As a WordPress user, I have the habit of checking Freshly Pressed everyday. When I checked it this morning, I saw all these black boxes with the word CENSORED. When I tried clicking a box, I ended up looking at a protest against the Protect IP Act (PIPA).
Because this is the first time I heard about SOPA/PIPA, I immediately thought “What do all these have to do with a small time blogger like me who doesn’t even live in the United States?”. Then, I saw this video and everything became clear.
PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.
SOPA/PIPA may look good, with its aim of stopping piracy. But will it? On a larger scale, SOPA/PIPA threatens freedom of expression on the Internet, not only of the people in the U.S. but all over the world as well.
SOPA/PIPA affects you and me. Sure, we have to end piracy but not liberty.
You have to worry about it, think about it and make a stand. When SOPA/PIPA is passed.. we are all f*cked.
SOPA/PIPA Update
On the brighter side of things, President Obama said he will not support this bill. You can read more about it here.
January 20th update: SOPA is dead. You can read more here.
You’re in the right in this situation. I was at a Queens of the Stone Age concert not to long ago and when the show started all I saw from the back half of the venue was about 2/3 of the people recording the show with their phones. I’ve never seen anything like it. Whatever happened to living in the moment. Plus, to your point, it retards a performers ability to market their product effectively if a bunch of shitbox recordings are on YouTube. Worse for comedians than musicians where recording quality isn’t as important. Not to mention the act of recording is DISTRACTING to not only the performer but to the audience too. So, just as a general point of view people that do this are dicks.
Smith should do his research first on what bill he should pass and not just something so that he could just make a law!. He is now famous (or should I say, infamous) not only in the internet but all over the world as well.