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Explainer articles about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are all over the Web. The Guardian does a nice job of breaking down the main issues in this two-minute video. SOPA, the narrator says, has ”turned into a culture war over two American touchstones, free speech and the economy.”
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Explainer: understanding Sopa | World news | guardian.co.uk
6 days ago … Will 2012 see the end of the internet as we know it? The House judiciary committee tried to finalize the Stop Online Pir… -
Consumer technology site Cnet offers answers to FAQs, including how the proposed laws would be carried out, the potential security risks for such a measure and a list of who in Congress supports or opposes the bills.
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How SOPA would affect you: FAQ | Privacy Inc. – CNET News
Nov 21, 2011 … An in-depth look at the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, backed by Hollywood and opposed by the largest Web compa… -
Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of Mashable.com, a technology, social media-centric site, has authored a passionate editorial in opposition of the bills in which he acknowledges that “real content piracy remains a persistent and daunting problem for companies and creators who rely on revenues from the content they create to continue making more content and, sometimes, simply to survive.” But he argues that “the language in SOPA is so irrational that I can only assume that the authors and backers wanted nothing more than to fundamentally change the rules of the web: To shut down the open post fields, kill reposting (goodbye, Tumblr), end shared videos (sorry, YouTube), expand the definition of what it means to infringe (sorry, Twitter, no sharing links that aren’t yours).
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SOPA Will Take Us Back to the Dark Ages
I had an epiphany today. The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, was not written by people who fundamentally misunderstand how the web works… -
Attempting to put things into perspective, the folks over at Gawker Media have compiled a short list of what everyday Web users need to know about the bill, including a word of caution about the hype surrounding the bill. ”Techies have been freaking out like SOPA would force U.S. troops to crush one million kittens, instead of just possibly censor some websites.”
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What Even Non Nerds Need to Know About SOPA
Today, some of the best websites on the internet—and Reddit—are blacked-out to protest SOPA. But you think “SOPA” is what an … -
A video produced by a group called “Fight for the Future” also attempts to explain what’s at stake in the SOPA and Protect IP Act (PIPA) legislation. The video, created in October 2011, has rocketed across the Web, garnering millions of plays. On Wednesday, the video played more than 860,000 times.
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To protest the bill, a handful of popular websites have “gone dark” on Wednesday, Jan. 18, meaning they’ve blocked their content. It’s an effort to show web users what they’d be missing should Congress pass the bills. The New York Times summarizes the developments, which the paper dubbed “A Political Coming of Age for the Tech Industry.”
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Web Site Will Shut Down to Protest Antipiracy Bills
The bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect IP Act in the Senate, are backed by major media companies and are most… -
A look at some of the landing pages for the websites that have “gone dark” to protest the SOPA bill.
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Google has also created this graphic and advocacy page with a link urging users to sign a petition in opposition to SOPA and the Protect IP Act (PIPA):
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End Piracy, Not Liberty – GoogleTwo bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would cen…
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Flickr.com, the popular photo sharing social network, is also inviting users to participate in a creative protest. They’re “letting members darken their photos — or the photos of others — for a 24-hour period to deprive the web of the rich content that makes it thrive. Your symbolic act will help draw attention to this issue and let others know about the potential harmful impacts of these bills.”
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Help raise awareness about PIPA & SOPA « Flickr BlogTwo bills are currently being considered in the U.S. Congress: PIPA the “Protect IP Act” and SOPA the “Stop Online Piracy Act.” Both are …
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New York Times media writer David Carr has a great take on Wikipedia’s “genius” blackout. Well worth a read.
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How I’m Surviving (or Trying to) Without Wikipedia at My Fingertips
My Internet is broken today. Hitting that “all known thought” button on my toolbar gives me a quick, maddening glimpse of Wikipedia and t… -
Here’s a look at some of the Twitter and Facebook reactions to the bills and associated protests.
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“Just announced NO votes on #PIPA: Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), a former co-sponsor. #SOPA
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“Mark Zuckerberg breaks his silence: “Facebook opposes #SOPA and #PIPA” theatln.tc/x4iQ6X via @theatlanticwire
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“Confused? If it’s #SOPA it’s the House, if it’s #PIPA it’s the Senate, if it’s freedom it’s being destroyed.
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“Imagine if we didn’t have social media to discuss the possible disappearance of social media… Wait. #SOPA #PIPA
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“Today is #SOPA Shutdown down. And here’s why you should care – t.co/Y5IbjmxY
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“Why #Wikipediablackout? #SOPA & #PIPA will cause serious damage to the free and open Internet. t.co/5XZxICGC
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“. @AJStream has put together great documentation of everything going on with #SOPA today: t.co/Qi5dC9J2
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“Awesome: Tumblr auto connecting people by phone via web-autodial to Senators re protesting #SOPA and #PIPA t.co/KggRWq65
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“This is the #SOPA explainer video to share with your non-techie friends and family: t.co/gErvb0AS
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“So, if the sponsors of the SOPA and PIPA bills pull their names from them, doesn’t that effectively kill the bills?: http://mashable.com/2012/01/18/pipa-sopa-abandon-bill/
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“I get the whole SOPA thing but where am I supposed to get my quasi factual information from without Wikipedia?
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“My tumblr is blacked out by choice of course to oppose against PIPA, SOPA, or whatever else lol. It feels weird to not be able to rant and other things on tumblr but it’s only for one day <3
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“Solidarity! PressThink is dark for the day: check it out:… pressthink.org/blackout.html (Thanks to webmaster Tim Libert.)
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“Awe-inspiring crowd at anti-#PIPA protest in front of Senator Schumer and Gillibrand’s offices. #SOPA
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“The audio is up from this morning’s #SOPA #PIPA debate on NPR’s @OnPointRadio! t.co/nQYTYCfo
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“Confused by all the talk of SOPA and Protect IP and threats to the internet? Here’s what’s going on: t.co/IzrtW10J
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“Like wikipedia? Then you probably better go check it out today, read up on SOPA, and contact your representatives.
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“RT @mozilla: SOPA and “The Great Firewall of America:” what it is and how to stop it ow.ly/8y7VM #stopSOPA #SOPAstrike
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Finally, some Patch readers may know we’re owned by AOL. While the companies aren’t participating in the blackout, Tekedra N. Mawakana, AOL’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy, issued a statement Wednesday morning. It reads:
“As written, we cannot support the bills. We believe an open Internet is critical for innovation, job creation, and the sustained growth of Internet businesses. We are in the process of working directly with lawmakers to improve the bills.”
Patch’s Greatest Hits of 2011
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Scott Turow: Amazon.com is ‘the Darth Vader of the Publishing Industry’ and Other ThoughtsIn advance of his speech at Oak Park’s Unity Temple, the author of “Presumed Innocent” tackles Amazon, Illinois corruption and the future…
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Good Lord, that’s a lot of traffic. The author’s controversial comments on the shifting nature of the publishing business went viral, then provoked a few commenters who sharply disagreed with Turow’s criticism.
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UPDATED: Community Helps In Search For StrokoschUpdate, 10:32 a.m. Friday. We’ve posted an update on the search here. Please refer to that link for any forthcoming updates as they becom…
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This one began with a posting to our Facebook page, where a resident alerted the community to the disappearance of Jassen Strokosch, a well respected local parent. An intense communitywide search followed, and, luckily for everyone involved, he’s back safely. More on that later…
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UPDATED: Fatal Shooting in River ForestFemale victim dies, pair in custody after gunfire rings out near public park. Update, 11:43 a.m. Citing the Cook County Medical Examiner’…
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Listening to the police scanner can be equal parts mundane and nauseating. Unless you’re a police officer, firefighter, paramedic or reporter, you’re not really hearing the constant crackle of local emergencies, both large and small. On this hot summer night, the scanner chatter became loud and rushed — typically a sign that something’s up. In this case, it was a murder for hire in which 29-year-old Chervon Alexander was gunned down in a River Forest parking lot.
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Ex-Cop, Two Others Charged with MurderCourt appearance of the three – all acquaintances of Chervon Alexander – expected Friday. Two men from Blue Island and a third from Chica…
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Days after the Alexander shooting, investigators revealed some stunning details about the case: That Devin Bickham Sr., a former North Chicago police officer, had allegedly paid an accomplice $400 to carry out the hit on his girlfriend, Chervon Alexander, an aspiring law enforcement officer.
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He’s Back: Friends, Family Say Jassen Strokosch Found AliveMissing Oak Park man back after unexplained absence. Multiple sources have confirmed with Patch that Jassen Strokosch, missing since Wedn…
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We’d heard some chatter about Strokosch’s safe return. After making a few calls we had the news confirmed, then published the happy ending to this brief, but captivating, local story.
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Oak Park Exploring New Gun RulesMore than a year after the the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its long-standing ban on handguns, Oak Park officials are looking for new wa…
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Intrepid Patch Deb Kadin contributor pursued a tip about a plan by Oak Pk Park officials that would limit gun ownership on the basis that owning a firearm endangers the greater public health. A couple dozen pro-gun commenters weighed in while the story made its way throughout Oak Park and onto firearm-themed message boards across the country.
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Cleanup Begins After Skrine Chops BurnsOvernight blaze damages Forest Park restaurant. Update, 3:23 p.m. Crews from seven other towns, including Oak Park and River Forest, join…
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Yet another major story that began with observations on social media. In this case, we saw a few incoming Tweets saying Madison Street smelled like smoke. Someone else tweeted they thought Skrine Chops had burned overnight. Sure enough, it did. The cause, though never officially revealed, is believed to be a lightning strike, the likely result of a quickly moving overnight summer storm. (Forest Park Review reports the restaurant is making a comeback, and the owners hope to reopen in spring 2012.)
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Police: Owen Wilson Look-Alike BustedOak Park business official credits viral media for spotlighting local scam. Police have arrested a man they say is the coupon fraudster d…
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The headline sort of says it all. Residents were on the lookout for a man who looked like “Owen Wilson without the crooked nose,” accused of trading phony coupons for real discounts at Oak Park stores. And witnesses to the crimes were right: The resemblance is uncanny.
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Search Continues For Missing Oak ParkerVolunteer search efforts are still underway. Volunteer canvassing efforts to locate Jassen Strokosch have so far been unsuccessful, autho…
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Day 2 of our coverage in the disappearance was bolstered by social media and articles from local news outlets.
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Three Charged After Oak Park Drug BustPolice say operation ran from Harrison Street apartment. Three young men have been arrested after police broke up a drug operation headqu…
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A 17-year-old Oak Parker was charged with trying to run a coke and pot ring out of a Harrison Street apartment. Recovered at the apartment were a .40-caliber handgun, ammunition and two safes containing 126 grams of marijuana, 29.7 grams of cocaine, $1,000 in cash, a money counting machine and scales, authorities said.
Testing
WordPress for Android is available. Just testing it out…
Laid to Rest
SouthtownStar staff photographer Matt Marton snapped this incredible photo at the funeral of 1st Lt. Derwin Williams, who was killed July 6 in Afghanistan. In the photo, Williams’ family is presented with flags after a military funeral at Homewood Memorial Gardens.
Beat Blogging
After some delay, I’m officially blogging my beat for the SouthtownStar. Check it out.
Headlines
Some changes
Made some updates to the “Clips” and “Portfolio” page, which I plan to do fairly often.
I’d like to host some multimedia I’ve done right here too, but there’s two problems with that:
1.) WordPress, the company hosting this blog, generally doesn’t allow you to grab certain types of code and slap it into a site on their vast network. They say it’s for security reasons. Fair enough.
2.) Some of my recent work seems to have disappeared from the Web altogether. It’s not that it’s even that old, but apparently some sites don’t archive as far back as October 2008.
Stay tuned…
Back at it
After a ridiculously long break from this blog, it’s time to get back at it.
For now, I won’t delve into the Chicago Journalism Town Hall, which took place last weekend. All I’ll say is that I learned a little, I learned a lot.
Plenty of good summaries, including audio of the event and a roundup of its coverage can be found at the Town Hall’s Web site.
But right now, I’m just going to make some much-needed updates to the “resume” and “clips” pages.
Cubby Bear
Cubby Bear
Originally uploaded by caseycora76
Just gotta love Wrigley Field. Cans of domestic beer for $4.50 and this person, dressed in a bear suit, holding a tip jar. Probably made a killing.
But not from me. I only tip costumed people in high fives.
Twitter, finally
Finally bought into the hype and set up a Twitter account last month. While I’m not so sure I need to know the updates of what my friends and colleagues are doing every waking second, i.e. Casey is taking a walk and eating lunch, I realize this tool has powerful implications for newsgathering. (like micro-blogging from the campaign trail, or lap-by-lap coverage of the Indianapolis 500)
Interested? Follow me.
