Dear Sen. Cardin,

Recently it has come to my attention that you are sponsoring S.968, titled “Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 “. I wanted to reach out as a concerned Marylander and as a technologist who is an advocate of civil liberties online.

First and foremost, I respect the intent of the bill. The artists and innovators who have put their entire lives into creating intellectual property deserve protection from piracy and infringement.

As a technologist, my entire career has focused on building new capabilities that support our national security. I am by no means an aficionado of legalese or a policy nut. However, I can see when technology and policy are colliding in ways that will impact the overall good of a community. Looking through this bill, I see many areas where authors who are well intentioned but poorly informed, have created openings for exploitation and abuse by corporate interests. This undoubtedly will have incredible impact on the evolution of information sharing and collaboration online. In addition, enforcement and censorship tactics in the bill will have a ripple affect breaking basic foundational concepts of the internet.

There are plenty of smarter people than I who also highlight SOPA’s problems. If you have not already, I suggest you read Vint Cerf’s open letter to the sponsors of this bill as well: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57344028-281/vint-cerf-sopa-means-unprecedented-censorship-of-the-web/

Representing Maryland, I ask that you promote greater involvement by the technology and academic community in the authoring of the bill. I have attended many of the Governors Cyber Maryland events, either as a panelist or guest and the consistent theme is about establishing Maryland as the leader in Cyberspace. This is a perfect opportunity to show that leadership.

Thank you for your representation, commitment and I hope you consider my comments.

Regards,
Chris Ensey

I find myself annoyed regularly by the fact that I cannot right click items in the Spotlight quick drop down.   If I could do typical actions found in Right click context menus like “Copy”, “Get Info”, “Open With..” life would be so much simpler.   This seems like a logical addition to the interface.  Apple lets clean this up!!  Also, it would be nice if I could click and drag these items into other applications and folders from this drop down.

Actually one thing was sparked while I was pulling the previous posts links together. This week several work related and social conversations reminded me of a theory I have been working on for several years (in my head of course) which is the concept I am calling a “Viral Turn of Phrase”.

Can a euphemism, turn of phrase, or cliche that was once dead to most vernaculars be resurrected by the media or even better a social network?  When someone in a management position throws a classic “Thinking outside the box”, “long pole in the tent”, “paradigm shift” or some other perfectly cromulent word it seems to curse through the veins of the corporate / social structure.  I am a victim of this just as much as the next guy.   Definitely caught myself using the term “swath” in an email the other day after hearing 3 of my coworkers drop that in conversation over the course of a week.  Can’t say that I have ever heard or used that term in previous experience.

Case-in-Point:  (Fuck! I just did it again!)  Obama described the McCain’s planned policies in comparison to the Bush administration the same as putting “Lipstick on a Pig”.   At happy hour last night, this comment was dropped at least 10 times by the random “Hey look how much news I read” guy.    At the time it didn’t bother me that much until I caught my mind applying it to something else this morning.   This schlock gets ingrained into your psyche!!  That is why it is viral.  In this case it is a bit extreme because of the mass media attention to the gaff but still, I can’t help but use it as an example.   The American herd loves to follow.

I have a sincere appreciation for the more subtle form of VTOP’s where something more eloquent leaves its mark on a social structure allowing its customers to be enriched along the way.   It provides proof positive that occasionally people feel a sense of responsibility to retain their vocabulary beyond the current social norm.   We are near rock bottom when people are getting their education on linguistics and etymology from a  philologist that spends her time researching topics like the origin of the word “boob”.

I will admit that I am not the most green person on earth.  I am too lazy to recycle.  I drive a car with a V8.  I leave my computers on 24/7.   Basically, I am a drain on the ecosystem we live in.  So, I think to myself “if I get a Hybrid vehicle to use as my daily driver I can make a huge impact”   I drive typically 600 miles a week, which would save tons of money on gas,  it is good for the environment, and quite trendy.   I can be just like everyone else in the US who has a major hard-on over hybrid cars and are lined up ready to shell out $40k for a Chevy Volt!  That sounds awesome!

Typically, when I see the collective herd lumbering towards the abyss like this I try to take a step back, pull my head out of my ass for a second and think about the real issues around embracing this technology.

1.)  The immediate satisfaction.   That first week when you don’t have to fill the tank to the tune of $100+ bucks.   SOLD! 60% of Americans will be cheering thanking Jesus for his gift of electric motors.  The people see the immediate cost savings, I get it.

2.)  Media tells us we need to get off Gas!  This I have a problem with:  Buying a hybrid or full electric car has little to do with this since we utilize fossil fuels to power our electric grid!     We are just shifting the problem to a different part of the greater issue.   Until they start replacing the old power plants with Solar or Wind based systems we are still hooked on oil.

3.)  Since we are all driving Hybrids / Electric cars we can just build greener power plants:   I will agree doing the right thing by adding a layer of abstraction that offers us the flexibility to move towards alternative fuels.   No one will ever say: “We gotta get America off rapidly moving electrons powering their cars”.  People need to realize that we are just buying ourselves time and flexibility.   The energy has to come from some where.

4.)  “That’s great!  Everything works now that we have Hybrids and are moving to alternative fuels!”  Not really.   According to the DOE’s Energy Information Administration the plans to build new power plants are not necessarily trending towards getting America off of Gas.  “For the 2001 through 2005 forecast period, electric utilities reported plans to add 44,726 megawatts of generating capacity in new units to their systems. Ninety-one percent of this total is gas-fired capacity.”   Granted these numbers are old but I have a feeling companies do not just switch to alternative sources of power over night.

4.)  Impact to the current power grid:   When we all picked up our flashy LCD / Plasma televisions there was a huge surge in the requirements that every American put on our current grid.  “Rechargeable cars, industry officials say, consume about four times the electricity as plasma TVs.” (cnn.com).   According to Department of Energy Oak Ridge Labs, we should be prepared to build 100′s of new Powerplants to support the demand of Hybridizing fat American SUV drivers.

All rants aside, I must admit to taking a defeatist stance for now.   Most Americans in the near future will think very highly of themselves for getting a electric or hybrid car and once that happens go right back to driving to work, church, or bingo every week.   They will not take time to think about what goes into their hybrid and why as the US we will still be in the grips of the oil companies.  People think they are getting screwed at the pump now.  Just wait until that pump is a socket in your home and the bill comes once a month in the mail.  Most people in my area have a sore anus from the pounding that BGE / Constellation dealt us last year during the power rate increase.   Can’t wait until the next round of subsidies come due.