First off, they need to reword in that it allows legal P2P. Whats wrong with my sharing a MP3 Recording of my Churches Worship Team playing? Nothing.
Second, just because everyone does something, does not make it right. Being able to make MP3's off oc CD's you own should be legal. Giving your friend a copy for free should also be legal. Giving it to your 5 million closest friends online is one step too far!;)
First off, they need to reword in that it allows legal P2P
They need to _start_ with rewording it so that it doesn't make VCRs illegal! Then _maybe_ they'll be competent enough to handle the subtleties of computer communications protocols. If the first draft can't even handle 20-year old technology, there's no chance of it being good enough for computers.
Second, just because everyone does something, does not make it right
Very true, but before you go off telling umpteen millions of your own constiuents that they are dastardly criminals who should be punished by law for their misdeeds, you need to think long and hard about the effectiveness, consequences, and benefits of attempting to do so.
As best I can tell, every attempt to condemn and ban an activity anywhere near this widespread in the past has required waging a war on one's own citizens to enforce. The parallels to Prohibition and the War on Drugs are obvious. In fact, the only situation I can think of where it ultimately _worked_ was the emancipation of the slaves 140 years ago, a practice which bears about as much resemblance to file trading as... as... I can't even think of a comparison stupid enough. Is this what we want? Yet another War on American citizens? Another president telling us that "copying bits" is public enemy #1, a social scourge which need to be stomped out, no matter how many real, innocent people get stomped on in the process?
Needs reworked.... (Score:2)
Second, just because everyone does something, does not make it right. Being able to make MP3's off oc CD's you own should be legal. Giving your friend a copy for free should also be legal. Giving it to your 5 million closest friends online is one step too far!
Re:Needs reworked.... (Score:2)
They need to _start_ with rewording it so that it doesn't make VCRs illegal! Then _maybe_ they'll be competent enough to handle the subtleties of computer communications protocols. If the first draft can't even handle 20-year old technology, there's no chance of it being good enough for computers.
Second, just because everyone does something, does not make it right
Very true, but before you go off telling umpteen millions of your own constiuents that they are dastardly criminals who should be punished by law for their misdeeds, you need to think long and hard about the effectiveness, consequences, and benefits of attempting to do so.
As best I can tell, every attempt to condemn and ban an activity anywhere near this widespread in the past has required waging a war on one's own citizens to enforce. The parallels to Prohibition and the War on Drugs are obvious. In fact, the only situation I can think of where it ultimately _worked_ was the emancipation of the slaves 140 years ago, a practice which bears about as much resemblance to file trading as ... as ... I can't even think of a comparison stupid enough. Is this what we want? Yet another War on American citizens? Another president telling us that "copying bits" is public enemy #1, a social scourge which need to be stomped out, no matter how many real, innocent people get stomped on in the process?