIPA.

This is a serious loss for the bill(s), and does fit some of the recent political happenings:

  • Congress is rampantly upopular
  • The awareness of the bill was broad, and the protests effective – and the "nuclear option" could have been devastating.
  • There is not consensus on this issue.
  • If you notice, the question of interests breaking the internet for their own gain dovetails well with the increased questions of wealth inequality in America.

Will it come back?  My guess is yes, somewhat.  There's probably a series of bad bills that will come out of this, or one glorious last stand of dumb to be made.  So as always, vigilance.

One important thing to come out of this though is that there's a "storyline."  A narrative – interests are trying to break the internet and people have to stand up to them.  It's a lot more believable than "piracy is destroying us," a lot more sympathetic to people, and frankly more true.  People got involved who would not have gotten involved and have adsorbed and internalized this storyline.

It's part of a much larger culture now, and it won't be going away or fading easily.

– Steven Savage