I don't get why somebody hasn't set a date for a rally in DC against the bill yet, it's pretty much the current mode of citizen action and certainly the entire internet is angry about it. I guess all the celebrities are afraid of being blacklisted by Hollywood.
I don't get why somebody hasn't set a date for a rally in DC against the bill yet, it's pretty much the current mode of citizen action and certainly the entire internet is angry about it. I guess all the celebrities are afraid of being blacklisted by Hollywood.
Because the nerds are the only people with jobs, and we are mostly a bunch of sissies who won't take a day off to go. I would go, but only if enough other nerds also go. Even if I try to lead and be the one to start it up, how many will follow? How many days will we have to sit there before more nerds show up?
Most importantly, will it even matter? I watch the hearings and the people opposed are actually debating. The people for SOPA don't even say anything. They just vote without having to engage in actual debate. If they have the ability to ignore someone in the very same room debating with them, and they have the ability to sit and wait patiently for all those hours, then they can very well ignore a non-violent protest that won't be physically anywhere near them.
I just sent a large email to my local paper. I hope they'll run an article on SOPA. Feel free to use any of the text in there if you want. I don't think I can take time off work to march, but at least I can do that.
I would go, but only if enough other nerds also go. Even if I try to lead and be the one to start it up, how many will follow? How many days will we have to sit there before more nerds show up?
Most importantly, will it even matter? I watch the hearings and the people opposed are actually debating. The people for SOPA don't even say anything. They just vote without having to engage in actual debate. If they have the ability to ignore someone in the very same room debating with them, and they have the ability to sit and wait patiently for all those hours, then they can very well ignore a non-violent protest that won't be physically anywhere near them.
I'm not picturing an OWS thing, because yeah I'm not quitting my job either. I'm picturing more of a one-day Rally for Sanity thing or whatever it was the Daily Show folks did, which turned out maybe a million people. Put it on a weekend so people could fly in, sometime in early spring so college students wouldn't have exams but probably before the whole mess can get through congress. Get most of the tech and nerd sites to promote it. The goal would be to get the mainstream folks who mostly use the internet for Facebook and cute cat videos on Youtube aware that hey, it isn't just pirates, fringe libertarian types, or the far left or right who are upset, this particular bill is just that bad and it will impact *you*.
I would go, but only if enough other nerds also go. Even if I try to lead and be the one to start it up, how many will follow? How many days will we have to sit there before more nerds show up?
Most importantly, will it even matter? I watch the hearings and the people opposed are actually debating. The people for SOPA don't even say anything. They just vote without having to engage in actual debate. If they have the ability to ignore someone in the very same room debating with them, and they have the ability to sit and wait patiently for all those hours, then they can very well ignore a non-violent protest that won't be physically anywhere near them.
I'm not picturing an OWS thing, because yeah I'm not quitting my job either. I'm picturing more of a one-day Rally for Sanity thing or whatever it was the Daily Show folks did, which turned out maybe a million people. Put it on a weekend so people could fly in, sometime in early spring so college students wouldn't have exams but probably before the whole mess can get through congress. Get most of the tech and nerd sites to promote it. The goal would be to get the mainstream folks who mostly use the internet for Facebook and cute cat videos on Youtube aware that hey, it isn't just pirates, fringe libertarian types, or the far left or right who are upset, this particular bill is just that bad and it will impact *you*.
By spring it will be too late. Also, what will it accomplish? What did the Rally to Restore Sanity accomplish? Protesting doesn't do anything if the people who have the actual power don't give a fuck.
By spring it will be too late. Also, what will it accomplish? What did the Rally to Restore Sanity accomplish? Protesting doesn't do anything if the people who have the actual power don't give a fuck.
Will it be too late? These sorts of things usually take many many months, and with security experts getting called in, a competing bill being advanced, and Wyden's hold on the Senate bill I'd be optimistic there won't be a bill on Obama's desk until April or May. And based on everything I've seen over the last couple of years, I'm more optimistic about the ability of a protest to accomplish something when a) they have very limited, well-defined goals b) the most important goal is publicity and c) the goals are negative, stopping or destroying something rather than promoting it. Rally for Sanity didn't really have a well-defined goal and it had a generally positive tone to boot.
If you can get front page mainstream coverage, the people in DC who think not enough people are paying attention to impact their re-election chances might suddenly start giving a fuck. It's too bad that this is being advanced well after there would be a good shot to can be primary a bunch of them for 2012, however.
Anything they do now will be forgotten by November except by the hardest of core. Even then, 2012 is a presidential election. There will be high turnout, that's true. But most people will vote down the party line of the presidential candidate they desire. The effect SOPA will have on the election is insignificantly small. The only chance it could make a difference is if you were a congressperson for silicon valley, you voted for SOPA, and you were up for re-election in 2012.
What Scott said. Plus, the pro-SOPA people are pushing to have it approved before January. I've even heard talk of canceling the recess (not only for this, but to stop Obama from doing recess appointments).
Back up and wow, a few thousand more signatures since a few hours ago. I mean I knew people were against it but I did not expect the petition to be going that quick.
This petition is shittily written and executed. Not that the WhiteHouse.gov petitions do anything anyway, but this one is pretty counter-productive.
I've received several responses from the program. Each one was trite, vaguely condescending, and literally nothing more than a rewording of the current policy's justifications with nothing added. I consider it on the whole to be a complete failure.
This petition is shittily written and executed. Not that the WhiteHouse.gov petitions do anything anyway, but this one is pretty counter-productive.
I've received several responses from the program. Each one was trite, vaguely condescending, and literally nothing more than a rewording of the current policy's justifications with nothing added. I consider it on the whole to be a complete failure.
Start a petition for the petitions to actually matter and not just be another way to campaign.
This petition is shittily written and executed. Not that the WhiteHouse.gov petitions do anything anyway, but this one is pretty counter-productive.
I've received several responses from the program. Each one was trite, vaguely condescending, and literally nothing more than a rewording of the current policy's justifications with nothing added. I consider it on the whole to be a complete failure.
Start a petition for the petitions to actually matter and not just be another way to campaign.
I'm not sure if this has been discussed already, but is there enough support to push past a veto?
Yes. This is why the National Defense Authorization Act is so worrisome. If SOPA gets vetoed, it is likely it won't get past Congress again. NDAA, not so much.
One of the more cynical theories about the SOPA delay is that the Congress critters are using the delay to raise campaign funds from both opposing and supporting groups.
Anyone have any thoughts as to whether or not this would affect our employers? I don't think it'd affect mine. Although we do have a website, and there are forums on there, we police them centrally and we use all our own in-house material (no tube-like stuff).
I called Chris Gibson (my congressman) and asked for information on how he was going to vote, and mentioned that I was against the SOPA act. His office sent me a letter that...well...didn't answer the question. At all. I will be paying close attention to how he votes, as I also mentioned that his vote would affect mine later on.
Anyone have any thoughts as to whether or not this would affect our employers? I don't think it'd affect mine. Although we do have a website, and there are forums on there, we police them centrally and we use all our own in-house material (no tube-like stuff).
It would affect mine quite a lot... To the point where I'm fairly certain I'd be out of a job shortly after it came into effect.
I called Chris Gibson (my congressman) and asked for information on how he was going to vote, and mentioned that I was against the SOPA act. His office sent me a letter that...well...didn't answer the question. At all. I will be paying close attention to how he votes, as I also mentioned that his vote would affect mine later on.
Is anyone else pro-rioting on the off chance this actually happens?
I called Chris Gibson (my congressman) and asked for information on how he was going to vote, and mentioned that I was against the SOPA act. His office sent me a letter that...well...didn't answer the question. At all. I will be paying close attention to how he votes, as I also mentioned that his vote would affect mine later on.
Is anyone else pro-rioting on the off chance this actually happens?
Maybe not SOPA alone, but it and NDAA, you know I'll be in the streets.
Comments
Most importantly, will it even matter? I watch the hearings and the people opposed are actually debating. The people for SOPA don't even say anything. They just vote without having to engage in actual debate. If they have the ability to ignore someone in the very same room debating with them, and they have the ability to sit and wait patiently for all those hours, then they can very well ignore a non-violent protest that won't be physically anywhere near them.
If you can get front page mainstream coverage, the people in DC who think not enough people are paying attention to impact their re-election chances might suddenly start giving a fuck. It's too bad that this is being advanced well after there would be a good shot to can be primary a bunch of them for 2012, however.
Get this signed.
For you non-Americans amongst us, you can petition the State Department from that site.
EDIT: Ah, looks like they updated the article. Crap. Time to write to the newspapers again.
I think this comic does a nice job of summing up the issues involved for the layman in nice short form.
At all.
I will be paying close attention to how he votes, as I also mentioned that his vote would affect mine later on.