SOPA - Continuation of Law Stupidity From the 1990s

Back in June of 1995 I wrote a piece for our Wimsey's Digital Rag online magazine (the forerunner of this site) titled Community Standards and the Internet. At that time the article notes that there were about 4.5 million+ computers and about 30-50 million people on the internet, and that with even this few, the cost of vetting the content that passed through the typical ISP would be so onerous that "we should all sell shoes instead."

At that time various legal jurisdictions were threatening (or had actually done so) to impose anti porn and hate laws that would have made the likes of Microsoft leave Washington state rather than face the prospect of the legal consequences of having customers on its network systems.

At that time it was almost reasonable that the legislators didn't understand the technologies they were trying to deal with - it was so new that the paint was not yet dry.

Today however, the fact that legislators propose such stupid laws as SOPA and then turn around and boast of the fact that they don't have a clue about the technology is not only unforgiveable, it is down right criminal. Our governing legislators should be held personally accountable for their wonton ignorance of such a basic piece of today's infrastructure as the internet now is. 

Here in Canada the same goes for the Conservatives and their unprecedented bullheadedness over the Digital Rights Management aspect of the new Copyright law and for the stupid concepts contained in the "Lawfull Access" portion of the new crime bill. 

If no other way, then they should be held accountable at the polls - "none of the above" works for me. 

Let your MP, MLA, Senator, Congressman, etc. know your feelings - email, snailmail, phone - whatever - but tell them you will NOT vote for them no matter what if they continue to be so ignorant.

richard

Tag: lawfull access canada internet law drm digital rights management sopa