In what’s sure to be the straw to break the camel’s back, I’m joining Wikipedia, reddit, WordPress many others in the SOPA Strike.
This legislation aims to reverse the trend of democratization in content production and wrest control of the dialogue from the people back to a monopolistic, myopic minority of ‘content owners.’ It proposes a system of presumed guilt, as opposed to innocence, for any accused ‘rogue site,’ and places the legal and financial risk upon anyone daring to attempt to distribute information outside of pre-ordained, and pre-taxed, channels of the Media Cartel. Worst of all, the legislation is grossly imprecise in it’s definitions, and if enacted even it’s supporters admit that it would have a very real impact on the Free Speech Rights of Americans.
An open Internet has had terrific success at advancing the sciences, the arts, and the freedoms of all mankind. The Internet must remain open, and free from gatekeepers desperate to extract profit from the creativity and passion of others.