On 1/18/2012 12:32 PM, F. George McDuffee wrote:
On Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:07:37 -0500, tnik
wrote:

I don't normally post off topic, but I feel this is worth it. I also
apologize for not putting OT: in the header, I didn't want peoples
filters blocking this one.

In the larger sense, this is on topic. The efforts to
implement the closure of the virtual commons means an
attempt to prevent the spread of Linux, EMC, and the other
freeware programs as well as censoring the internet and
choking off the free flow of information.



Just browse over to wikipedia and you can find out all the information
you want about it.. But in a nut shell:

SOPA and PIPA represent two bills in the United States House of
Representatives and the United States Senate respectively. SOPA is short
for the "Stop Online Piracy Act," and PIPA is an acronym for the
"Protect IP Act." ("IP" stands for "intellectual property.") In short,
these bills are efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by
foreign web sites, but, in our opinion, they do so in a way that
actually infringes free expression while harming the Internet. Detailed
information about these bills can be found in the Stop Online Piracy Act
and PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia, which are available during the
blackout. GovTrack lets you follow both bills through the legislative
process: SOPA on this page, and PIPA on this one. The Electronic
Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating
for the public interest in the digital realm, has summarized why these
bills are simply unacceptable in a world that values an open, secure,
and free Internet.

Indeed, and these two acts appear to be yet more examples of
the 1% (0.1%?) attempting to high jack the new virtual
common out from under everyone else for their own profit.
While they may indeed high jack this particular portion of
the common, in doing so they will "kill" the activity that
would make it profitable for them, while denying it to
everyone else.

For a hard read, but to understand what is occurring and has
occurred, which goes far beyond SOPA and PIPA, see
http://www.amazon.com/Commonwealth-M...6906740&sr=1-2

Be warned the author is "hard left" but he has many useful
insights, along with the B/S.

also see
http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Theft-P.../dp/0415932645




What really surprises me George is that you were the only one that
replied to this. BUT if these two bills pass, can you imagine how many
people will bitch and moan? I don't know about you, but I have emailed
and called my so called representatives.

Having a censored internet will be, at least the way I look at it, just
like walking into a library, and having an armed guard standing there
telling you what books your allowed to look at. Or even worse, which
pages you are allowed to read. Our government already has too much
power, last thing we need is them telling us what we can or can't look
at on the internet.