On Jan 5, 2013, The Economist ran a wonderful article discussing internet users’ political power.  Opening with a discussion of netizen victories over SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, and other restrictive internet laws, the article suggested that internet users organized against restrictive laws bear similarity to both the Green Movement and the counter-culture movement of the 60s.  Indeed, the “‘culture of the internet’ . . . believe[s] in technological progress, the free flow of information, virtual communities and entrepreneurialism” (and of course funny pictures of cats and overused memes).  Much like those radical hippies in the environmentalist movement, the internet even has its own “direct-action arm” in Anonymous.

Not to toot my own horn, but I had a similar thought in our Year in Review: 2013: the movement that brought down ACTA/PIPA/SOPA demonstrates that the internet has found its voice.  Unfortunately, I think some of this is counterproductive, as that same movement has opposed some much-needed cybersecurity bills.  As much as ACTA/PIPA/SOPA needed to fail, a bill like CISPA/the CSA of 2012 needs to succeed, and a lot of these internet activists conflate any cyber legislation with another attempt to censor the internet or pad the MPAA’s pockets.  Some lawmakers may be hesitant to bring a much-needed cybersecurity bill to the floor in the fear that Reddit users will mistakenly take up their pitch-forks and torches.  But I digress.

Back to The Economist article, which contains a very interesting discussion of Germany’s Pirate Party and a graph demonstrating that 22% of Americans would give up sex to secure the internet.  How do we balance the free flow of information and the desire for innovation while protecting intellectual-property rights?   Where do we strike the balance between the “open and closed, owned and free[?]”  Does the internet’s new voice or the German Pirate Party have staying power, or is it just “mere ‘clicktivism.'”  The article tracks how the German Pirate Party stormed onto the scene, but since that time, has seen its influence wane dramatically.  Do net activists actually want to play politics, or is the “lasting influence of the net movement” the provision of “new tools and tactics for people with other political aims[?]”

Wonderful article from The Economist, with some interesting comments as well.

On Jan 5, 2013, The Economist ran a wonderful article discussing internet users’ political power.  Opening with a discussion of netizen victories over SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, and other restrictive internet laws, the article suggested that internet users organized against restrictive laws bear similarity to both the Green Movement and the counter-culture movement of the 60s.  Indeed, the “‘culture of the internet’ . . . believe[s] in technological progress, the free flow of information, virtual communities and entrepreneurialism” (and of course funny pictures of cats and overused memes).  Much like those radical hippies in the environmentalist movement, the internet even has its own “direct-action arm” in Anonymous.

Not to toot my own horn, but I had a similar thought in our Year in Review: 2013: the movement that brought down ACTA/PIPA/SOPA demonstrates that the internet has found its voice.  Unfortunately, I think some of this is counterproductive, as that same movement has opposed some much-needed cybersecurity bills.  As much as ACTA/PIPA/SOPA needed to fail, a bill like CISPA/the CSA of 2012 needs to succeed, and a lot of these internet activists conflate any cyber legislation with another attempt to censor the internet or pad the MPAA’s pockets.  Some lawmakers may be hesitant to bring a much-needed cybersecurity bill to the floor in the fear that Reddit users will mistakenly take up their pitch-forks and torches.  But I digress.

Back to The Economist article, which contains a very interesting discussion of Germany’s Pirate Party and a graph demonstrating that 22% of Americans would give up sex to secure the internet.  How do we balance the free flow of information and the desire for innovation while protecting intellectual-property rights?   Where do we strike the balance between the “open and closed, owned and free[?]”  Does the internet’s new voice or the German Pirate Party have staying power, or is it just “mere ‘clicktivism.'”  The article tracks how the German Pirate Party stormed onto the scene, but since that time, has seen its influence wane dramatically.  Do net activists actually want to play politics, or is the “lasting influence of the net movement” the provision of “new tools and tactics for people with other political aims[?]”

Wonderful article from The Economist, with some interesting comments as well.