5 ms·

Why Rackspace oppose SOPA

78 points by samuel1604 15y ago

richardburton 15y ago
This is a great example of balance and reason in the current hysteria. They separate the issues of piracy and enforceability perfectly. Great stuff.
- darklajid 15y ago
  I read it differently: Blablabla with little meat and the focus on not supporting SOPA "in its current form". For me this resulted in a net minus for Rackspace.
  - igul222 15y ago
    Last week, I traveled to Washington to meet with key members of Congress and their aides, urging them to slow down, take the time to understand the basics of the industry that they propose to regulate, and get this legislation right. In my eyes, that line proves that Rackspace isn't just trying to mollify its customers. These guys are actually trying to make a difference. To me, that's a net plus.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
  - cjtuckerman 15y ago
    I think much more good can be done by a company if they go to the legislature to help them get it right than by just saying "We don't support SOPA." I believe that eventually (for better or worse) some bill is going to pass Congress in some form and it's for the best if companies I trust have a big hand in writing it.
  - jinushaun 15y ago
    "In its current form" is just legalese for saying "I'm for anti-piracy legislation, but specifically against how SOPA wants to deal with it." Companies can't come out and say they're against SOPA without saying they don't like piracy.
  - Zirro 15y ago
    Indeed, I do wish some company would have the courage to go out and say that "We support piracy because we believe that it helps the industry and artists move forward".
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
  - jebblue 15y ago
    If there were anti-piracy legislation introduced which in your eyes was better than SOPA, would you support it or are you against regulating the Internet in any form?
    - darklajid 15y ago
      Two things. 1) In the place of the world where you are: Is "piracy" legal or do you already have laws against it? 2) The internet is regulated. I'm not totally sure about future changes in that regard. So far, all the 'ohhhh my god, we're killing jobs/innocent children' arguments fail to explain why a new way to regulate the internet is needed. I'm not allowed to download the latest movies, period. If I'd do that, I'm gambling. If I (since this tends to be conflated with theft a lot) go to my local video shop (yep, these still exist) and manage to steal a dvd, I'll be punished if you catch me. Just like - with the current anti-piracy legislation. Writing this down I realize that I'd be hard-pressed to support this kind of legislation, really. This is coming from someone that buys a metric ton of things 'to support' people (currently I'm hunting for a decent site that lets me buy the remake of Another World, after the flashback I got from the discussion on HN).
      - jebblue 15y ago
        1) Software and music piracy isn't legal anywhere in the world as far as I'm aware. If it is legal where you are then your country needs to step up and fix the laws. 2) Sounds like arm waving.
    - tomjen3 15y ago
      That is an unfair question -- you present only two options while leaving (at least) the third -- "we have already done (at least) as much as we need to". There is so a fourth: "the internet is too precious to destroy to get a few more CDs/books/etc.".
      - jebblue 15y ago
        On your first third point, I agree if we can all agree that SOPA is simply not needed. If there is no self entitled thinking 17 year old college student no where in the world right now copying music or software illegally then SOPA is probably unnecessary. On your second point, no home, street, city, county, state, province or country can survive without laws, laws do not break the preciousness of anything in life and if they do then they should be opposed. I've read nothing that shows how SOPA breaks the Internet and as far as the Internet being precious, that sounds like emotional arm waving.
- richardburton 15y ago
  Not really sure why this comment got down-voted. The CEO is up-front and specific about exactly what he dislikes about SOPA. That is a lot more than can be said for many members of the technorati.
- tomjen3 15y ago
  Sadly that is the last thing we can afford right now. It is great policy but lousy debate: don't concede anything to the enemy, we need to run not walk away from their position -- that way (and only that way)can we drag them further towards the position we want them to take. If we come up with a reasonable proposal based on their concerns then the best we can hope for is for them to drag us closer to them. Now if we could get Congress to propose this then we could get angry, throw some (metaphorical) chairs etc then slowly agree to it. Then, may be, we could have a compromise. Never ever be reasonable in a debate -- it will only hurt your position -- but always appear to be, that way they can't hurt you with it.

78 points by samuel1604 15y ago

This is a great example of balance and reason in the current hysteria. They separate the issues of piracy and enforceability perfectly. Great stuff.

darklajid 15y ago
I read it differently: Blablabla with little meat and the focus on not supporting SOPA "in its current form". For me this resulted in a net minus for Rackspace.
- igul222 15y ago
  Last week, I traveled to Washington to meet with key members of Congress and their aides, urging them to slow down, take the time to understand the basics of the industry that they propose to regulate, and get this legislation right. In my eyes, that line proves that Rackspace isn't just trying to mollify its customers. These guys are actually trying to make a difference. To me, that's a net plus.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
- cjtuckerman 15y ago
  I think much more good can be done by a company if they go to the legislature to help them get it right than by just saying "We don't support SOPA." I believe that eventually (for better or worse) some bill is going to pass Congress in some form and it's for the best if companies I trust have a big hand in writing it.
- jinushaun 15y ago
  "In its current form" is just legalese for saying "I'm for anti-piracy legislation, but specifically against how SOPA wants to deal with it." Companies can't come out and say they're against SOPA without saying they don't like piracy.
- Zirro 15y ago
  Indeed, I do wish some company would have the courage to go out and say that "We support piracy because we believe that it helps the industry and artists move forward".
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
- jebblue 15y ago
  If there were anti-piracy legislation introduced which in your eyes was better than SOPA, would you support it or are you against regulating the Internet in any form?
  - darklajid 15y ago
    Two things. 1) In the place of the world where you are: Is "piracy" legal or do you already have laws against it? 2) The internet is regulated. I'm not totally sure about future changes in that regard. So far, all the 'ohhhh my god, we're killing jobs/innocent children' arguments fail to explain why a new way to regulate the internet is needed. I'm not allowed to download the latest movies, period. If I'd do that, I'm gambling. If I (since this tends to be conflated with theft a lot) go to my local video shop (yep, these still exist) and manage to steal a dvd, I'll be punished if you catch me. Just like - with the current anti-piracy legislation. Writing this down I realize that I'd be hard-pressed to support this kind of legislation, really. This is coming from someone that buys a metric ton of things 'to support' people (currently I'm hunting for a decent site that lets me buy the remake of Another World, after the flashback I got from the discussion on HN).
    - jebblue 15y ago
      1) Software and music piracy isn't legal anywhere in the world as far as I'm aware. If it is legal where you are then your country needs to step up and fix the laws. 2) Sounds like arm waving.
  - tomjen3 15y ago
    That is an unfair question -- you present only two options while leaving (at least) the third -- "we have already done (at least) as much as we need to". There is so a fourth: "the internet is too precious to destroy to get a few more CDs/books/etc.".
    - jebblue 15y ago
      On your first third point, I agree if we can all agree that SOPA is simply not needed. If there is no self entitled thinking 17 year old college student no where in the world right now copying music or software illegally then SOPA is probably unnecessary. On your second point, no home, street, city, county, state, province or country can survive without laws, laws do not break the preciousness of anything in life and if they do then they should be opposed. I've read nothing that shows how SOPA breaks the Internet and as far as the Internet being precious, that sounds like emotional arm waving.
richardburton 15y ago
Not really sure why this comment got down-voted. The CEO is up-front and specific about exactly what he dislikes about SOPA. That is a lot more than can be said for many members of the technorati.
tomjen3 15y ago
Sadly that is the last thing we can afford right now. It is great policy but lousy debate: don't concede anything to the enemy, we need to run not walk away from their position -- that way (and only that way)can we drag them further towards the position we want them to take. If we come up with a reasonable proposal based on their concerns then the best we can hope for is for them to drag us closer to them. Now if we could get Congress to propose this then we could get angry, throw some (metaphorical) chairs etc then slowly agree to it. Then, may be, we could have a compromise. Never ever be reasonable in a debate -- it will only hurt your position -- but always appear to be, that way they can't hurt you with it.