For example, here is the first warning that Comcast gives:

Six Strikes does not apply to Usenet.

If you receive a warning, please send us a screenshot, or describe it in the comments below.

Also, there is more information available as to the workings of the “Copyright Alert System”, and it doesn’t appear that it will apply to Usenet – at least not initially. Read about the technical details on this page.

This program has been delayed for quite a while now, and the Center for Copyright Information doesn’t appear to have announced a concrete starting-date. Based on their interview with the CCI, TorrentFreak thinks the start-date will be delayed again.

The Six Strikes program has been kept quiet since it was agreed upon a year ago. So, nobody really knows how it will work. Many observers speculate that it will only affect BitTorrent traffic, but what about Usenet?

Unlike BitTorrent, when you download from a Usenet server, there is no “swarm” – just you and the server. So, third parties hired to look for offenders cannot legally observe your traffic. However, if your ISP wanted to monitor you, they could do so very easily.

Usenet does not have built-in compression, error-detection, or encryption. In it’s default mode, Usenet data is transferred as plain text, and is easy to read by spies. In practice, files are compressed with RAR, and encoded with yEnc (or other methods) before being transferred. But of course, your ISP could easily decode, and decompress files if it chose to.

However, many Usenet servers and client programs like SuperNZB have implemented SSL. It’s pretty much a standard feature now, and will prevent your ISP from seeing what you are downloading. However, if you use an NZB-indexing website that doesn’t run HTTPS, your ISP will be able to see the NZB files that you download. Would that be enough for them to issue a warning? Probably not, but nobody really knows yet.

Once Six Strikes goes into operation, we will see how it works. However, that won’t preclude it from being expanded in the future. So, it seems wise for Usenet users to switch on SSL, and keep it on. And maybe use a VPN when visiting NZB-indexing sites.

Wikipedia announced that it has completed the transfer of all of its domains from SOPA-supporter GoDaddy to MarkMonitor. See the announcement here.

Of course, these weapons systems are very complex. You can just yank out the VAX and pop in a Mac. Also, since we don’t do nuclear testing anymore, how could you test a new ICBM system anyway? You could test the whole system right up to the nuclear explosion part, and simulate the blast. But you wouldn’t know for sure that the bomb would explode.

Is it possible that our doomsday machines will just crumble into duds?

“This industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake.”

That quote will be repeated forever as a prime example of “former politician turned corporate lobbyist and trying to ram through Congress laws written by corporate lawyers rather than elected lawmakers.”

Dodd now faces a potential bribery investigation, if this petition on whitehouse.gov page gets enough signatures.

DNS provision pulled from SOPA. See Tom’s Guide story here.

Public serpents are walking-back SOPA. See Ars Technica story here.

It’s too early to declare victory over SOPA. See Fast Company story here.

The White House now opposes SOPA and PIPA. See TPM story here.

Does your congressman support or oppose SOPA?

Will Google, Facebook, and Twitter go offline to protest SOPA? This page says that they are discussing it.

If you want to boycott companies that support SOPA, install this Android app on your cellphone and scan bar-codes at the store.

Stop SOPA! Save Usenet!

If you enjoy Usenet, now would be a good time to make your congressional representatives aware of your feelings.

Apple will probably get the rights to the the trademark in China, but only after coughing up more cash to the corrupt Chinese.