More idiocy from the US House of Representatives

[mhendo]

Do they really think that this shit is a good idea? The answer of course, is yes, considering that they voted for it by an overwhelming margin.

The House passed the Deleting Online Predators Act by 410 votes to 15. The Act forbids publicly funded organisations, such as schools and libraries, from allowing young people to access sites that have chat rooms or ‘social networking’ elements. Under the proposed law, adults in such institutions can ask for permission to access the sites.

<snip>

“Under DOPA, people who use library and school computers as their primary conduits to the Internet will be unfairly blocked from accessing some of the web’s most powerful emerging technologies and learning applications. As libraries are already required to block content that is ‘harmful to minors’ under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), DOPA is redundant and unnecessary legislation,” said [American Library Association preesident Leslie] Burger.

<snip>

The law suggests that the FCC consider as social networking sites any site that allows users to edit a profile, chat to users or post personal data.

If it passes the Senate and becomes law, DOPA could mean the end of Dopers, at least on library and school computers. Not only that, but the law would, based on the broad recommended definition of a “social networking site,” also exclude things like Amazon, eBay, pBase, Flickr, etc., etc.

This level of paranoia about the internet is just getting fucking ridiculous.

[mhendo]

Of course, as the article says, “adults in such institutions can ask for permission to access the sites,” so it wouldn’t ban those sites altogether.

But he whole thing still stinks, IM(not so)HO.

[ZebraShaSha]

They can ban them all they want, but skilled predators can always find a more deeply hidden pipe to hide in.

[BrainGlutton]

The problem they’re trying to address really isn’t that big a problem anyway.

[Wolfian]

So wait, what? How does that help anything? Are they trying to restrict children from message boards or adults from them? What stops the children and adults from going home and chatting from their own computers (I think the great majority of people have home computers)? I’m really not getting the point of this law.

[BrainGlutton]

This issue was discussed in some depth in this thread.

[OttoDaFe]

@Wolfian

So wait, what? How does that help anything? Are they trying to restrict children from message boards or adults from them? What stops the children and adults from going home and chatting from their own computers (I think the great majority of people have home computers)? I’m really not getting the point of this law.

From The American President:

And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.

The act in question is the first part of the equation, and as you can see from the vote, it’s pretty much a party-neutral tactic. The second part of the equation kicks in during the campaign, and that (IMNSHO) is where the Republicans kick ass.

[mhendo]

@BrainGlutton

This issue was discussed in some depth in this thread.

Thanks for the link. I searched for “DOPA” and got not hits.

And anyway, i wanted to rant.

[Ethilrist]

The law suggests that the FCC consider as social networking sites any site that allows users to edit a profile, chat to users or post personal data.

So, all those news sites (New York Times, maybe?) that require a logon will get blocked at libraries? Good luck with that…