Dan Goodin of Wired News published a piece today entitled Boycott Sony, which contains this stirring call to action:
A lot has been written about this issue already. But a lot more needs to be said to ensure Sony gets the message: This kind of behavior can never be tolerated. It may be unrealistic to think many will heed this call, but someone’s got to say it: Boycott Sony. Boycott them until they come clean and recall all the infected CDs. Boycott them until they distribute a removal program. Boycott them until they promise never do anything like this again.
“Someone’s got to say it.” Indeed. In fact, someone already did. I published a list of recommendations for Sony that was almost identical to Goodin’s list, except mine appeared nearly two weeks ago. And I had a Boycott Sony post as well, which linked to Tim Jarrett’s Sony Boycott Blog. That was, ahem, a full week ago.
A good idea is a good idea. But if you want to get a movement off the ground, it helps to link to the other people who are already doing the work.
Are you asking for a patent on righteous indignation? Maybe you should start installing DRM software along with your blogged ideas, Ed.
Calling for a boycott is not a particularly original idea.
No, calling for a boycott is not an original idea. But you’d never to know that to read Goodin’s article.
Anyway, my point is not to blow my own horn but to emphasize that a boycott is a social phenomenon. It works by linking to other people and building community. When there’s already a Sony Boycott Blog that has been linked by at least 83 other sites, shouldn’t that be mentioned?
I dropped Wired a line to let them know about the Boycott Sony blog. They’ll link it if they feel it’s worthwhile, I guess.
It might have helped if I hadn’t busted Dan’s chops for recommending My Morning Jacket’s Z, which is distributed by Sony and has the Sunncomm DRM, in a sidebar on the same column that he was calling for a boycott…
heii.
i know your brother.
he’s my algebra teacher.
he lets us eat in class.
he’s cool.
just dropping by.