Emergency NYTech Meetup to Stop SOPA Jan 18

http://nytm.org/sos/

by MattRogish • 15 years ago

105 20 15 years ago

nytm.org

gerggerg3• 15 years ago

Why that date and what will we be doing?

sudonim2• 15 years ago

Im guessing because senators don't work late, and thats when a lot of people have their lunch break.

As for what we'll be doing... good question. At the very least creating a visible show of dissatisfaction with PIPA and SOPA for Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. It's unclear from the page if there is anything else.

innonate2• 15 years ago

That day the Senators will be hearing testimony from USV's Brad Burnham and Reddit's Alexis Ohanian.

Mostly we will be showing our strength in numbers. There will be a few guest speakers and we will also take collective action.

gerggerg3• 15 years ago

Thanks for the info and I'll be attending with some people from the office. Seems like that information, though, is a little too important to not include it on the site.

sudonim2• 15 years ago

Everyone from my office will be attending this. I'm curious to see if a mob of tech nerds will be taken more seriously by the powers that be than occupy wall street people.

chrishough• 15 years ago

with the recent heavy handed crack down of any NYC protesting, I would be worried of even attempting this. NYC has cracked down hard on freedom of speech.

gerggerg3• 15 years ago

I would be worried of even attempting this.

What on earth would you be worried about? Getting asked to leave? Having to look at a police officer?

aptsurdist• 15 years ago

If you really are afraid of peaceful civil protest in the USA, I'd say that's all the more reason why we have a responsibility to practice peaceful protest now before things get worse.

innonate2• 15 years ago

We'll have a permit from the City. Nothing to worry about.

tomjen3• 15 years ago

If anybody starts to pepper spray them, it will be posted to so may blogs that it will be everywhere by the end of the day.

Combine that with pointing out that he has admitted he is in favor of censorship and you have the ultimate head-line (especially if somebody brings their kids).

Zirro• 15 years ago

Be happy that not everyone thinks like you, because if that was the case, you wouldn't be living in a democracy. Well, what's left of the US democracy, anyway.

danso• 15 years ago

Police are perfectly behaved when the proper permits have been filed...Here's a photo I took of when the hundreds of pilots protested on Wall Street (also at the same time as OWS): http://www.flickr.com/photos/zokuga/6190171031/

And for protests without permits...the cops are generally going to not do anything but watch unless there's an imminent public safety issue. They don't like bad publicity as much as the next person, and I imagine they're going to be particularly wary of very tech-savvy groups, for obvious reasons.

tristan_louis2• 15 years ago

The kind of worry you have is exactly the reason for heavy handed crackdown. The theory goes that such approach discourages further protest.

If you care about the internet AND/OR you want to show that such tactics don't work, do show up. Otherwise, sit back, relax and get ready for an internet that looks like network television.

untog• 15 years ago

I really hope that it does, and that the media actually cover it. I would like to imagine that if staff from all the major NYC tech startups came down it would at least warrant one article...

coolrhymes• 15 years ago

i am attending this. i dont think congress/senate has any clue what this will really do. i bet those guys are still on IE5

daeken• 15 years ago

You know, I used to think this was about technology. About what technology could do to the old guard and what they could do to technology. But none of that matters.

What matters is simple: these people are given jobs by us, and they have a single responsibility in that position -- to uphold the Constitution. They are failing this responsibility and don't understand this. It's our job as their managers, in effect, to indicate the ways in which they're failing. We need to stop this.

sethbannon• 15 years ago

While also anti-SOPA, this rally is primarily aimed at PIPA (the Senate version of the bill), which has been getting a free pass. Can you change the title to reflect this?

tocomment• 15 years ago

Is there anything like this for the DC area?

zacharycohn• 15 years ago

There will be. Stay tuned.

tristan_louis2• 15 years ago

I know it sounds crazy but ycombinator is based on the valley. Barbara Boxer is a co-sponsor of PIPA and Dianne Feinstein supports it too.

Does the New York tech scene have to do all the heavy lifting or could we have similar protest in California on the 18th?

Office of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer 70 Washington Street, Suite 203 Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 286-8537

Office of U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein One Post Street, Suite 2450 San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone: (415) 393-0707

Hopefully, people in the valley can join New Yorkers in their opposition of this bill.

Emergency NYTech Meetup to Stop SOPA Jan 18

Related Stories