I like that Amazon is headed the right direction on this... they're playing hardball with North Carolina, which is trying to pull the same stunt as Colorado (requesting purchase data on state residents). Amazon pulled their Affiliates program there, just as they did here.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20002870-38.htm...

I wrote to several state representatives when this was being pushed through and heard back from only one - the rest didn't so much as acknowledge receipt. I predict this and the "software tax" (HB-1192) will become frequent topics during the governor's race (with the Republicans offering to repeal).

I was excited to hear he'd be at the Boulder Bookstore tonight, but then bummed when I realized it conflicts with my daughter's soccer practice (I coach)... so I'll watch for an update tomorrow if there were any insights.

I wish there were more writers like Stephenson, mixing quality fiction with high-tech and scientific topics. I'm halfway through Anathem now and it's picking up speed nicely. The vocabulary takes some getting used to, but it's worth it so far. Cryptonomicon is an all-time favorite, particularly for the diversions into prime numbers, encryption, and other geeky topics.