Quote:
Originally posted by spazlabz@Nov 11 2003, 11:01 AM
I can clearly picture in my minds eye a bunch of webmasters each at their own computer chuckling to themselves
"Look, it's chicken little! Scurrying around screaming 'The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"
what a surprise it will be to them if indeed the sky DOES FALL.
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Spaz,
let me first say, i do appreciate your support and all the many, many webmasters who have contacted me and supported my efforts.
Your comments are not that far off..... i went into this whole thing knowing that the odds were already against me, rallying webmasters for an effort that I am leading, where most have never heard of me (since i have been a five year lurker). Already realizing that when you open your mouth and stick your tongue out, your head goes with it..and thus the scrutiny and cricitisms.
Even further odds racked up against me in asking for webmasters for contributions to start the organization. Add on a bonus multiplier of setting the pledge goal to $250,000........
.....And you have the makings of a gaping spread that the bookies can't even put odds on it....a "long shot" would not even best describe how far off a chance FTPF has in launching.
I know alot of webmasters are nervous...and hope that this will all just go away.. or that since there are defendants fighting, that there is no need to do anything.
FTPF suffers from the same state of apathy as IMPA.. so i realize that alot has little to do with me personally.
The sad fact is that without unity, webmasters can be picked off one by one by patent holders..... IMPA does not have a large amount of members, despite it's founding members are the ones looking out to really protect all webmasters right to use audio/video from this Acacia issue.
When a webmaster gets slammed with a piece of the sky that Chicken Little says will be falling.. who will they turn to?
Sure, I will get an email or an ICQ message...but nothing I can do to help with FTPF being put a abstract idea..... i will have sympathetic ear, but not even IMPA can help...they aren't structured to be like the ACLU to be able to directly help webmasters with legal issues. This is where Spike and Far-L clearly see how FTPF can do things that they can't as an association.
If after all my attempts at bringing awareness to this issue (in these 3+ months), that webmasters are not even card carrying IMPA members.... then it should be no surprise if a webmaster feels like they are lost.
Fight the Soapbox!