Thursday, February 16, 2012
Zing: Santorum Stinks. We in Pennsylvania remember.
Memo to court: The shit has just hit the fan.
From: Julian P Heicklen <jph13@psu.edu>
Date: Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:35 PM
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Fwd: Gary Johnson 2012: Live town hall Feb 13
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Saturday, February 11, 2012
Subject: Gary Johnson 2012: Live town hall Feb 13
To:
Hello all,
Gary Johnson will again be host a live town hall on February 13th. His co-host will be Jeffery Miron, Havard Professor and author of "Libertarianism A-Z." Gary credits him as his economic advisor. This would be a great opportunity to ask Gary of Mr. Miron questions. Here is a link to the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/319170208124849
Hope to see you there,
Pennsylvania State Director Gary Johnson 2012
Steven Detweiler
Mt Top, PA 18707
570-301-4490
stevendetweiler@garyjohnson2012.com
--
Not Mitt. Not Now. Let's go Maine!
Fwd: Repeal of Section 1021 of NDAA
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Julian P Heicklen>
Hi Tyranny Fighters:
Indefinite detention without trial: Section 1021
The detention sections of the NDAA begin by "affirm[ing]" that the authority of the President under the AUMF, a joint resolution passed in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, includes the power to detain, via the Armed Forces, any person "who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners," and anyone who commits a "belligerent act" against the U.S. or its coalition allies in aid of such enemy forces, under the law of war, "without trial, until the end of the hostilities authorized by the [AUMF]." The text authorizes trial by military tribunal, or "transfer to the custody or control of the person's country of origin," or transfer to "any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity."[1
Ron Paul and 3 cosponsors have just introduced a bill in Congress to void section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA) for 2012. The information is below. Go to the following web page for details and to cast your vote to repeal section 1021.
http://petitions.conservativeactionalerts.com/5959/tell-congress-support-hr-3785/
A BILL
To repeal section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REPEAL OF SECTION 1021 OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012.
Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81) is hereby repealed.
H.R.3785
Latest Title: To repeal section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.
Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/18/2012) Cosponsors (3)
Related Bills: H.R.3676
Latest Major Action: 1/18/2012 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
--
Thursday, February 09, 2012
School Funding Rally on Saturday
a Rally in 48 Hoursby YinzerThing |
- Plan to be there! This is probably the single most important thing you can do this week for public education. If the weather is cold, bundle up and enjoy one hour outside with your friends supporting our schools (really just one hour!). We are working on getting coffee and hot chocolate.
- Tell your friends. Over 2,200 people have received invitations from friends on our Facebook page. Consider doing the same, or send a personal note with our Rally Flyer (the best!).
- Bring signs. Have your kids make signs about what they love about their school, or what is getting cut. Tell Gov. Corbett to reverse these cuts. Use our slogan if you want: "Some cuts won't heal. Keep public education real."
- Help make banners. Sign making party at Kathy Newman's house tonight, Thursday, at 7PM. (knewman4_at_gmail.com for details).
- Contact your media friends. If you have media contacts, or want to help follow up with our media list on the alert we sent out earlier this week, please contact Sara Goodkind (sag51_at_pitt.edu).
- Invite local legislators. We need a few people to help make the final phone calls to legislators inviting them to the Rally. If you can make a couple calls, please contact Kathy Newman (knewman4_at_gmail.com).
- Hang posters. We have copies of the flyer to hang around town. Email knewman4_at_gmail.com if you can help the poster team.
- Get word to your school. Do your teachers know? Can you send a flyer home in backpack mail with students? Are there any d-lists you can use to remind parents and community members to come?
- What else can you do? Can you help? Do you have ideas? See our google planning document or contact Jessie Ramey (jessie.b.ramey_at_gmail.com)
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Education in PA
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Thursday, February 02, 2012
Fw: [ACA Google Group] Steel City Showdown Registration Open
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Linden Letter Writing Party
---------- Forwarded message ------
From: Yinzercation
Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Subject: [New post] Linden Letter Writing Party
New post on Yinzercation
Linden Letter Writing Party
by YinzerThing
Pittsburgh Linden, an elementary school, is hosting a letter-writing party today, from 4-8PM in the school library. Parents and community members are writing to the Governor and legislators in advance of the budget announcement next week, calling for the restoration of funding to public education.
Linden is a thriving magnet school in the Pittsburgh Public system, with a very diverse student body, drawing families from fifteen different zip codes throughout the city. It is a great example of a public school that "works," but it is being threatened by these budget cuts. Due to the state budget, Linden is losing its vice principal, its science teacher, its instrumental program, and two home-room teachers in the upper grades. The art teacher and music teacher will be reduced to half time.
Reaching out to our legislators is the very best thing we can do right now. That is how we can effectively fight these completely unacceptable budget cuts. Indeed, it is the only way we can fight to save public education. Sometimes writing a letter or making a phone call feels too "simple" or perhaps even ineffective, but experienced advocates assure us that this is exactly what works -- and we're having an impact! So please consider hosting your own letter-writing event. And check out the other strategies on the Take Action! tab.
Together we are Yinzer Nation, and we can do this.
--
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Fw: [DBD] We want to do more in 2012 to end DRM
In 2011, we had our share of victories. We broke into the global mainstream media with our Brick Nintendo campaign, and even forced Nintendo to respond to reporters about their despicable terms of service and DRM on the 3DS. The 2011 Day Against DRM was a success: small groups formed and collaborated, and as a result many people walked away with a stronger sense of solidarity and resolve in the fight to eliminate DRM. Lastly, we began creating a focus on ebooks, posting popular articles against the Nook and Amazon, as well as orchestrating several small events throughout the world.
But we need to do more
Despite our accomplishments in 2011, there was a lot more we wanted to do, and a lot more that we need to do if we want to create a world in which people can stream movies, read ebooks, and browse the Web without being pressured to give up control and buy into DRM.
We wanted to launch our new site redesign in 2011, have a bigger response against Apple's textbook initiative, and provide even more information on the positive steps people can take, software they can use, and hardware they can buy that will allow them to live a DRM-free life.
If you want us to do more in 2012 than we did in 2011, then we need your help.
Will you pitch in a few dollars to help the Defective By Design campaign in 2012?
The DRM Challenge
Our goal at DBD isn't simply to eliminate DRM, it's to do so in a way that still lets us stream our favorite television shows or movies and to read the latest ebooks. Unfortunately, each time a person purchases a DRM-encumbered ebook reader, or when an individual pays a monthly fee to a DRM video service, each dollar spent is like a vote in favor of DRM. So, how can you spend your money to show a vote against DRM?
Next time you find yourself rejecting a DRM service or product, why not consider donating $5, $10, or $20 as a vote against DRM? Building critical mass around our campaign is a way to show the world that people want DRM-free products. Take the DRM Challenge in 2012.
Sincerely,
Josh, John, Matt, and Richard
--
Follow us on identi.ca at http://identi.ca/dbd | Subscribe to our blogs via RSS at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/rss.xml | Donate to support the campaign at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/donate/1
Defective by Design is a campaign of the Free Software Foundation:
Fifth Floor
Boston, MA 02110-1335
United States
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list by visiting the link http://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=125676&qid=1326166&h=98828025dd231d4c.
To stop all email from the Free Software Foundation, including Defective by Design,
and the Free Software Supporter newsletter, click this link:
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Friday, January 27, 2012
The International Documentary Challenge is back!
The 7th annual Doc Challenge is coming up soon. 48HFP is a presenter of Doc Challenge. The Doc Challenge is a chance for 48HFP participants to try their hand at non-fiction by spending 5 days making a short documentary. Our top films make their world premiere at the Hot Docs Documentary Festival in Toronto (and win cash prizes) and many of them have received additional distribution on the Documentary Channel and Snag Films.
IMPORTANT DATES:Registration NOW OPEN Sign Up Now
Early Registration Deadline: February 14, 2012
Final Registration Deadline: February 29, 2012
Doc Challenge: March 1-5, 2012
Hot Docs Dates: April 26 - May 06, 2012
Complete details and entry forms can be found at docchallenge.org
The Doc Challenge is produced by KDHX Media. The 2012 Presenting Partners include Hot Docs, The Documentary Channel, American Documentary/P.O.V. and Documentary Educational Resources. Supporting partners include the International Documentary Association, the Documentary Organization of Canada, DocuMentors, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Dokufest, Docs In Progress and the 48 Hour Film Project.
The International Documentary Challenge.
Real Life. Filmed Real Fast
Much Success!
_______________________________________________
Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project
http://www.48hourfilm.com/pittsburgh
Fwd: [school-discuss] project idea: open source text books
From: Jeremy C. Reed
Subject: [school-discuss] project idea: open source text books
To: schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net
I propose the group advocates and works toward open source text books.
These would be open content projects that result in free digital and
(optionally) very low-cost print textbooks and course work. This would
be a public endeavor using open collaborative methods. The text and its
related artwork and formatting and tools to create and re-generate will
be freely and publically accessible and redistributable.
Some side goals could be to save money for schools and better allocate
tax payers money, such as increasing school teacher's salaries, and
maybe better learning experience due to further media capabilities.
(Another minor goal is so kids, like mine, don't have to carry around
20+ pounds of textbooks :)
Maybe some ideas at:
http://www.opencontent.org/
http://archives.seul.org/schoolforge/discuss/May-2002/msg00194.html
(Hey David where is your document now?)
http://www.jasonheppler.org/open-source-scholarship-and-why-history-should-be-open-source.html
http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/ask-a-master-teacher/22276
http://levine.sscnet.ucla.edu/general/intellectual/open.htm
I know we talked a little about it before around May 2002, but sadly
nothing came out of it from me. But it is time to do this again because
I recently listed to an interview about Steve Jobs and their textbook
plans. Here are some related links:
http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/apples-textbook-partner-mcgraw-hill-reveals-ibooks-2-plans.php
350,000 downloads in 3 days
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2140927/apple-s-textbook-initiative-350-downloads-days
http://www.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/
They may be "reinventing the textbook" but I don't think they are open
source and may be, in fact, tied down to a proprietary platform.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Recruitment letter for Water Polo delivered at the PPS Middle School Swim Championships
Consider joining this spring, summer and/or fall.
To Swimmers, Coaches and Families of Pittsburgh Public Schools:
You can be a part of our new swimming and water polo teams with open practices, clinics and play at various pools around the city in the weeks to come. Neighborhood Learning Alliance is our nonprofit sponsors.
Summer Dreamers:
In the summer of 2011, a five week Swim and Water Polo Camp was a part of Pittsburgh Public Schools Summer Dreamers. More than 150 enjoyed their experiences with swimming and playing the sport of Water Polo at Peabody’s indoor pool.
We hope the Swim and Water Polo Camps can continue in the summer of 2012. PPS approval is pending. In 2012, Summer Dreamers’ academic and fun camps are moving and space is limited. Look to sign up and attend at U-Prep on Centre Ave in The Hill District as that’s where we have access to swim pools.
Middle school students get to RUN and JOG, with coaching supervision, of course, to the swim sites – at the brand new Centre Ave YMCA and the giant, outdoor, Citiparks operated, Ammon Rec Center Pool .
This year, younger kids in Elementary Grades are going to be able to swim at the indoor pool at U-Prep too. So tell your younger brothers and sisters and neighbors.
Spring Play:
Additional swimming and water polo play is being organized as well. Practices and a spring league are about to begin at Peabody, three nights per week from 6 to 7 pm. We have been playing every Wednesday, at Westinghouse High School.
City Wide Opportunity:
High School athletes, our “Pittsburgh Combined” team played in Columbus, Ohio, in September 2011, getting 3rd place in the Ohio Cup Tournament. This team allows kids from any area high school to join.
Get in Touch:
Please call or email the water polo coach, Mark Rauterkus, Mark@Rauterkus.com, 412-298-3432. Then specific practice times and details can be delivered to you. (See P-G sports news on other side, too.)
Way to go on your middle school swim championships!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Fwd: ZOO SUMMER JOBS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS-jobs for 55 an older
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Friday, January 20, 2012
Subject: ZOO SUMMER JOBS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS-jobs for 55 an older
To: RFlanag@aol.com
(Jobs for 55 and older-- see attached)
PLEASE SHARE OUT
Project of YouthLINK and East End Works
PITTSBURGH ZOO SUMMER JOBS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS
Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center can help you with:
Knowing what Pittsburgh Zoo summer jobs
(16 years and older) are available
Preparing for an interview
Filling out the actual Pittsburgh Zoo application
(Once prepared to apply you will need to attend the Pittsburgh Zoo job fair on Saturday, January 28, 2012. We have the details on the job fair and will share them when you visit our office.)
For a copy of the youth and adult Pittsburgh Zoo job application and to gain assistance with applying go to:
Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center 5321 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Phone: 412-362-8580
(Open every day after school until 7 p.m.)
--
Friday, January 20, 2012
SportsTown article: Water polo for the city league and beyond
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Fw: Winter Lecture Series is Back!
Hello All! I hope you're having a great winter, we certainly are here at Pro Bikes. And with that, we'd like to re-introduce the Winter Lecture Series! We took last year off due to construction, but are back with a full lecture series in our NEW Spin Studio and Lecture Room. The series will be happening on a weekly to bi-weekly basis with topics being presented by local coaches and experts in their field! All lectures are FREE to attend and will be held at Pro Bikes, Squirrel Hill location, 5876 Forbes Ave. 15217. Click HERE for directions. There is No RSVP required for this event! It is a free, one hour lecture/event aimed at providing knowledge for those interested! Thank you, and we hope to see you all there!! First Lecture
Highland Training is a coaching, and consulting business for endurance and ultra endurance athletes. Training programs are for all athletes, from novice to elite, who are interested in improving their athletic performance, strength and fitness for endurance and ultra-endurance sports. Mike Schultz is the founder of Highland Training and is a professional ultra endurance Cyclist, and Coach. He brings more than ten years of racing and training experience from national ultra endurance cycling events, mountain bike stage races, and ultra endurance 24 hour solo cycling events. He has many podium finishes as a 24 hour solo racer, including a few top five finishes at the 24 hour Granny Gear national race series, and a 2nd place finish in the Duo/Pro category in 2009. As an avid cyclist, runner, and cross country skier, Mike combines his love of the outdoors with his passion for coaching and training. Mike is certified with the NSCA as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Personal Trainer. He has a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Robert Morris University. He continues to compete within endurance and ultra endurance events on a regional and national level to further study the science behind sports specific training. He also competes to practice what he teaches. Mike resides in the Laurel Highlands, PA where he coaches and trains year round. For more on our first presenter, go to: http://highlandtraining.net/wordpress/. For more infomation or questions about the event call Pro Bikes (412) 586-5497 or email Todd todds@probikesllc.com or Gregg gregg@probikesllc.com. | ||
|
Fw: Exclusive Pass: Ron Paul Spin Room - Saturday
Subject: Exclusive Pass: Ron Paul Spin Room - Saturday
|
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Ken is running for state rep.
Mon Jan 16, 2012
For more information, contact Ken Krawchuk at (215)-881-9696 or Ken@KenK.org
LIBERTARIANS NOMINATE KEN KRAWCHUK FOR STATE REP IN PENNSYLVANIA'S 153rd DISTRICT
Abington, PA -- Ken Krawchuk, the Libertarian candidate for Pennsylvania
Governor in 1998 and 2002, was chosen as the Libertarian Party candidate in
the upcoming special election for State Representative in Pennsylvania's
153rd District. The seat became vacant earlier this month when the
incumbent Josh Shapiro resigned to accept the position of Montgomery County
Commissioner. A date for the special election has not yet been set, but is
widely expected to take place on Primary Day, April 24, 2012.
"I would like to thank the Libertarian Party for once again selecting me to
be their standard bearer," Krawchuk said to the Montgomery County
Libertarians after his nomination at their monthly meeting on January 4th,
"especially in these exciting times. Thanks to true Americans like Ron
Paul, voters all across the nation are finally awakening to the libertarian
message of constitutionally-limited government, less taxes, and more
freedom. It's long past time someone championed those sentiments in the
Pennsylvania State House, and I plan to do just that."
Krawchuk indicated that his campaign will reaffirm the core message of his
prior campaigns. "It all comes down to a single principle," he said. "You
have the God-given, inalienable right to live your life your way without
interference, provided you respect the rights and property of others. It's
the political Golden Rule. Everything else follows from that."
Unsurprisingly, topping his legislative agenda are economic issues. "Taxes
are simply too high. Government spends far too much, most of which is
either unnecessary, counterproductive, or blatantly unconstitutional. To
help reign in that kind of out-of-control spending, I'm proposing an
entirely new approach: the separation of Society and State. Reduced to its
essentials, the idea is to transfer responsibility for all of the
well-meaning, unconstitutional programs to a separate public entity I call
Society. Society would work just like government, including three elected
branches, except that it would not wield any coercive powers, such as forced
taxation and mandatory regulations. Society would have a dual mission: to
help provide for those who can't provide for themselves, and to create a
viable mechanism for kind-hearted citizens who wish to help their fellow
man."
Separation of Society and State is also the central theme of Krawchuk's
latest novel, Atlas Snubbed, a pastiche parody sequel to Ayn Rand's Atlas
Shrugged.
Still ahead for Krawchuk lies the perennial challenge of ballot access,
which is another hot item on his agenda. "Pennsylvania's draconian election
laws are very effective at limiting choices on the ballot," Krawchuk
contends. "Take this race, for example. To get my name on the ballot, I
need to collect hundreds and hundreds of signatures in a very short period
of time, but the candidates from the two old parties need to collect no
signatures at all. None. Zip. Nada. Such blatant favoritism flies in the
face of the constitutional mandate that 'all elections shall be free and
equal.' Apparently some candidates are more equal than others."
In response, Krawchuk is championing Senate Bill 21, the Voters' Choice Act,
which would work to equalize signature requirements for all candidates.
"This is a bill that the outgoing state rep Josh Shapiro promised in writing
to support, but when it came up before his committee he flip-flopped and
withdrew his support," Krawchuk noted. "His two-faced behavior makes it all
the easier for his friends in the two old parties by making it all the
harder for someone like me to challenge their unconstitutional game.
Correcting the inherent unfairness of Pennsylvania's ballot access laws is
yet another issue that drives me to seek public office. Enough is enough,
wouldn't you agree?"
Ken V. Krawchuk, 58, is a Philadelphia native and long-time political
activist who has run for political office eight times, including two
record-breaking campaigns for Governor of Pennsylvania. He is an
entrepreneur, an Information Technology professional, and holds three US
patents related to computer database theory. He is also a professional
public speaker, an author, and an award-winning Distinguished Toastmaster.
He and his wife Roberta have three daughters and two grandchildren, and have
lived in Abington Township, a Philadelphia suburb, for over 30 years. More
information about Mr. Krawchuk can be found on Wikipedia.
Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party is the third largest political party
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and the nation, with over 150 elected or
appointed officeholders nationwide, 27 in Pennsylvania, and 2 in Montgomery
County. For more information about the Libertarian Party, the public may
contact the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania at www.LpPa.org or (800)
R-RIGHTS, or the National Libertarian Party at Lp.org or (202) 333-0008.
--
Fwd: [DW] Wikipedia Black Out to Protest Proposed US Legislation
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Steven Clift
Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Subject: [DW] Wikipedia Black Out to Protest Proposed US Legislation
To: newswire@groups.dowire.org
Hat tip to Anjney Midha for passing along ...
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia_anti-SOPA_blackout
To: English Wikipedia Readers and Community
From: Sue Gardner, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director
Date: January 16, 2012
Today, the Wikipedia community announced its decision to black out the
English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide, beginning at 05:00
UTC on Wednesday, January 18 (you can read the statement from the
Wikimedia Foundation here). The blackout is a protest against proposed
legislation in the United States—the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in
the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in
the U.S. Senate—that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and
open Internet, including Wikipedia.
This will be the first time the English Wikipedia has ever staged a
public protest of this nature, and it's a decision that wasn't lightly
made. Here's how it's been described by the three Wikipedia
administrators who formally facilitated the community's discussion.
From the public statement, signed by User:NuclearWarfare, User:Risker
and User:Billinghurst:
It is the opinion of the English Wikipedia community that both of
these bills, if passed, would be devastating to the free and open
web.Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have
joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might
wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level
of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia,
which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about
this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants
support community action to encourage greater public action in
response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by
Wikipedians, those that would result in a "blackout" of the English
Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed
to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.On careful review of
this discussion, the closing administrators note the broad-based
support for action from Wikipedians around the world, not just from
within the United States. The primary objection to a global blackout
came from those who preferred that the blackout be limited to readers
from the United States, with the rest of the world seeing a simple
banner notice instead. We also noted that roughly 55% of those
supporting a blackout preferred that it be a global one, with many
pointing to concerns about similar legislation in other nations.
In making this decision, Wikipedians will be criticized for seeming to
abandon neutrality to take a political position. That's a real,
legitimate issue. We want people to trust Wikipedia, not worry that it
is trying to propagandize them.
But although Wikipedia's articles are neutral, its existence is not.
As Wikimedia Foundation board member Kat Walsh wrote on one of our
mailing lists recently,
We depend on a legal infrastructure that makes it possible for us to
operate. And we depend on a legal infrastructure that also allows
other sites to host user-contributed material, both information and
expression. For the most part, Wikimedia projects are organizing and
summarizing and collecting the world's knowledge. We're putting it in
context, and showing people how to make to sense of it.But that
knowledge has to be published somewhere for anyone to find and use it.
Where it can be censored without due process, it hurts the speaker,
the public, and Wikimedia. Where you can only speak if you have
sufficient resources to fight legal challenges, or, if your views are
pre-approved by someone who does, the same narrow set of ideas already
popular will continue to be all anyone has meaningful access to.
The decision to shut down the English Wikipedia wasn't made by me; it
was made by editors, through a consensus decision-making process. But
I support it.
Like Kat and the rest of the Wikimedia Foundation Board, I have
increasingly begun to think of Wikipedia's public voice, and the
goodwill people have for Wikipedia, as a resource that wants to be
used for the benefit of the public. Readers trust Wikipedia because
they know that despite its faults, Wikipedia's heart is in the right
place. It's not aiming to monetize their eyeballs or make them believe
some particular thing, or sell them a product. Wikipedia has no hidden
agenda: it just wants to be helpful.
That's less true of other sites. Most are commercially motivated:
their purpose is to make money. That doesn't mean they don't have a
desire to make the world a better place—many do!—but it does mean that
their positions and actions need to be understood in the context of
conflicting interests.
My hope is that when Wikipedia shuts down on January 18, people will
understand that we're doing it for our readers. We support everyone's
right to freedom of thought and freedom of expression. We think
everyone should have access to educational material on a wide range of
subjects, even if they can't pay for it. We believe in a free and open
Internet where information can be shared without impediment. We
believe that new proposed laws like SOPA—and PIPA, and other similar
laws under discussion inside and outside the United States—don't
advance the interests of the general public. You can read a very good
list of reasons to oppose SOPA and PIPA here, from the Electronic
Frontier Foundation.
Why is this a global action, rather than US-only? And why now, if some
American legislators appear to be in tactical retreat on SOPA?
The reality is that we don't think SOPA is going away, and PIPA is
still quite active. Moreover, SOPA and PIPA are just indicators of a
much broader problem. All around the world, we're seeing the
development of legislation intended to fight online piracy, and
regulate the Internet in other ways, that hurt online freedoms. Our
concern extends beyond SOPA and PIPA: they are just part of the
problem. We want the Internet to remain free and open, everywhere, for
everyone.
On January 18, we hope you'll agree with us, and will do what you can
to make your own voice heard.
Sue Gardner,
Executive Director, Wikimedia Foundation
___________________________
Anjney Midha
Stanford University | Undergaduate
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