So, I've been reading up a bit about the Stop Online Piracy Act.
Yikes.
Now, I understand the logic behind it, and I understand piracy is a problem…but this is like being pepper-sprayed and thrown in jail because the guy eight floors above you who you've never met was cooking meth, maybe. It just makes me damn nervous, some of the very, very open wording they have in this thing, and the near unlimited options for control and censorship allowed by this.
Why should we care? Well…if someone posts anything remotely copyrighted, or a link to copyrighted work, or writes something that sounds a little bit like something someone might have had a copyright on once, the entire site can be shut down. For one post. Will that happen a lot? Jesus, i hope not…
In my observation, though, when you give any large entity (be it government, corporation, or otherwise) the option between having more power or less, they will always pick more. Even more, if this group suddenly has a easy, sanctioned, and undeniable way to squelch…basically anything and everything it doesn't like…well…what would you do, honestly?
Here is a link to some information…how do you all stand? For, against, indifferent? As you can imagine, I'm rather against, but I'm also subject to random bouts of tinfoil-helmet levels of paranoia, so I may be a bit biased.
