SOPA and PIPA - A last word for now...

In today's mailbag I received the following e-mail:

Hi everyone!

A big hurrah to you!!!!! We’ve won for now -- SOPA and PIPA were dropped by Congress today -- the votes we’ve been scrambling to mobilize against have been cancelled.

The largest online protest in history has fundamentally changed the game.  You were heard.

On January 18th, 13 million of us took the time to tell Congress to protect free speech rights on the internet. Hundreds of millions, maybe a billion, people all around the world saw what we did on Wednesday.  See the amazing numbers here and tell everyone what you did.

This was unprecedented. Your activism may have changed the way people fight for the public interest and basic rights forever.

The MPAA (the lobby for big movie studios which created these terrible bills) was shocked and seemingly humbled.  “‘This was a whole new different game all of a sudden,’ MPAA Chairman and former Senator Chris Dodd told the New York Times. ‘[PIPA and SOPA were] considered by many to be a slam dunk.’” 

“'This is altogether a new effect,' Mr. Dodd said, comparing the online movement to the Arab Spring. He could not remember seeing 'an effort that was moving with this degree of support change this dramatically' in the last four decades, he added."  
Tweet with us, shout on the internet with us, let's celebrate: Round of applause to the 13 million people who stood up  - #PIPA and #SOPA are tabled 4 now. #13millionapplause

We're indebted to everyone who helped in the beginning of this movement -- you, and all the sites that went out on a limb to protest in November -- Boing Boing and Mozilla Foundation (and thank you Tumblr, 4chan)! And the grassroots groups -- Public Knowledge, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Demand Progress, CDT, and many more.

#SOPA and #PIPA will likely return in some form.  But when they do, we'll be ready.  Can you make a donation to Fight for the Future, to help us keep this fire going? 

 

Tiffiniy, Holmes, Joshua, Phil, CJ, Donny, Douglas, Nicholas, Dean, David S. and Moore... Fight for the Future!
 

P.S.  China's internet censorship system reminds us why the fight for democratic principles is so important:

In the New Yorker:

"Fittingly, perhaps, the discussion has unfolded on Weibo, the Twitter-like micro-blogging site that has a team of censors on staff to trim posts with sensitive political content. That is the arrangement that opponents of the bill have suggested would be required of American sites if they are compelled to police their users’ content for copyright violations. On Weibo, joking about SOPA’s similarities to Chinese censorship was sensitive enough that some posts on the subject were almost certainly deleted (though it can be hard to know).
...
After Chinese Web users got over the strangeness of hearing Americans debate the merits of screening the Web for objectionable content, they marvelled at the American response. Commentator Liu Qingyan wrote:

‘We should learn something from the way these American Internet companies protested against SOPA and PIPA. A free and democratic society depends on every one of us caring about politics and fighting for our rights. We will not achieve it by avoiding talk about politics.’"

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(press release is here: https://fightfortheftr.wordpress.com/press-releases/)

More SOPA in my Eyes

January 19, 2012, 12:50 pm

Put Down the Pitchforks on SOPA

This is a follow up to yesterdays post regarding SOPA and PIPA. The article is worth reading in itself, for a balanced point of view and all that. Many of the comments were even more interesting.

Particularly this one which hit my concerns right on the bottom:

"James G, Milwaukee WI

I am perplexed by your article.

On the one hand you build a good case that the bills as proposed were deeply flawed. However, I believe you seriously underplay the dangerous precedents and opportunity for abuse that these shortcomings would introduce.

You admit that the movie companies have approached the digital age with almost slack-jawed idiocy and I think you agree that the construction of these bills reflects that idiocy. But then you seem to suggest the outrage that resulted from this idiocy is somehow overblown or unwarranted.

As good as the intentions of the movie companies may be, their approach in the case of these bills was dangerously ill-conceived. I think Cary Sherman's suggestion that they have been victimized by misinformation is simply a failure to take responsibility for their own irresponsibility.

The truth is they got what they deserved."

From the

Thursday, January 19, 2012

 

Lets just give Pirates what they deserve and be done with this nonsense!

Picture via Spank Statement

SOPA in the PIPA?

Congress's mouth needs to be washed out with SOPA

As most of the net savvy out there in web-land know there is quite a brouhaha building over two net piracy acts currently being considered in our venerable congressional institutions. SOPA and PIPA are two separate bills under consideration by this esteemed gathering of statesmen. Unfortunately both bills are poorly grafted (surprise) and impossibly broad in scope. While I am all in favor of control the use of intellectual and artistic property, I also tend towards favoring freedom of speech and expression. The general feeling is that these bills would greatly reduce an individuals ability to express themselves, based on that I have contacted all three of my representatives on Capital Hill to express my reservations. I urge everyone else in the blogosphere to join me.

1. It's easy to do type up a short, polite statement.
2. Google your 3 reps (2 US Senators and one Representative)
3. Visit their websites, go to their contact page and send them an email by copying and pasting.
4. Your done...with time left for a nice spanking!

For Every Action...

I must admit that among the many things I enjoy about spanking is the reactions of the spankee to my efforts. I'm sure I'm not alone there, reactions are probably thrilling for most spankers. It's not the number one reason I like to spank willing ladies, but it's up thereat the top.


Sometimes it's the kicking protest that gets me going.

Or maybe it's the anguished reaching back...

There's always a point where hair gets flung...

Ok...so I like the whole hair flinging thing!

The anticipation of the first strokes fall is pretty exciting.

 The truly sorrowful tears and promises to be a good girl

Or is it that almost blissful acceptance of the pain, when it takes you to that "other" place?

Thoughtful Spanker's First Post

So here it is, my first post in a new home. I have tried blogging before, it didn't work because I set the impossible goal of posting every day. First it became a chore, then a matter of stress. I'm back to try this again. Besides spanking, which is the obvious point of this plug, I will post about the things that make me think about spanking.

A word about the title of this blog, "Thoughtful Spanker" has two meanings. First of all I think about spanking often...not a bottom passes that is not appraised for spankability. Second I have have been acquainted with three lovely spankees. One of them once told me that I was a very Thoughtful Spanker, I like being a thoughtful spanker, kind of a nice ring to that.

I am off to work up my first real post, my goal is once a week, hopefully I make that, if not no stress. This is supposed to be fun. I hope you enjoy my blog, as always comments, suggestions and criticism are welcome.

TS