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Wiki-blackout
I am not entirely sure why Wikipedia is off the air today, as I’m not familiar with the detail of the US bills to which Jimmy Wales and others have taken exception. However, as someone who does his research on the hoof, it’ll be interesting to see how I get through a day without it. While the first rule remains ‘do not accept its content automatically as fact’, it is nonetheless a massively useful tool.
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Quintin Jardine's blog 
Perhaps it’ll help you to decide about the US bills to note that Rupert Murdoch is pushing heavily for them
It may have been enough to scare off the backers of the bills. However internet piracy is not to be taken lightly. I know the tendency is to moan when they play that ‘Piracy is theft’ message at the beginning of DVDs, but it’s bloody true. Murdoch may be a corporately rapacious old bastard but Newscorp owns Harper Collins, and has a duty to its authors and his shareholders defend intellectual property rights.
As a n American citizen, I’m hearing and seeing a lotof comment to the effect that “we’lll just see who has moreinfluence in D.C-Hollywood or Silicone Valley!”. I certainly believe in the “ownership ofintellectual properties but Hollywood has such a sad history of their treatment of such, I’ll root for Silicone Valley. Know what a shallow andspecious argument that is but my respect for the Bill Gates types sure outweighs that for George Clooney!
I’m struggling to make that comparison. Yes, I believe that Gates is a great man . . . as I believe that Reagan was. But until George Clooney, or another of his peers, stands up and runs for office, and Clooney says he won’t, I don’t see how they can be measured alongside Gates, or any other public figure of his standing. Jeff Bezos though, how about him, aas a man who has built his fortune on what’s come out of Silicone Valley? My friend Iain cites Murdoch as an ogre, and he probably is, but to me Bezos and Amazon are much more dangerous and will be until they develop a social conscience. As witness, this piece of piracy: http://mhpbooks.com/18868/amazons-ultimate-weapon-to-kill-bookstores/
I know my comparison doesn’t bear much weight. Mypoint,not well made,was that the creativity that comes from Silicon far exceeds anything Hollywood has to offer as witness the drech of most of its offerings and the increasing use of “re makes” of old films. If creative enndeavor is to be protected, Hollyiwood doesnt havea whole lot to protect! I’m much more concerned with the political pressure put on behalf of both sides.
What is ‘drech’?
From a distance, my observation is that Hollywood will always have more influence in DC than the Valley, as it is interlinked with the ever-expanding media, which is ultimately the major determinant of the fate of politicians. Yes, Gingrich seems to have done himself a favour by attacking it, but the beast will eat him in the end.
“drech” is, I believe a Yiddish term for “worthless” or more commonly ( I believe) c–p!
Thanks. I must look that up in Leo Rosten’s ‘Joy of Yiddish’.
be sure and let me know!