it points to a big shift in society and the economy.<p>software is now a cornerstone of the world economy. modern life runs through the internet. even if you personally avoid the internet, you depend on it.<p>but the baby boomer generation, represented by these politicians has not understood it. they know engineers as the guys building houses, bridges, aeroplanes, rockets. but software? it is an invisible world to them. child's play. how hard can it be to build the internet vs. the hoover dam.<p>i don't think this will change soon nor can it be actively changed. we need to wait till this generation simply dies out and gets replaced by the ones who grew up with computers. for a larger part of society in the western hemisphere, that means birthdates in the 1970s. yes, gates, jobs were born earlier, but the majority of their <i>users</i> were born later. they were visionaries, outliers.<p>and the circle will begin again, facebook generation vs. privacy defenders. and who knows whats after that...genetics?
On the plus side, all the conspiracy theorists who claimed that Jon Stewart and The Daily Shows were pawns of their parent multinational media conglomerate, and thus wouldn't negatively cover SOPA, these people were wrong.<p>On the negative side, no one in the news media or whistleblowers and WTF-watchers like Jon Stewart knew what SOPA was until two days ago.<p><i>That's even scarier.</i>
Everyone here (besides `jerfelix` apparently) is missing something crucial:<p>Jon Stewart showed 4 people using the word 'nerd'. <i>Three</i> of them were anti-SOPA! These were the congress(wo)men that were trying to bring in experts/techies/geeks/nerds/whatever. So, I'm sorry that the techies here were insulted by that word (I wasn't!) but <i>most</i> of the people using the word were actually fighting for <i>your</i> side! And if you listened to them in context (instead of such a short clip) I think you would have thoroughly agreed with them.<p>I can excuse Jon Stewart for ignoring this important fact here because he is, after all, a comedian.<p>Lofgren (Anti-SOPA) [<a href="http://lofgren.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=674&Itemid=32" rel="nofollow">http://lofgren.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&vi...</a>]<p>Issa (Anti-SOPA) [<a href="http://issa.house.gov/" rel="nofollow">http://issa.house.gov/</a>]<p>Watt (Pro-SOPA) [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Watt#Support_of_SOPA" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Watt#Support_of_SOPA</a>]<p>Chaffetz (Anti-SOPA) [<a href="http://twitter.com/jasoninthehouse" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/jasoninthehouse</a>]
I'm glad to see Stewart finally give this issue some coverage. I actually think the more interesting part of this bit was his montage of Daily Show clips using "copyrighted" content. It really underscores the importance of fair use and the grey area that makes copyright violations such a difficult area to police. The nerds bit was funny, but it was just the usual mockery of our elected officials he usually does.
Is "geek" too cool of a word now that they have to reach for the calculated more insulting "nerd"?<p>(my apologies to proud nerds - but my point is that's not how they were using it)<p>So if people who know what they are doing with computers are the equal of geeks, do politicians think they are the dumb jocks in this high school infantile throwdown?
I thought that Stewart made the congresspersons on the Nerds clip look all look like ignorant supporters of SOPA.<p>The last speaker, Jason Chaffetz, who said "maybe we ought to ask some nerds what this really does" was in opposition to SOPA.<p>Chaffetz has spoken out against SOPA since at least December 7th. See this clip: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQJrNpAcT84" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQJrNpAcT84</a> , where he also uses the term "nerds", but he's saying it in opposition to SOPA. And this clip about keeping the internet open, which dates back to 12/7: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t0Pl83_Apo" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t0Pl83_Apo</a> .<p>So, yeah, Jon Stewart is funny, but he'll use clips to make his point. This sometimes leaves the viewers with an unfairly tainted view of the person in the clip.
I was glad to see him call them out on that. I made a similar comment here on HN about a month ago[1] saying that calling on "nerds", to me, implied a lack of respect. The replies I received, however, seemed to disagree.<p>[1] <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3358472" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3358472</a>
Canadian link:<p><a href="http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/Shows/TheDailyShow?videoPackage=102094" rel="nofollow">http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/Shows/TheDailyShow?videoPacka...</a>
When I was a kid, nerds were picked on...now Congress is feeling threatened by us and calling our class out by name. <i>That</i> is a change as big as the technology the nerds brought about.
The video linked in the article was not available here (Ireland), so for all others affected, this should be it:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSc9eKOcH3w" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSc9eKOcH3w</a>
I suppose this is only fair, as I certainly use the term "politician" with the same dismissive tone of voice on occasion. And I have to admit that there are skills involved in being a successful politician that I don't much care to understand or appreciate. So henceforth I will use the term with more respect. Perhaps they will do the same someday.
And we are surprised by this? as the US is like the UK where a lot if not the majority of politicians and the 1% are lawyers.<p>Out in the real world "engineers" are considered the little chap in oily overalls (and a flat cap) who "fixes up the roller dont cha know"<p>Oh and that's how real engineers are seen in teh UK not some hobby php programmer cobbling together some online shoe shop by cutting and pasting