True fact: The only thing Jane hates more than piracy (previous comments re: Captain Wentworth notwithstanding) is people messing with her internet. Seriously, the line about making sport of our neighbors and laughing at them in our turn? Follow that up with “…and stay off my wifi connection, because that junk is PROTECTED.”
You’ve probably heard by now: both the U.S. House and Senate are currently considering bills aimed at curbing media piracy on the Internet (SOPA in the Senate, PIPA in the House). Which: yay for curbing media piracy! Three cheers for copyright! Except…neither of these bills appears either effective or nuanced enough to get the job done without seriously impacting everyday, landlubber Internet users and the sites they frequent. It’s like searching for Mr. Wickham by nuking Scotland, and nobody likes that.
So, who’s affected? We’re affected. YOU, as readers, are affected. Austenacious is powered by WordPress, which, because of the treasure trove of user-generated content it hosts every hour of every day, is one of many sites likely to be censored by either bill. Likewise Facebook and Twitter.
What can you do? Read up. Contact your representative. Link on Facebook. Blog. Tweet. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell anybody who’s ever used Wikipedia that everlasting ignorance looms.
Make your voice heard, and we’ll see you again soon.
Probably.
