US Congress Still Doesn’t Understand the Internet, Reddit Responds to Lamar Smith Over SOPA

Recently, US Representative Lamar Smith (accidentally?) issued a challenge to the social-media news aggregator site Reddit by calling them a vocal minority who didn’t understand the law as written and therefore their fears were unfounded. Smith then challenged the community to point out the areas they felt SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act) threatened the integrity of the Internet.
"It’s a vocal minority,” he said. "Because they’re strident doesn’t mean they’re either legitimate or large in number. One, they need to read the language. Show me the language. There’s nothing they can point to that does what they say it does do. I think their fears are unfounded."
To put this in Internet meme terms, Reddit took this to heart: Challenge Accepted.



Anyone ready to dismiss the power behind Reddit and its role as an organ of mainstream Internet reaction might want to look at how GoDaddy did when Reddit became a leverage-point for pressure against the domain-name registrar to drop their support for SOPA.
It is broadly argued by opponents of bills such as SOPA and PROTECT-IP that while they’re philosophically designed to counteract copyright infringement and piracy but pragmatically they burn down the forest to kill the wolf. Under these bills set before Congress corporations who hold copyrights will be given unprecedented powers that would allow them to censor any target without due process (as cited my many opponents of the bills) already this is a problem for the DMCA in its “automatic takedown” provisions but will only be expanded to ridiculous extremes by SOPA and remove what works out of the DMCA (although it should be pointed out that the DMCA is still demonstrably broken in a way SOPA breaks worse.)
Needless to say, the deck has been stacked against opponents of this bill and even Google has found themselves at the table speaking out against it. While one might think it would be hard to marginalize a corporation like Google, the US Congress managed to do just that with ridicule and dismissal.
It seems unlikely the Lamar Smith will look at the artifacts of Reddit’s reaction to his challenge, but the research and replies developed from within their ranks will further fan the flames and better educate people as to what portions are in fact poorly designed.
On another note, language from corporations who do not support “the current version” of SOPA should really just drop it. The public at large understands that there’s a strong reason for copyright holders to desire powers that enable them to protect their copyrights; but when they ignore the unequal treatment of different holders and providers in these contexts (to their own obvious detriment) and are unable to explain away the philosophical bankruptcy of bills like SOPA it damages their credibility.
The politics of this bill are ever shifting, and everyone should be aware of who supports it in the gaming industry—for example here’s some MMO publishers who belong to the Entertainment Software Association (SOPA supporter) but who have been looked through recently to see who supports the party line of the association.

Way to go TRION Worlds who was recently discovered to not support SOPA (so spake they in a forum post) and said they’d take it up with the ESA. Hopefully more will follow suit.

Nintendo, EA, and Sony Electronics Pull Support for SOPA…Sortof?

Right now, with GoDaddy staring down the barrel of a boycott over their initial support for the Internet-censorship bill SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) other companies are beginning to follow suit and renege support for the bill.

World’s largest video game producers Nintendo, EA, and Sony Electronics have yanked their direct support of the bill and this is a good thing.

However, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA)—an alliance among whom EA, Nintendo, and Sony happen to claim membership—still supports SOPA. Unless the big three listed above remove themselves from that alliance they are still supporting SOPA by proxy (and with their money.)

Pulling their name from the list is a nice gesture; but in my eyes it’s a futile one if they remain in collusion with an organization putting its name and funds towards this censorship bill.

I will wait to hear that either the ESA has changed it stance; or Nintendo, EA, and/or Sony Electronics has withdrawn their membership in the association.

Dragon Tamers by Kyt Dotson a █████ █████ Censored in Protest of SOPA and PROTECT-IP

I've censored the following, in protest of a bill that gives any corporation and the US government the power to censor the internet--a bill that could pass THIS WEEK. To see the uncensored text, and to stop internet censorship, visit: http://americancensorship.org/posts/5609/uncensor

Dragon Tamers
By Kyt Dotson © 2002
Dedicated to Corrin Ingold

The ██████████ was ████ and █████; a █████ ██████ ████ of █████ █████████. The ███████ █████ ████████ ████ the █████ of the ████ ██████ █████ ██████ ████ a ██████ ████████████. The ████ of the ███████████ █████ ██████ in ███████’s ████, as she █████ ███████ ████ one of the ████ ███████ of ████████ █████ ███████ at the █████ in the ██████. In the ██████ of the ██████████ an █████████ █████ had ████ ███████, it ████████ to be ████ ████ a ████ of █████ █████. In its ████ ███████ the ██████ ███████████ the ██████████ █████████ and ████████ ████ the █████ in the █████ sky. In the ████ ██████ of the █████ was ████ ████████ █████ be ███████ for: a █████ █████. The █████ was a ████████ █████; it ████████ ████ ██████ ████ it was ████ its lid ████ so ████ the █████ █████ ████ ████ its ████ █████ and ████ the ██████████. The ████████ █████ █████ and █████ ████ ████ ██████ its ████████ ████████ ███████ of the █████ of a ██████. The ██████’s █████ ██████ up ████ ████ its █████ and ██████ the ████-████ top for the █████, and its ████████—the ████████ █████ █████ of the █████—███████ █████ ███████ the ███████. ███████ ██████ a ██████ to ████ at the █████-██████ ████ her ████████ a ████ ████████ ████. “We are ██████ ██████,” she ████ to ██████. “████ is ████ we are.” * * * The █████ air was ████ ███████ ███████’s ████ █████████ as she ██████████ ███████ out of the van. It was ████ six █████ █████ she had ███████ the ██████████ ████—████ it was █████—but now it was ███████ to the ████. ██████ her, she █████ ████ the ██████ of the █████ ██████ who ████ █████ ████ her. ████ ████ █████████ █████████ ██████████ ████ the ███████. ████████ ███████ █████████ and ████ ██████ to ███████ a ████ of ███████ ████ ████████’s ████████. ███████ had ██████ ███████ in a ██████ █████ ████ of a ██████████ ████████. 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It ████ ████ ████ ██████ had ██████ her up, █████████ ████ ████ ██████ ██████ but ███████ to ███████. “Yes,” she ████ ████ a ████ and ███████ did ████ his ████. ████ ████ ██████ ████. “████ is the way ████ I ████ to do it.” He ███████ for a ██████ as if ███████ and ████ ██████, █████████. ████ ██████ ████████ at her █████, he led her ████ ████ the van and ███████ the ██████████. She ██████████ the ██████████ ███████ and ███████ him to █████ her █████ her ████████ ████████. ███████ of ██████ ████ ███████ █████████ ██████ ████ the ███████-lot and ████ the █████ to the ██████████. The █████ ███████ ██████ ████ ████ █████ and ██████ ██████ of ████████ ████ ██████ ████ the ██████████ █████ ████ ████████ ████ █████. ███████ and the ████ █████ to ████ ████ and ████ for the ████████ of the █████ to ████ ████. █████ █████ ████ ████ up in a ███████, ████ the █████, so ████ ██████’t ████ to ████ ████ ██████, it was ████ ██████ to █████ the █████. The █████ ████ her ████ ████ to █████. The “█████ ██████” ████ her, as she ████ ████████ of ████, ████ ██████ her ███████. ███████ had to ██████ ███████ ████ she was ████████████ ██████████ ███████ ███████ she ██████’t ████ ████████ ████. ████ █████’t her ██████████ ███████, but her ████████ ███████. ██████, she █████████, ████ ████’t ████ ████ █████ ███████ █████ ████ as if ████ ████ ███████████ to her. ████’d ██████ her for █████-████ █████. It ████’t ████ she ████ who her ██████████ ███████ ████ ██████, ████████ ████ █████’t so ███████████. █████ she was █████ to ████ her ██████ for the █████ ████, it was her ███████████. She ████’t ████ to ████ ████ she was █████████ her ████████ ██████ and ██████ by ██████ to ████ and ████ her ██████████ ██████…but it was █████ ████ in her ████. ███████ it was ████ ████ █████’t ████████ ████ her as ████ ██████; ███████, ████ █████ ████ ████ █████ and ████ her ████ her █████. ███████ █████ her ████ as she ███████ ████ ████ ██████. No one had ████████ to ████, ██████ was ██████ ██████. ██████ █████ ████ █████████ ██████, yes, but ███████ ████ ███████ ████’t ███████ █████ of. █████ a ██████ of █████████ the █████████ she ███████ ████ it was ████████ ██████ not to █████ █████ her ███████; ████ █████ ████ for ██████████ █████ all. █████ the █████ had ███████ ████████████, She ████████ her ███████ ███████ the █████ and ████ a ██████ ████████ ███████████, ██████ ████ █████ ████████ █████ in █████, ███████ for █████████, ███████ for █████████, and ███████ in ██████. ███████ in the day, ████ ████ was ████ as █████ as the ████ of the ██████████. It ██████ ███████ ██████ ██████ in it now. The ███████████ █████ be ████████ in ████ ████ ████ ███████. ███████ ████████ the ██████ ████████████, ██████ ██████ any ██████ all the way up. █████-q ██████████ ██████ the █████, ██████ ██████ to the ████ ██████ of █████████ █████ and ███████ the █████ █████ ████ ████ the █████████. It was ████ one of █████ ████ █████████ ████ she, her █████, and her ███████ ███████ █████ ████████ ████ ████ ████ a ████████ of ████████ ██████. The ████ was ███████████ and it put her in a █████ █████ she █████ ████████ ██████ the ██████ ██████████, and ███████ the ██████ ████ it ████████ ████ █████ the ██████ █████ it was ████ to see. The █████ █████ █████████ up the █████ ████ its ███████ █████████, ████ █████ ███████ had ████ it. The ██████ ███████ ████████ on the █████; its ████████ █████ █████ ████████ her ████ a ████████. ████ █████ she was old ██████ to ██████████ ████ a █████ was, ███████ had ████ ███████. At █████, her ███████ ████’t ███████ how █████████ her ███████ ████████ was █████ to be, so ████ ████ her ████████ in the █████ in ██████ and let her ████ on it in her ████ ████. ████ ████ got her ████ █████ of █████, the █████████ ██████ ████ █████ for █████ ████ ████████. She ███████ ████ █████ of the ███████ █████████ in ████ and ████████ ████. ███████ ██████████, ████ ████ her █████ ███████ ████ a ██████████ ██████ ███████ who █████ in the ████████████. Her ███████████ ███████ █████████ ████ █████, and ██████ a ████, she had █████ ██████ her own ███████’s █████ and ███████ █████ ████ a new ███████. A ████ █████ ████ the ████. And ████ █████ ████. ███████, it ██████, was a ███████ ████ it ████ to the █████. She was ████████ now and she had ██████ to ████ a █████ ████ her ██████████ █████ ███████ █████████. ████ she was █████ to █████ ███████, her █████ was █████ to ██████, and it was a ███████ ████ to add ████ a ██████ bit ████ ██████. The █████ ███████ ███████ ██████ the ███████ █████ as ████. The ████ was ████ ███████ her █████ and it ████ ████ to █████████ ███████’s ███████ and ████████████. She’d ████ an ███████ █████ all of her ████; ███████████ █████ █████…██████ she’d ████ ████ ████ her ██████ did █████ a few ████ ████ her at the █████████ of her ████. ███████ ████████ if she █████ ████ ███████████ ████ she met her ██████—if ████ █████ of “████ is my ██████” █████ be █████. She ███████ it █████ be █████, the ████ of it █████ ███████ her ██████ █████ of the ████████, of ████ was █████. It was ████ █████ ████ ███████ her ████ in the █████ █████. It was ████ ████, ████ the ████ ███████ ███████ her █████ to █████████ her █████, ███████ ███████ on ████ it was ████ ███████ up. She ████’t ████ █████ for █████ “█████ up” by her ██████ to her ███████ ███████…and now ████ she was old ██████, she ███████ it was ████ to ████████ ████ ████ her...██████████…████?...████████?...██████ was ████. Her ████ █████ ████ ████ she did ████ █████ her. 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The ██████ ██████ the ████████ ████ ███████’s ████, ████████, ███████, by her ████ ██████████ in the █████. The █████ and the ██████ █████ ███████ at its ██████. The █████ ████████ a ████████ █████-█████ ████ ████ ███████ ████ the ████ of the ████ ███████ ██████ █████. A ████ ████ ██████ the █████ and the ███████ ██████. The █████████ of the █████ who ██████ ████ one of the ████ █████████—████ ███████ ████ █████ the ██████████ ████ █████ ████████ ████████—██████ █████████ █████████ in the █████. The █████ ███████ ████ the ██████ ██████ the ██████████ ████ ███████, ████████ her a ███████ ████. The ██████-█████’s ████ █████ to █████ ████, ██████████ in the ███████ ███████ ████ ██████, and ████ ██████ to █████ on the ███████████ █████. ███████ ███████. ███████. All █████ ████████ ██████████ ████ ███████’s ████ as she ███████—the ███████ was █████ to █████. The █████ ████ a ██████, ██████████ ████████, ████ a ████ of ██████████ ███████ ████████. Her ████ was ████ █████ and ████████ ████ her ████ in a ████ of ████████ █████. All ████ ████████ her as she ██████████ the ███████ of her █████: the ██████ in the ██████ of the ██████████. The ██████ ██████ up, its █████ ███████ ████ an ████████████ ██████████ in the █████████ of ████ and █████. The █████ ██████ up ████ her ████████, ████████, ███████ ████████ her ████ ████ the █████ as she ████ ███████ it ████ a ████████ and █████. The ██████████ ██████ ████ ████████████ █████ the ██████ ███████ her ████ █████████ ████. As she sat ████, her ███████ █████ █████ ██████ █████ the ██████’s █████; it ███████, █████████ to █████ to her ██████. ████ █████ ███████, she █████ to ████, and █████ ████ ████ the █████ of the █████, a ██████ ██████ out as if ████ ████ ██████ ███████ ████ its ██████████ █████ and ████ ████ the air. Her ███████ ██████ at the ██████’s █████ and ███████ the ██████ ████ its █████ maw in a ██████ ████████ of █████. The ████ air ██████ a ███████ ██████████ for the ███████████ ██████ ████ ██████ out ████ a ██████ ██████, ████████ ██████ and ████. It ██████████ ████ the ███████ ██████ of the ██████ █████ ████ ███████ the █████████ of █████████ █████████ and ████ ██████ █████ the ████████ and ███████ ████ █████ in ██████. The █████ ██████ ██████ up and █████ to ████ a █████ of a █████ far ████: █████ is a ████, ████ on a ████-██████ ████████, █████ █████ ██████ ████ the ██████████ of the █████ at █████. The █████ in its ██████████ ████ ████████ in a █████ ██████ ████, ██████ ████████ and all ████████████. A █████ ██████ of █████ who ████ ████████ at █████, █████ ████ ███████ ███████ the ███████—a ██████ ██████ the ██████ █████; the ██████ █████ a ██████ in—and █████████ ████ ████ ████████, █████ █████ ███████ to █████ to ████ ████ the ████ ████ ████ ████████ █████ ██████. ████████ ████ ████ of ███████. ███████ ████ in a █████████ far ████ █████—the ██████ ████████ out ██████; the █████████ of the ██████ ████████ ████ a ███████ ████████ █████████ █████████—███████ in ████████████ for the ████ to ████ ████ ████ and ██████ it ████ ████ ██████ the ██████. A █████████ ████ to █████ ████ ██████ █████████ █████ ██████ the █████ ██████. A ███████ ████ to ████ ████ ████ ███████ of █████ ████ to the ████ of the ████████ to ████ its █████ ████ █████ in the ████ of ██████████ and ████ the ██████ ████ ████. The ██████████ is ████████; the ██████ ██████████ ██████████ to its █████; the ████ ████ █████ █████ ████ ████ ██████, all the █████ ███████ ████ ████ the ████████ ██████: the █████ of █████ ████—the ██████ ████ of the ██████. The █████ █████ ████ her ████ and the ██████ ███████ ████ her ████. ███████ █████ ███████ ███████ at the █████ in the ██████ of the ██████████; ████ █████ had ██████ ██████████ ████ her ██████. ████ ██████ the █████ █████ to bow to the ████ ████████, the ████ in the ████ ████ █████ to ███████: “████ was █████████—I bet ████ her ██████ is ██████ █████ of her.” ███████ ███████ up to ████ a ████ ████ █████ one of her ████ ████ as ████ ███████ ████ her ██████. “Yes,” she ████, “her ████████ is ████ █████ of her.”