I think you answered your own question in the last paragraph.
For companies like the RIAA and MPAA they have business interests that are closely tied into the laws that they're forced to recognize. Because of this they create positions within their company whose job is to ensure the laws are aligned with their needs.
As individuals (even with like-minded goals) we don't have this luxury. We work our day jobs that may or may not relate to the internet directly and then come home to let loose or attend to other needs outside the job. In no part of this cycle is there a massive budget that allows us to pick the brain of those in power during the week. We don't have time to help draft Bills and gain support through our government and in a way, expect others to do that for us.
Who are these people we want? Well other companies of course. We want Google and Yahoo to step up to bat, but we're met full circle with the problem in the first place. They'll lobby government to align the laws with their business direction. And as individuals its up to us to decide if their business direction aligns with our interests.
What is left then? Let the corporations bicker and fight it out but once the bill gets tossed into parliament let our representatives know how we feel about it as the people.
Sucky system but I don't see a better solution right now.
I don't have answers about any of this; really, I just having growing questions.
I don't disagree with you. Particularly with 2-income professional families (or ambitious younger people in challenging jobs like startups), there clearly is very little emotional and mental energy to spare for this level on non-voting, day-in/day-out political engagement.
But with that said, I have in my own extended family seen the extent to which conservative churches often play aggressively political roles in organizing and putting lots of political pressure on politicians. As busy as we all feel, somehow they still often manage to find the boots on the ground for this kind of stuff.
I hate to get all Oprah / the Secret on this topic, but I'm inching towards thinking that this entire topic is about confidence, primarily. Most us of in internet land seem to have a certain exasperated resignation that things can't get better, only worse. It seems like a deep seated belief. It's hard to find the energy to fight when you assume you're fighting a lost cause, regardless of how worthwhile. I'm not sure how much of that is self-fulfilling - maybe no one can.
For companies like the RIAA and MPAA they have business interests that are closely tied into the laws that they're forced to recognize. Because of this they create positions within their company whose job is to ensure the laws are aligned with their needs.
As individuals (even with like-minded goals) we don't have this luxury. We work our day jobs that may or may not relate to the internet directly and then come home to let loose or attend to other needs outside the job. In no part of this cycle is there a massive budget that allows us to pick the brain of those in power during the week. We don't have time to help draft Bills and gain support through our government and in a way, expect others to do that for us.
Who are these people we want? Well other companies of course. We want Google and Yahoo to step up to bat, but we're met full circle with the problem in the first place. They'll lobby government to align the laws with their business direction. And as individuals its up to us to decide if their business direction aligns with our interests.
What is left then? Let the corporations bicker and fight it out but once the bill gets tossed into parliament let our representatives know how we feel about it as the people.
Sucky system but I don't see a better solution right now.