Update: Jan. 18, 2012, 4:10p.m.
The SOPA Bill had had to be put on hold, as President Obama confirmed today that he would not support (in other words, VETO) the bill if is managed to get through Congress as-is. Click HERE for a more complete story!
As you travel around the internet today, you will undoubtedly notice that many prominent American websites -- Google, Wikipedia, The Oatmeal, Cheezburger, etc. -- have "blacked out" for the day in protest against the proposed SOPA (Stop Internet Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect I.P. Act). I've decided to post, here today, my version of a blacked-out post, and fill it with information about SOPA and PIPA. Most of the information here will be quoted from other sources, with links back to the original articles/sources. All clickable links in this post will open in new windows/tabs, so you won't be directed away from this site unintentionally.
Quoted from this article on PBS:
The SOPA Bill had had to be put on hold, as President Obama confirmed today that he would not support (in other words, VETO) the bill if is managed to get through Congress as-is. Click HERE for a more complete story!
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As you travel around the internet today, you will undoubtedly notice that many prominent American websites -- Google, Wikipedia, The Oatmeal, Cheezburger, etc. -- have "blacked out" for the day in protest against the proposed SOPA (Stop Internet Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect I.P. Act). I've decided to post, here today, my version of a blacked-out post, and fill it with information about SOPA and PIPA. Most of the information here will be quoted from other sources, with links back to the original articles/sources. All clickable links in this post will open in new windows/tabs, so you won't be directed away from this site unintentionally.
Quoted from this article on PBS:
If you normally turn to Wikipedia to look things up, you will have to go elsewhere tomorrow. The English version of Wikipedia, along with other popular sites, such as Reddit and BoingBoing, will go black for 24 hours to protest anti-piracy legislation.
The companies oppose two federal bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act, known as SOPA, and the Protect I.P. Act, known as PIPA. The legislation could force websites to monitor material from users that may include copyrighted content. It could also give the government the right to block entire websites.
Major content providers, including the film and recording industry, say they need greater protection from copyright theft. The Obama administration said over the weekend it wouldn't support the current versions of the bills.
The entire piece is great, and you should take some time to watch or read the entire thing by using the link back before the quote.
Wikipedia has more great info on these proposed Acts here.
The author of one of my favorite illustrated blogs, The Oatmeal, has blacked out his site with today's post and published the animated gif below, with a note that his readers should "Please pirate the shit out of this animated GIF." So I did!
So far, I've seen lots of opponents of these proposals suggest that people contact their representatives to let them know that this sort of censorship. While Congress hasn't been particularly effective lately, it couldn't hurt! If you're unsure who your Reps are or how to contact them, Wikipedia provides this free resource for locating their names and contact info. Click here to use that tool.
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