SOPA and PIPA

[Gen. Volkov]

I guess you can still type IP addresses, but who does that?  It breaks the internet.

No, it breaks the easy to use, user friendly version of the internet. If necessary, I can type in the IP address. The government literally cannot block it, because it's operating on the level that the internet actually functions at. Developers can build a new, user friendly interface around it, and bingo-presto, new internet that the government can't control, short of literally shutting down the entire interwebs. Like I said, trying to herd cats. The government does not understand this. Government compromises the DNS servers? OK, build new servers, with a new system.

[Peace Alliance]

Ease of use is the internet. before web 2.0 improved usability the internet was used almost exclusively by physicists. We wouldn't have the internet without ease of use.

[Gen. Volkov]

Ease of use is the internet. before web 2.0 improved usability the internet was used almost exclusively by physicists. We wouldn't have the internet without ease of use.

No, ease of use is the world wide web. The internet is a bunch of computers connecting to each other using TCP/IP. The world wide web has been overlaid on those protocols, and that's what you and I are actually using. Without DNS, we'd still have the internet, we just wouldn't have the easy to use web.

[Dark Claws]

These Bills have good intentions, just worded wrong. If I owned the copyright information to something I could use it to destroy any website of my choice. While filmmakers and other copyright holders probably won't go on a tyrannical rampage to try to become dictator of the internet, it means that high traffic posting sites (like wikipedia or youtube) will probably be taken down because someone decides to make a copyright infringement. Even if there is no infringement, the website can't countersue because of the wording in the bill. Google, Bing, and Ask.com will also be hard hit and probably will go down as well because they may have links to a site that has a copyright infringement. The point is, if these website lose their Americans, they'll be hard hit and won't hold the power they used to have. They might be more ad filled or could shut down entirely. Which is why wikipedia and the rest are protesting. They'll lose a lot of money (how many donors came from America?) and might shut down.

[Shadow]

Ease of use is the internet. before web 2.0 improved usability the internet was used almost exclusively by physicists. We wouldn't have the internet without ease of use.

No, ease of use is the world wide web. The internet is a bunch of computers connecting to each other using TCP/IP. The world wide web has been overlaid on those protocols, and that's what you and I are actually using. Without DNS, we'd still have the internet, we just wouldn't have the easy to use web.

You're splitting hairs here. What peace is saying is that without ease of use, the internet would lose a huge number of users, and with them a lot of its value. The people who are too illiterate to use framework of the internet are exactly NOT the ones crapping the place up with spam, and so we would be left with researchers and spam botnets.

[windhound]

Eh.  Somewhat Dark Claws.  Somewhat.

If someone writes a law with broad powers and says "we won't really use them" and you trust them you're a fool.  These bills are written broad for a reason, and those powers will be abused

However, its not the big sites like Wikipedia, Google, and Microsoft that have to worry - atleast not right away.  They're big enough, with deep enough pockets and resources that they can fend off lawsuits.  If targeted, they could probably use their muscle to overturn the law.  Small websites cannot afford to defend themselves.

SOPA included language which prohibits advertisers to display ads on those sites.  A lot of the large web ad agencies are US based -- Google bought doubleclick.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_advertising#Ad_server_market_structure shows just about all (if not all) the major companies are US based.  Many websites are entirely supported based on ads, this strips that away.

Anyways, Volky - If there are laws controlling DNS, what makes you think that any new system wouldn't immediately be put under the same control as soon as it gained traction.  And if it can't be controlled, they could just make it illegal to use it.  More than likely they wouldn't need to though, casual users are barely able to install a new browser much less a new domain system.
The cool thing about the internet today is that anyone can use it.  There's also no real corporate control; anyone can buy a domain name and setup a server in their house and its immediately part of the internet, or world wide web if you want. 

Instead of fighting the internet, the media companies pushing these laws should embrace it and find out how they can make it work for them.  Because it can work.  Check out Netflix and Amazon, they're producing their own shows.  People like George Carlin scare the crap out of them though, as he produced and hosted his own show for $5 on his website and netted a million. 
Legislating it away is easier than change, and due to the way lobbying is allowed and the general apathy about technology in congress they can probably do it -- would have done it if not for the effected companies standing up.

[Gen. Volkov]

You're splitting hairs here. What peace is saying is that without ease of use, the internet would lose a huge number of users, and with them a lot of its value. The people who are too illiterate to use framework of the internet are exactly NOT the ones crapping the place up with spam, and so we would be left with researchers and spam botnets.

I am not splitting hairs, it's a valid point I am making. You don't seem to understand, I don't care if it's just people who are computer literate who can use the internet freely.

Anyways, Volky - If there are laws controlling DNS, what makes you think that any new system wouldn't immediately be put under the same control as soon as it gained traction.  And if it can't be controlled, they could just make it illegal to use it.

Because any new system would probably be a distributed system, not a centralized one, making it impossible to control. As for being made illegal to use. HA. HAHAHAHAHA. Don't be silly. At least half the people on this forum have downloaded free songs, or movies, or something from the internet. Millions do it every day. It's all "illegal", and there is basically nothing they can do about it. OK, they shut down mega-upload, how exactly do you propose to shut down torrents?

Herding. Cats.

More than likely they wouldn't need to though, casual users are barely able to install a new browser much less a new domain system.

True, but I don't care.

The cool thing about the internet today is that anyone can use it.

If you say so. LOL.

There's also no real corporate control; anyone can buy a domain name and setup a server in their house and its immediately part of the internet, or world wide web if you want.

Well, that is nice, but there's no reason a similarly useful, distributed system couldn't be used.

Instead of fighting the internet, the media companies pushing these laws should embrace it and find out how they can make it work for them.  Because it can work.  Check out Netflix and Amazon, they're producing their own shows.  People like George Carlin scare the crap out of them though, as he produced and hosted his own show for $5 on his website and netted a million.

I agree.

Legislating it away is easier than change, and due to the way lobbying is allowed and the general apathy about technology in congress they can probably do it -- would have done it if not for the effected companies standing up.

Probably. I still don't care.

[Rakefur]

Life in the post-SOPA world.
http://www.kongregate.com/games/nolanlabs/super-sopa-bros?acomplete=sopa

[Kilkenne]

so we will live in mario world only the powerups are random?

[Raggon]

LOL super sopa bros!

[Sharptooh]

so we will live in mario world only the powerups are random?

Sounds pretty good to me.

All hail the SOPA bill!