Wikipedia blackout: What the face of censorship looks like.

The sad thing is there are a lot of people, especially the 'elite' who think of themselves as the true 'dispensers of information' (because they're the Brights, and they need to filter things for us Dumbs) who look at this and think to themselves about what great things SOPA and PROTECT IP are.

Here are a few petitions on the matter: Credo & here. Google has their own petition here.

BTW I am the only one running for high office in Maine that has come out strongly against SOPA/PIPA. Here is my statement on the matter. Considering all the talk about "small business" from politicians and candidates they don't seem to realize that SOPA/PIPA will hurt anyone who makes their living providing online content. Sen. Snowe, of course introduced the "internet kill switch" bill, and is in favor of more regulation/taxation of the internet.

I think what Google, Wikipedia and others are doing today is a really good thing. I hope that the offices of conress are so deluged with emails and phone calls that they can't even function.

We cannot let this arrogant bunch get even a toenail in this door as the next thing they do will be to cut off political speech they don't like.

Obama will probably proclaim this with a "royal edict" anyway but we can at least scream loudly.

WC

Pingree is not supporting the bills and doesn't believe they will go to the house. Collins' office reported that they are recieving a lot of calls regarding this. Snowe's office answered the phone but I don't think anyone was at home (if you know what I mean :)

According to this article SOPA is continuing on its way through the house. Forbes has more.

White House On SOPA

If you know the Italian language, i had no problems going into and using the WIkipedia Italian version today.

"Maine
Da Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.

Disambiguazione – Se stai cercando altri significati, vedi Maine (disambigua).Maine
stato federato
State of Maine

(dettagli) (dettagli)

Dati amministrativi
Stato Stati Uniti d'America
Capoluogo Augusta
Governatore Paul LePage (R) dal 2005
Data di istituzione 15 marzo 1820

Sito istituzionale
L’estensione territoriale è di 86.156 km² suddiviso in 16 contee, con una popolazione di 1.328.361 abitanti (2010). La capitale è Augusta."

If you use Google Chrome, you can go to any non-US Wikipedia -- I go to Spain's version, and Chrome will translate for you.

I feel fine about the work-around as I have called the two gals and Mike Michaud.

Michaud:
Michaud is opposed in any event.

Collins:
Susan Collins' aide says that the Senator Collins "believes that it does need significant revision because it does not strike balance between internet freedom, First Amendment concerns, and protecting American jobs." Classic case of Collins doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Worrisome.

Snowe:
Senator Snowe "hasn't released her position yet." When I mentioned that it was a bit tiring to ask her position and get that response, her aide's voice changed immediately to what I might call chilly.

He said I was wrong about that. I decided not to argue, since I am not 100% sure that he will pass my message on.

I am about 99% sure, however, that public input on this matter will not have anything to do with her vote, as has been the case with so many of her votes.

(Apologies to anyone who reads my FB page, as this is regurgitated from there.)

On alternative sites to Wiki. , 'answer websites' like Yahoo Answer must be having record hits today, i have seen messages like this one today:

We are experiencing some very slow loading times on our Suggestion Boards. We are working to fix the problem. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The "Centrist Sisters" will vote in whatever way helps their political career.

Was told today by bangor Snowe rep that Olympia was against SOPA, nothing was said about PIPA

i had no problems going into and using the WIkipedia Italian version today.

Governatore Paul LePage (R) dal 2005

Silly Italians! They think LePage has been governor since 2005!

(Well, I bet the lefties FEEL like it's been that long! lol!)

Tom C: Governatore Paul LePage (R) dal 2005
Silly Italians! They think LePage has been governor since 2005

RE:
Good catch Tom. I since have corrected it on wikipedia [ although i was tempted to place 'elected to a second term: 2014']

Governator Paul LePage (R) dal 2011
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine

Rather than urging the legislature to make laws which underscore existing laws at the expense of Constitutionally protected freedoms, wouldn't you think that the entertainment industry could come up with some sort of technical guard against piracy?

I've had some interesting conversations with my 7th and 8th grade students about this. I tried to explain the parts I understood from both sides. Some of the kids threw out that it would ban swearing on the internet and such, which I hadn't heard, but challenged them to find out more about so they could teach me. The kids then went on to debate it on their own. No I don't teach social studies anymore, but the teachable moment was too good to pass up. Some students were going home to erase accounts on Frostwire and Limewire since they don't want to get in trouble for copyright infringement. lol It was a great discussion! I wish I had recorded. The kids are fired up and passionate about events around them if adults would give them half a chance.

I applaud Wikipedia, Google and others for the campaign; they highlighted real problems in the proposed legislation, specifically, that large providers of information access could be unfairly and unreasonably harmed by the legislation as written.

With that said: there is a HUGE problem with online piracy of intellectual property. File sharing sites that support user-traded exchange of copyrighted material have all but destroyed the music industry, and they don't do the film industry any favors either. We can certainly diss those industries for not adapting to the technology sooner or smarter (i.e., going after individual downloaders rather than developing new business and technology models that would allow creators and distributors to get a reasonable piece of the pie). With that said, those who create intellectual property have historically, and IMO should continue to be, protected by US law.

The short term challenge lies in striking a balance such that the portal organizations aren't unreasonably burdened. The longer term challenge lies in recognizing that a lot of the illegal activity occurs offshore, and out of reach of Federal law.

Related AMG thread on enforcement actions against online pirates.

Eagleisland: With that said: there is a HUGE problem with online piracy of intellectual property.

There is a huge problem with shoplifting, but would we advocate a law that required people to be strip-searched when the enter and exit stores?

There is a huge problem with domestic violence, but would we advocate a law that required people to agree to the government to install and monitor video cameras in our homes?

There is a huge problem with shoplifting, but would we advocate a law that required people to be strip-searched when the enter and exit stores?

There is a huge problem with domestic violence, but would we advocate a law that required people to agree to the government to install and monitor video cameras in our homes?

Your argument, Michelle, is specious. And, quite frankly, insulting.

Both of your examples represent domestic criminal activity, with domestic mechanisms of enforcement. The problem with online piracy lies in the difficulty of detecting the criminal activity, identifying its actual source (redirects are complex things) and engaging in active enforcement, often in foreign countries.

I agree that the law as proposed was overly broad and put the onus unfairly on third parties which have no participation in the criminal activity. I'm glad that its current form has been stopped and will return to the drawing board. But as someone who essentially makes his living on the strength of intellectual property, I agree that there is a need to protect it to the extent possible in an environment that makes it all too easy to steal.

Its back under an alias. SOPA is now called CISPA. http://youtu.be/Ya2TmSmbUQI