Comments on: SOPA and The New Gatekeepers

By: Smug ignorance | A ton of useful information about screenwriting from screenwriter John August

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:46:08 +0000

[…] As Mike Davidson puts it: […]

By: Kyle Warner

Kyle Warner — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:14:57 +0000

This exact issue was brought up when the original committee hearings were held. No one with any technology expertise was present to testify to the committee. I understand having people there to support your bill, like the MPAA, but not having anyone to speak to the technology implications is very short sighted.

Here is one article I found talking about it, but I’m sure there are hundreds more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57326228-281/new-flap-over-sopa-copyright-bill-anti-web-security/

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:16:21 +0000

I think you are correct on that, and it’s a key reason why this need not (and probably should not) be something that every one of us needs to be actively participating in. Aware, yes, but actively throwing tomatoes, no. A better solution would involve a council who can better formulate the concerns of the many. Some would say this is what Congress is designed to do, but I would argue it needs to be lower-level and more specialized than that.

By: Benjamin Listwon

Benjamin Listwon — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:27:50 +0000

You touched on something interesting that I hadn’t thought about until now. The internet, and the population of it, is very good at crying foul and raising flags when speech or rights are in danger of infringement. It is however, nearly devoid of folks willing to reach fair compromise by participating directly in the negotiation and redrafting of what it has taken offense to.

There are immediate notable professional exceptions, such as the EFF, and more generally applicable tools that we saw used during the Arab Spring, such as YouTube and Facebook. But it seems that at the end of the day, most of the talk that goes on is about the willingness to find a valid compromise, not the actual creation or work on such.

Too often, when something is kicked out in response, it is too raw, reactionary and unvarnished to be taken seriously. Thus, too many folks not in the drivers seat consider the other side to be outlandish, regardless of what side you come down on.

Am I mistaken? (probably) But I am honestly curious and anxious to be proven so.