SOPA

[Master_Xan]

Americans:

 

If you don't know about SOPA yet, go look it up somewhere and email your representatives in Congress to let them know SOPA is a horrible idea.

[Evaders99]

If you want to learn more about SOPA - http://americancensorship.org/

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111121/00475016851/sopa-is-not-about-copyright-its-about-regulating-internet.shtml

 

They will tell you it's all about online piracy. However, the authors have barely read their own bill - it gives media corporations large powers to censor anything they find without any due process. It's obvious they don't understand the technical, if not social, ramifications of this bill.

[Evaders99]

Further, TechDirt does an amazing summary of what is wrong with SOPA (and PIPA)

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111122/04254316872/definitive-post-why-sopa-protect-ip-are-bad-bad-ideas.shtml

[Stratus]

I posted a video about it from them at www.ryanreviews.net.

 

Write to your congressman. Stop SOPA!

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

Next attempt is CISPA. If they can't get what they want the first go-round, they'll just reword it and slow your connection speed down.

[Master_Xan]

We are actually on CISPA version 2; the first version was shot down awhile ago. They did indeed reword some junk and are pretending its a good idea now.

 

I'm getting cynical. Pretty sure it doesn't matter what the law says; online privacy doesn't exist and probably hasn't since the 90s. Between businesses and "big data" and the government, everything is tracked these days. Including your location, via smartphone data mining.

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

I would still rather keep the connection speeds where they are at currently, as my DSL connection is slow enough as it is. Granted, I'm not downloading anything specifically listed in CISPA 2.0 and my ISP isn't one of those specifically listed, but if we let the major providers get away with it then it's most likely only a matter of time before the little ones band together to demand they be allowed to as well.

[Master_Xan]

I agree. I also think if this gets passed, we will see a marked rise in tor browsers and onion-style IP disguising, along with other means of obfuscation, and when the dust settles there won't be much change in piracy.

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

So I just got an email about SOPA, and thought I'd share for those who might be interested.

[Name removed],

 

You might remember that we've been working on a book about the SOPA fight and our other Internet freedom work.

 

Well we're excited to let you know: It's finally about to be released!

 

It's called Hacking Politics, and you can pre-order your copy of the ebook version now -- and pay whatever you'd like for it.

 

Just click here to pre-order Hacking Politics -- while paying whatever you'd like.

 

Hacking Politics is the most comprehensive work to date about the SOPA protests -- in which so many of you took part -- and of the glorious defeat of that legislation.

 

It includes material by Lawrence Lessig, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Rep. Ron Paul, Reddit's Alexis Ohanian, Cory Doctorow, Demand Progress's Aaron Swartz, and many other esteemed technologists, activists, and artists... and even an interview with Kim Dotcom.

 

It includes reflections on why and how the effort worked, but also entails a blow-by-blow recounting of the 18 month battle against Washington, Hollywood, and the Chamber of Commerce that led to the demise of SOPA and PIPA.

 

In the words of our publisher O/R Books, "It's the ultimate documentation of the ultimate Internet knock-down battle!"

 

Just click here to pre-order Hacking Politics -- while paying whatever you'd like.

 

In ordering Hacking Politics you'll be buying (at whatever price you want) a collection featuring dozens of essays by people who are at the vanguard of Internet freedom activism -- and you'll be supporting our ongoing efforts to keep the web free and open.

 

We hope that it will catalyze further activism as we continue the fight to protect privacy and promote Internet freedom.

 

We owe a special thanks to O/R Books, which has helped ensure that Hacking Politics abides by our values, by making it accessible to the public by using pay-what-you-want pricing, and Creative Commons licensing. They're helping us walk the walk.

 

Just click here to support our work by pre-ordering Hacking Politics -- while paying whatever you'd like.

 

Thanks.

 

Demand Progress

[Master_Xan]

Ha, I get those emails too. Half of them are crap, but the other half are pretty decent.

[Mitth_raw_nuruodo]

On a semi-related note, congress is looking into expanding the CFAA.

 

I have a link to a petition for any who are interested in telling them not to.