WendyMcElroy.com

One year ago today, over 100,000 web sites -- including this one, and including most notably Wikipedia -- went dark in protest against the SOPA and PIPA acts that were being fast-tracked through Congress. The protest worked, and SOPA/PIPA were killed.* So January 18th is now known as Internet Freedom Day.

I would say "Happy Internet Freedom Day," but this year it is a solemn, not a happy, occasion. By a twist of fate, it was exactly one week ago today that Internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz hanged himself, to escape a vicious and abusive prosecution by U.S. Attorneys. Today I will be remembering Aaron Swartz (who I never met), raising a glass in his memory, and trying to think what the hell I can do to avenge requite** his death.

I'll begin with a tiny, symbolic gesture, as suggested by the Internet Freedom Day web page. Here is a link to Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. I was astonished to learn this morning that that video is copyrighted. If SOPA or PIPA had passed, it would be illegal to post this link. Go, and download a copy while you still can.

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* Note well, SOPA and PIPA were killed then, but they're waiting in the wings to come back at any moment. Congress is well paid by the content industries, and will introduce new legislation in a flash when the opportunity presents itself.

** It's been pointed out to me that "vengeance" connotes violence, which is not my intent; "requital" seems to be more accurate.