On the other hand, Google opposes SOPA, but being overtly political has its problems...
What if Google was pro SOPA? Would you be happy with them advertising for it on their front page?
America needs to learn to govern it's self without the intervention of corporations. America doesn't need more of them getting involved.
Whatever resistance to SOPA that exists in the federal government exists because of some technology companies making very loud noises. Simply saying, "well, corporations shouldn't have a privileged voice in government at all, so we should condemn corporations even when they're arguing on the right side of an issue" is stabbing your allies in the back. Curtailing Google's political activism won't teach America to govern itself without corporations. It will just give the bad guys even less resistance to their agenda.
Google maybe shouldn't care about politics. But politics cares about Google. And, moreover, the rest of us. We can start telling Google to GTFO of politics once there are other democratic institutions to take its place. Until then, unilateral disarmament is not an option. The best we can do is remind people that Google is a temporary tactical ally, not some angelic being that does no evil.
I'd go a step further and advocate pushing to get ALL the money out of politics. That said, with the way things work at this very moment, anti-SOPA needs all the corporate sponsorship it can get.
My hope is that people will once again be the biggest voice in government instead of corporations.
You're writing that as if SOPA was one side of an argument where good people could reasonably be on either one side or the other, and HN and Google just happens to be on the same.
But it's not, SOPA has a right and a wrong side. We're on the right side, Google is on the right side and good people are either uninformed or on the right side. It's not unreasonable to wish for Google to employ some of their considerable clout in evangelising the right side.
Well, that's me convinced.
mseebach didn't intend to make a convincing anti-SOPA argument, he was commenting under the assumption that his audience was already opposed to SOPA. He may have been wrong — that's a danger on the internet — but I don't think that makes him stupid.
mseebach: "You're writing that as if SOPA was one side of an argument where good people could reasonably be on either one side or the other, and HN and Google just happens to be on the same. But it's not, SOPA has a right and a wrong side. We're on the right side..."
parody: "My opinion is right because I say it is."
mseebach: "Google is on the right side and good people are either uninformed or on the right side."
parody: "Anyone who doesn't hold the same opinion is either bad, or needs educating."
mseebach: "It's not unreasonable to wish for Google to employ some of their considerable clout in evangelising the right side."
I was wrong. This part has value. The "right side" part of it is overreaching though. In my opinion.
Also, I didn't call him stupid, I called the downvoters stupid. I meant it in the way people usually do: I don't like it. The people who can downvote are supposed to be the pillars of our community. Yet they seem more interested in policing opinions than quality. More interested in SOPA than HN. Then they turn around and complain that it's all going to shit. Come on... lets promote the strongest arguments and promptly refute the lousy ones.
That's an opinion, one which I (and others) don't agree with.
SOPA is bad for Google, too. Why shouldn't they be involved? The fact of the matter is that corporations are involved in US politics. Like it or dislike it, it's a fact. Advising anti-SOPA corporations to stay out of the fight just feels like a case of misplaced principles. Suggesting that Google sit on the sidelines severely hampers efforts to get the word out and stir up anti-SOPA sentiment among people who may not understand the issue all that well, or may not be particularly interested yet.
I want SOPA to fail. If Google can help with that, I'm all for it, as long as they don't do anything shady or illegal while providing that help.
There's no right or wrong only better and worse. Which obviously depends on the point of view. What people usually refer to as 'right' is simply what is better for most people (like opposing SOPA)
I would sure like anti SOPA messages from Google. Would give me a warm feeling and a hope for a better future too.