GoDaddy, A Hapless Victim Of The Mob
kernelmag.com
kernelmag.com
Mob
Let us look at the definition of the word mob:
A large crowd of people, esp. one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence.
Well I do not think that is a fair description of the people supporting this campaign. I would say it looks more like this:
1. A formal declaration of disapproval or objection issued by a concerned person, group, or organization. 2. An individual or collective gesture or display of disapproval.
That is the definition for the word protest.
//The writer quite-rightly points out that the DMCA is US legislation. - https://twitter.com/nero/status/150529577020698624
In an objection vacuum, it becomes necessary to question whether the issue at hand is a proxy for old wounds
the objections to SOPA are sound.
So, just to be to be clear, when there is an objection vacuum, it becomes necessary for the writer to question the motives of the people objecting despite the fact that the writer agrees that the objections to SOPA [which] are sound - I am confused. Playing devil's advocate is often a useful mental exercise - but the writer does not put forth a single argument in favour of GoDaddy.
GoDaddy, we should remember, is the victim here
I have always thought that an enemy of my enemy is my friend. The writer does not like SOPA but does not-not like supports of SOPA. How odd. One would have thought that if the writer objects to SOPA he would also object to the support of SOPA by a company that is part of the fabric of the web. Thankfully, the truth finally comes forth, the writer is pro-journalists and anti-amateurs:
Holding authority to account is an art best practised by professionals in the media.
Interesting. Is the writer such a professional in the media? Is he great at his art? If so, I would not pay for the canvas, let alone the painting.
This was a battle worth fighting. But the shock and awe of the mob becomes a less effective method
Call me stupid, but hasn’t the mob just managed to affect change? Haven’t we just proved that if people pull together through the Internet we can win? Haven’t we just shown ourselves and the media that Twitter-campaigns can be a very effective method? I guess the writer thinks not. The simple reason is:
Outrage is becoming passé
Now I understand. We should all chill out. Well, I definitely need to after reading this article.
Ignore the author's word-choice and try to imagine how you would frame his thoughts should you be compelled to agree with him. From the article, I infer a message from someone who laments the failure of what some schools of thought predicted when the internet was publicly realized: a sort of information revolution (but much broader) in which everyone would become well-rounded, informed and activist-minded. Corrupt politicians would be outed. Corporate greed and injustice would be exposed and ended in a fit of public outrage.
Instead, the minority sociologists were right: the internet expansion represents the same shit in a different pile. We use our access to a wealth of information to retrieve ideas that conform to our preconceived notions; magnified confirmation bias on a massive scale. We have the attention span of rabbits. And these bunnies want to do nothing but circle-jerk on TwitterFace/Reddit/whatever.
Sure, GoDaddy sucks. So does SOPA. And you might frame this revolt in a way that makes this a victory; the power of the people in the age of ubiquitous information. But it might be that we never entered the fight in the first place. Ask yourself, "Who's in power?" Ask yourself, "Why are they still in power?" Ask yourself, "Are we really affecting change?" Those are simple questions that marginalize complicated issues, but I think all the plausible answers are somewhat depressing.
SOPA will pass. Either next month or next year or next decade. The people who will make it happen have never heard of Reddit. They have someone else checking their email and planning their schedules. And they will simply adapt to the fact that large numbers of people are able to click a mouse or type 160-characters messages.