I know this isn't about magic, but it is VERY important nonetheless.
The United States Congress is about to consider a bill called SOPA that will basically allow corporations to take control of social networking and video hosting sites if they are _suspected of_ or _enable the ability to_ share copyrighted information without their permission. It enforces this by giving corporations the power to make the US government shut down any website on the Internet indefinitely. If this bill is enacted, every video on YouTube that contains copyrighted information (including video game let's plays, re-posted trailers, clips from TV shows and movies, recommendations of certain products, and music) will all be gone. Same for Facebook, Twitter, and more. I've even heard the WikiLeaks could be targeted.
Not only does this deliberately infringe upon our rights, it is being considered by people who are being lobbied by special interests and have openly admitted that they do not know how the Internet works. This legislation does not just effect those of us in the United States, but around the world as the bill basically treats the Internet as property of the US or corporations. This is basically amounting to corporations having the unlimited power to censor everything we say, especially since the bill will prevent the advertising of certain businesses that rely on us to spread the word for them (prefect example: indie game Minecraft). It _will_ also frighten investors away from small, independent internet-based companies, turning the Internet into a monopoly. This bill must be destroyed immediately.
Additional info on bill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhwuXNv8fJM&feature=g-all-lik&context=G206e99fFAAAAAAAAAAA
Petition against the bill: http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet
Tell your congressman to stop this bill:
http://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fwritetocongress&session_token=6_6Trq7_ug4AR0yJOFtJR1PXlhp8MTMyNDI0MzAwOUAxMzI0MTU2NjA5
Message I got from Avaaz after signing their petition:
Dear friends,
Right now, the US Congress is debating a law that would give them the power to censor the world's Internet -- creating a blacklist that could target YouTube, WikiLeaks and even groups like Avaaz!
Under the new law, the US could force Internet providers to block any website on suspicion of violating copyright or trademark legislation, or even failing to sufficiently police their users' activities. And, because so much of the Internet's hosts and hardware are located in the US, their blacklist would clamp down on the free web for all of us.
The vote could happen any day now, but we can help stop this -- champions in Congress want to preserve free speech and tell us that an international outcry would strengthen their hand. Let’s urgently raise our voices from every corner of the world and build an unprecedented global petition calling on US decision makers to reject the bill and stop Internet censorship. Click below to sign and then forward as widely as possible -- our message will be delivered directly to key members of the US Congress ahead of the crucial vote:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet/?tta
For years, the US government has condemned countries like China and Iran for their clampdown on Internet use. But now, the impact of America's new censorship laws could be far worse - effectively blocking sites to every Internet user across the globe.
Last year, a similar Internet censorship bill was killed before reaching the US Senate floor, but it has now been refashioned and is back on the table. The new draft grants the government and big corporations enormous powers to force ISPs and search engines to prevent access to sites blacklisted because of allegations of online infringement. But the bill goes even further, also targeting service providers for not doing enough to track and enforce infringement rules, or for providing tools to help US Internet users access sites on the blacklist. Any website can be blocked by the order of a federal judge, without even being found guilty of any crime.
US free speech advocates have already raised the alarm, and some key senators are trying to gather enough support to stop this dangerous bill. We have no time to lose. Let's stand with them to ensure American lawmakers preserve the right to a free and open Internet as an essential way for people around the world to exchange ideas, share communication and work collectively to build the world we want. Sign below to stop the US Internet Blacklist:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet/?tta
In the past months, from the Arab Spring to the global Occupy Movement, we've seen first hand how the Internet can galvanize, unify and change the world. Now we can stop this new attack on Internet freedom if we stand together. We've done it before. In Brazil and Italy, Avaaz members have won major victories in the right for a free Internet. Let's galvanize our global web community and crush the most powerful censorship threat that the Internet has ever seen.
With hope,
Luis, Dalia, Diego, Emma, Ricken, Aaron, Antonia, Benjamin and the rest of the Avaaz team
More information:
Op-Ed: Blacklist Bill allows Feds to remove websites from Internet (Digital Journal)
http://digitaljournal.com/article/313463
Disastrous IP Legislation Is Back – And It's Worse than Ever (EFF)
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/disastrous-ip-legislation-back-%E2%80%93-and-it%E2%80%99s-worse-ever
Silicon Valley legislators oppose online piracy act (SFGate)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/15/BUO81LV0KI.DTL
House Hearing on Stop Online Piracy Act Scheduled (PC World)
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/243659/house_hearing_on_stop_online_piracy_act_scheduled.html
Avaaz.org is a 10-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4 continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
What does this have to do with magick? I could explain slowly to you the reasons why this has happened, such as the result of people stealing the work of others without paying their dues, but this is not a magick related topic!
Re: Urgent - Censorship Law By: AddNameHere / Beginner
Post # 5 Dec 17, 2011
I think I signed this one a while back. Thanks for taking an interest in it, though. These sorts of things are important.
And, as this is the second post on here that was not magick related in the last couple of days that has had enangered people freaking out about it because it was not magick related, may I point out that a moderator had moved it to a location that she felt more appropriate on the site for it, but did not delete it (which she would have done if it were against the rules to post political or other non-magick related material). So please, no more angry people yelling about it not belonging on the site or that is against the rules to post it.
I probably wouldn't be posting like this if people would point out their belief that it is against the rules or doesn't belong in a simple statement, but the anger used instead just irks me. There is no need for that to put forth your ideas or disagreements. I realize there is only one on here so far, but the one yesterday had several.
