Beyond SOPA: A Birth of Internet Freedom

Blog/Online News

Patrick Ruffini Blog on Huffingtonpost

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-ruffini/sopa-pipa-internet_b_1219552.html

The internet, has become the only way that citizens can have their voices heard. Big companies, keep us out of the decision making process of laws, by not informing it through the major media outlets. The internet, is the only place where we can find the traditional news we use to have. When the people voiced their opposition of PIPA/SOPA to their representatives in Congress, they listened and they heard, for what seems for the first time. Though the big corporation MPAA had spent almost a $100 million dollars on lobbying for PIPA/SOPA, Congress had no choice but to listen to the people they were elected to protect. A cyber libertarian and former lyricist to Grateful Dead, John Barlow said in 1996, that the internet should remain free from government regulation and corporation oppression. 

Read his full "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace" here: https://projects.eff.org/~barlow/Declaration-Final.html

The sides between the SOPA/PIPA is not over left vs. right but old vs. new. Traditional America vs. Corporate America. Though both sides disagree on everything else, both can agree that the internet has become the only way for communication of ideas, traditional news, and organization of movement to be possible. So take that away and the people have nothing. That is censorship. Patrick Ruffini says the people must fight for the internet to remain free of future threats like we did last week in order for the government to continue listening the the voice of its citizens. The Internet has become the only medium of communication for the people to the government. What else could have been able to prevent the bill.

• This blog by Patrick Ruffini, the president of Engage, supports the opposition of SOPA/PIPA. Ruffini believes that the win over SOPA/PIPA was through the protest of the people.  Ruffini uses his blog to encourage users of the internet to continue protesting of unfair bills. His blog impacts the reader to feel a sense of citizenship, to practice their freedom of speech. Even though the only way may be through the internet. 

• Throughout all blogs, reports, and news, all emphasize the importance of a censorship free internet. The importance of the people to take action against the government. To prevent further empowerment of big corporations to congress. That the people must continue as they did last week to voice themselves against regulation of the only medium of communication that is consistent with the 1st amendment. 

• Huffington Post is not a multi-media reporting news channel. 

• The reporting does raise an issue of freedom of speech. Huffingtonpost's articles are from independent writers. The writer for this blog, Patrick Ruffini, explains the importance of freedom of speech and how the internet has become the only medium for the people to communicate to Congress. As far as ethics, when was the last time big corporations gave a damn. Now they are trying to use it by saying that piracy steals millions of dollars from them. 

Libyans find Gaddafi

 4. Mass Media Channel: Public Blog

 On October 20, 2011 Muammar Gaddafi was killed by Libyan citizens who were loyal to the country's new government. Gaddafi was 69 years old and was reported to be found hiding in a drain outside of Sirte. He and a few others took shelter there after their convoy was hit by NATO airstrike while trying to escape. Lybia is under the control of the rebel government and hoping to become a democratic country.

• The Guardian:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/oct/20/syria-libya-middle-east-unrest-live
• Although The Guardian is a British newspaper, they have created an online blog where professional bloggers post stories and readers can reply and share them with anyone and everyone.
• The Guardian's New Media Lab was created in September 1995 by the Board of Guardian Newspapers Ltd.
• The story is covered in many ways, but in this instance, a story about Gaddafi's death is presented and people can comment or share the article on different forms of social media, such as Facebook,  Twitter, and Tumblr.
• This article is very reliable and full of facts. The opinions are represented through the comments left by readers.
• This article is a touchy subject for many because some are happy about Gaddafi's death, some may feel upset about, and some may not even know who he is or what he has done in his life. A person's death is a very sensitive subject, and this article brings a private matter into the open but not in a hurtful, disrespectful way.
• The Libyan Revolution is a multi-media story that is presented on television, radio, and the internet.

An Interactive Timeline of the Middle East Protests

Here's a handy way to track the chronology of the many revolutions:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/mar/22/middle-east-protest-interactive-timeline 

PIPA And SOPA Were Stopped, But the Web Won

Online News

Art Brodsky's Report on SOPA and PIPA:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-brodsky/pipa-and-sopa-were-stoppe_b_1230818.html

Internet users fought back against SOPA and PIPA, but it seems as if this bill was the first to have ever been introduced to america. It's not. Bills like these that have been around since 1998. The Internet Community's bictory over SOPA and PIPA aggravated one of the main supporting co sponsor of the bill, the MPAA. The chairman who was a former senator, Christopher Dodd told Fox News

" "Those who count on quote 'Hollywood' for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who's going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don't ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don't pay any attention to me when my job is at stake."

What the hell is this guy babying about, he's still making hundreds of millions. 

Back to the bills that have been trying to regulate technology since 1998. The Digital Millenium Copyright Act, created in 1998 was passed and was successful until even today in using the notice of take-downs on the internet for infringement. Then there's the The Inducing Infringements of Copyrights Act of 2004 that was summarized that certain technologies will lead to infringement. Basically saying that the advanced technology was going to lead to infringement problems like piracy and P2P sharing. Then before the SOPA and PIPA we had something similar sounding to PIPA, the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 Pro IP Act (Pro-IP-Act). That was signed into law on October 13th of 2008. This Act basically allowed companies and authorities to take away computers or any other equipment that would be suspected of infringement. So this article basically summarizes in saying:

"So, Web community, bask briefly in your glory.  Then get back to work, because the next industry-sponsored bill to curb technology will be here before you know it, and they might be smarter next time about how they pursue it."


Analysis:

• The sites shows updates on Twitter for updates on the defeat of SOPA and PIPA, as well as updates from Bert Johnson. - https://twitter.com/#!/SenBertJohnson

• The HuffingtonPost is information from columnists, who independently write for the site. Some information may be biased as all news is, but being an Independent news source it seems a lot more reliable than FOX or MSNBC. Art Brodsky actually claims to work for a news organization  called Public Knowledge that contributed to the blackouts and majorly protested against SOPA and PIPA. They are completely independent website,so as far as accuracy, it seems more reliable than the major biased sources such as FOX or MSNBC. 

• The information stays consistent on all reports on how the internet protest was successful in stopping the SOPA/PIPA from voting into bill. However, in this report Bert Johnson explains the potential dangers of bills similar to SOPA/PIPA that could be passed in the future. That SOPA and PIPA were not the first of corporate controlled internet regulation. Citzen journalism has become very popular now that blogging has become so majorly used in society. Also everything is on video now, from politce beatings to murders, everything these days is on someone's camera. And when the footage is shown on a website it is for the most part expected to happen. The reporting of this kind of journalism may invade privacy, but this has become standard protocol these days. This also helps our freedom of speech, because rom independent sources, information is more than likely to be explicit. Users get to see both a a perspective from news programs and from first hand civilians.