SOPA Delayed

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Looks like SOPA is not going to the House, hearings to resume later.  Techeme, as usual, has a roundup, the latest being here.

This is good news as far as I'm concerned – SOPA/PIPA are hideous, and the longer debate goes on, the more chance to rally against them.  It gives time for the truth to come out – and for folks like us to raise hell about it.

A few takeaways:

  • Lamar Smith either doesn't get what he's doing or doesn't care (my guess, both).  He actually didn't feel it was necessary to discuss the security issues of altering the internet.  Attempts to modify that part actually failed.  I'd keep an eye on whatever he does in the future if you work in tech or media, because he's clearly happy sponsoring hideous life-and-job-destroying legislation.
  • There are massive security concerns as well as legal concerns – more intense than I expected when I first encountered SOPA (I focused mostly on the legal).  If you work in tech, I'd do a deeper examination of this – it will help you lend your voice and also help you understand how the internet works and how people can still mess it up.
  • This delay is good for everyone since it's a chance to bring down SOPA and PIPA, it's tweedledum.  Stay on top of this issue.
  • This is bad enough that I think it shows certain big media companies are very desperate.  If they loose this (and I think they will between time, a presidential veto, and potential legal challenges), they will resort to something else.  Hopefully some companies will get a clue and try different methods of income, distribution, etc. – which could mean opportunities for people.
  • This fight also let us know who to trust to go with an open internet versus a hideous legislation.  You may want to decide your career options based on what you learned here.

– Steven Savage

 

Oddball Review: “Just Enough”

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This is probably one of the strangest book reviews I've done.

"Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green From Traditional Japan" By Azby Brown
ISBN-10: 4770030746
ISBN-13: 978-4770030740

This is a strange book to review, because I'm not really reviewing it as a progeeky career book.  I'm reviewing it as an example of a book that is a product of a very geeky mind and passionate interest.  It may not be a book you want to read – but it's an example of a book you may want to write.

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Zynga’s IPO Priced

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Yes, Zynga has announced it's price-per share and it's $10.  This is a must-read article, though the basic summary is Zynga gets a huge load of cash that's record-setting.

So what's my takeaway here for us progeeks?

  • This is a pretty reasonable stock price compared to everything else – but of course, expect it to go through the roof. Also I expect it to fall a few months later if it does rocket up.  They are big enough that what happens to the stock will affect other IPOs – except, maybe, Facebook.
  • Zynga will raise a lot of money, and what they do next is going to be a big question.  The article jokes they could buy those who once mocked them, but if you think about it they really COULD.  Zynga could choose to radically change the game market merely by acquisition.
  • I have doubts about Zynga successfully expanding/acquiring because their internal model of doing things – intense, statistic-driven – may not map well to other gaming ventures.  I can't, for instance, see them successfully entering the MMO market.  The question is if Zynga's management realizes their limits – and I'm not sure.
  • They will do something with the money, and where that money goes, jobs will probably follow.
  • Zynga's star has faded in the last few months, and in the gaming circles I sense less and less admiration and more dislike and annoyance.  There are people waiting to pounce on any errors made.

So now, we sit and wait and see what happens . . .

– Steven Savage