Why I hate SOPA
I have had a few people ask me why I have been so vocal in my hate for SOPA and PIPA (The Senate version of the same bill), taking it as far as pledging to run when I am able to if it passes.
To me, it is simple. SOPA is a bad bill, being rushed through Congress with little regard for the “minority” (that is, the minority on the committee, since I am fairly sure SOPA supporters are the minority when the general populous is included). That is not how this is supposed to work, especially when the bill has real dangers attached to it that are being ignored. Congress, and the committee process, was created to slow things down, and make sure that all sides are being heard - that is not the case. All we have seen is a few Congresspeople stand up and say that this has issues and is a bad bill, while most of the Congresscritters are just throwing their hands up, wearing their technical (and sometimes moral) incompetence on their sleeve like a badge of honor, rather than stepping up to the duties of their office, and finding out the correct answers.
Also, it is because I am an Internet citizen. TwinkleTrail.com, a side project of mine, currently exists in the DMCA safe harbor - if someone posts a copyrighted image with a location, there are things that protect me from their actions. (Super simplified - you should read up on it). Under SOPA/PIPA, this provision is removed. If someone, whether out of malice or lack of knowledge, posts a copyrighted picture on my site, it could be shut down, I could face charges, and financial loss. That is not a good thing. That is not how America was founded, or how I think it should be run.
We should be protecting the entrepreneurship and innovators, not giving them more to worry about.
We should be encouraging the flow of ideas, rather than stifling them.
We should be supporting the public, not kowtowing to industry thugs (RIAA and MPAA, I think you are some of the worst people on the earth).
We should care about generating more and new revenue, not protecting it for an industry that has no need to be propped up.
We should be about protecting and listening to the minority, not squashing it.
We should be about open speech, not censorship.
We can do better than this.
We are better than this.
