Hello, I had also called up our congressman about SOPA/PIPA and asked him to support OPEN instead. Have the senators supporting the bills reversed?
My feeling is that when someone uses the term "free", "equality", ( in engineering - "robust", "optimal", etc.) It must always be applied with respects to something. I assume the congressman means "free" with respects to "entry into the marketplace", essentially against rent seeking, barriers to entry, etc. I've always found this particularly annoying in political cases applying "equality", where capitalist and communist systems apply it to different parameters (opportunity vs. wealth distribution ). **************************** Greg Sonnenfeld “The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.” On Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 11:24 AM, Nicholas Thompson <nickthomp...@earthlink.net> wrote: > Didja get the ms? > > > > From: friam-boun...@redfish.com [mailto:friam-boun...@redfish.com] On Behalf > Of ERIC P. CHARLES > Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 11:11 AM > To: Owen Densmore > Cc: The; Group; disc...@sfcomplex.org > Subject: Re: [FRIAM] SOPA URLs > > > > Owen, > To shift slightly... Aren't there conflicting metaphors here? How can > something be free, and yet be a marketplace? In marketplaces people are > orderly, follow the rules, pay for things, etc. The idea of a "free > marketplace of ideas" is inherently contradictory. Either it is an anarchy, > or it is a marketplace. What am I missing? > > Eric > > > On Wed, Jan 25, 2012 11:35 AM, Owen Densmore <o...@backspaces.net> wrote: > > Ben Lujan got back to me w/ a form letter. > > > > I wonder if he'd really like to discuss: > > - Off-shore server farms > > - How to stop piracy but still be able to lend an e-book > > - Non US servers => only can stop within the routers, VERY dangerous. > > - Putting onus on ISPs is expensive and very difficult. > > - Not clear piracy really is as large a loss as claimed. > > - Much piracy occurs because media folks have not caught up yet. > > > > Example of last one: I torrent old TV shows that are not otherwise available > .. although Amazon is starting to catch up and a few of my torrents are now > available as VOD & free for Prime members. > > > > It is interesting to see his idea of net neutrality: > > I have long supported the concept of net neutrality (to ensure unrestricted > access to the internet without limitation from internet service providers), > and while I believe we need to address the growing threat of online piracy > by foreign entities; we must ensure that the internet remains a free > marketplace of ideas, that individuals' freedoms are protected, and that > fair and equal access is available to all. > > > > Interesting way of putting it. I'd prefer the basic notion that the > internet protocols are designed to be service independent, depending on only > the endpoints to provide the services. Telcos hate this, and never believed > internet could provide the low latency they need. Wrong! > > > > Interesting to see how all this plays out. > > > > -- Owen > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Congressman Ben Ray Lujan <nm03bl...@mail.house.gov> > Date: Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 7:30 AM > Subject: Message from Congressman Ben Ray Lujan > To: o...@backspaces.net > > Dear Mr. Densmore, > > Thank you for contacting my office in Washington, D.C. Discussing critical > issues with my constituents is very important to me. > > The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is designed to address the growing issue > of online piracy. Online piracy has become a major problem in the digital > age. Much of this piracy is conducted not by individual users, but by > world-wide criminal cartels that are frequently involved in other illegal > ventures. The money from such piracy not only helps to fund criminal > enterprises, but also reduces U.S. jobs, exports, and the overall economic > competitiveness of our country. The impact of this is felt not only by large > corporations, but also by independent artists and musicians, including many > New Mexicans, who find their intellectual property rights violated online. > Further, counterfeit medication and contaminated drugs that are sold online > endanger the health of Americans, particularly seniors. > > Over the past few weeks, I have heard from many constituents who agree that > piracy is an issue that must be addressed, yet have serious concerns with > provisions in the bill. After listening to them and hearing further from > those with expertise in this field, I have taken another hard look at the > bill. I share many of the concerns that have arisen and have decided that I > can no longer support this legislation in its current form. I have long > supported the concept of net neutrality (to ensure unrestricted access to > the internet without limitation from internet service providers), and while > I believe we need to address the growing threat of online piracy by foreign > entities; we must ensure that the internet remains a free marketplace of > ideas, that individuals' freedoms are protected, and that fair and equal > access is available to all. > > Once again, thank you for expressing your opinion on this matter. Please > feel free to contact any of my offices if I can assist you in any way. I am > very interested in your opinions and your concerns. To find more information > regarding current legislation, services I can offer, ways my office can be > helpful to you, or to sign up for my e-newsletter to get regular updates > from my office, please visit my website at: www.lujan.house.gov. > > Sincerely, > > Rep. Ben Ray Luján > United States House of Representatives > NM-03 > > > > > > > > ============================================================ > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > Eric Charles > > Professional Student and > Assistant Professor of Psychology > Penn State University > Altoona, PA 16601 > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
