SOPA

I obviously don't fully understand the implications of the law because I'm not a lawyer and/or an internet search engineer. But several things strike me - it pits content creators (Hollywood) against content distributors (Google, Wikipedia). Obviously the creators are more protective of their copyrights than the distributors who proclaim to be interested in protecting copyright, but only if it isn't too onerous on them and hence slows their searches and advertising. Then there is the issue of legislators and their tendency to write dumb laws that end up having unintended consequences. So where do I stand on the issue? Well, I think the internet does pose a huge problem for content. And everyone is used to getting their content for free. It sort of reminds me of when their were blackouts in New York and all the stores started giving away their beer and food because it was just going to go bad. This was probably a cool moment to be walking along the street. But a situation like this cannot continue. I just don't think information of any value can be free forever, just like the free food in New York cannot be a constant. So as a general principle, I support measures to stop piracy because in the long run, we'll end up cannibalizing ourselves. And I do think Google, Wikipedia, and Facebook profiteer off cheap information by aggregating it (not paying for it) and then selling it. Do I have a problem with this? Sort of. I use Google and Wikipedia, but I'm highly skeptical of these internet companies and their compilation of data and inability to turn profits. All these IPOs, I've become convinced, are simply ways for the founders to "cash out" and be able to turn their creations into money since they don't generate much revenue relative to cost.