It seems you're speaking for people my age (I'm 25) and I'd agree with you 100%. I'm seeing far more comments here that support the free for all you describe than those simply frightened by the abuse this bill will likely be used for.
I have to say I'm anti-SOPA or people will start going off on me for lack of actually understanding my point.
But anyway, as far as those who say piracy is free advertising, that's total dog shit. The theory goes that those who pirate wouldn't buy the product anyway but I can easily disprove that. Here's how:
There are tiny minority who actually would never buy the product. They'd be negligible if piracy weren't so common these days.
Then we've got a group who can't afford it. These people will do one of two things: they'll either find a cheaper alternative or save up. Either way it doesn't hurt legit businesses.
That scenario plays out in a world where we've come up with a way to stop the majority of piracy. Currently what happens is that the people who wouldve gotten an alternative or saved up just pirate the damn thing. In this case they're not only hurting business but if they're one of the these Free Software crusaders then they're actually hurting their own movement! Our imaginary person could have chosen to use FOSS or Open Source but they go the pirated proprietary route instead.
There's also an undercurrent or a subtext here (whatever you want to call it) with a free software advocate slant. There are some free software evangelists that believe that by cutting into the profits of corporations, piracy is good. These people are only hurting their own movement for the reasons I've stated above. I see so many who'd force "Free Software" on us all because it is the One True Way. Well I'd say if you love freedom so damn much then let me be free to lock myself into whatever proprietary technology I want. Let me be free to vote with my wallet and to vote with what software I use.
I use Linux. I love it. I also love my Mac too. Im free to choose both and I'd be really angry if I had to choose one over the other because one group wanted to wage war against the other no matter who won.
I have to say I'm anti-SOPA or people will start going off on me for lack of actually understanding my point.
But anyway, as far as those who say piracy is free advertising, that's total dog shit. The theory goes that those who pirate wouldn't buy the product anyway but I can easily disprove that. Here's how:
There are tiny minority who actually would never buy the product. They'd be negligible if piracy weren't so common these days.
Then we've got a group who can't afford it. These people will do one of two things: they'll either find a cheaper alternative or save up. Either way it doesn't hurt legit businesses.
That scenario plays out in a world where we've come up with a way to stop the majority of piracy. Currently what happens is that the people who wouldve gotten an alternative or saved up just pirate the damn thing. In this case they're not only hurting business but if they're one of the these Free Software crusaders then they're actually hurting their own movement! Our imaginary person could have chosen to use FOSS or Open Source but they go the pirated proprietary route instead.
There's also an undercurrent or a subtext here (whatever you want to call it) with a free software advocate slant. There are some free software evangelists that believe that by cutting into the profits of corporations, piracy is good. These people are only hurting their own movement for the reasons I've stated above. I see so many who'd force "Free Software" on us all because it is the One True Way. Well I'd say if you love freedom so damn much then let me be free to lock myself into whatever proprietary technology I want. Let me be free to vote with my wallet and to vote with what software I use.
I use Linux. I love it. I also love my Mac too. Im free to choose both and I'd be really angry if I had to choose one over the other because one group wanted to wage war against the other no matter who won.
To reiterate: SOPA bad. Piracy also bad.