#320 Join the SOPA/PIPA Blackout
On January 18, 2012, all the pages on SYED directed to this page. The text is also below…
Scare Yourself Every Day #320
Join the SOPA/PIPA Blackout
Today, January 18th 2012, I’m joining companies such as Wordpress, Wikipedia, Google, Reddit and more in a voluntary internet blackout. The purpose is to protest the proposed SOPA/PIPA legislation currently trying to be passed in Congress.
This legislative bill contains language which would effectively allow widespread censorship across the internet, affecting not only this country but the entire world.
The interwebs will not stand for this.
My site could easily be taken down for copyright violations. I’ve used copyrighted music in my videos. I’ve taken photos of, quoted from, referred to all kinds of coyrighted material in my blog. Those would all be valid reasons under this proposed bill to take my site down. Even though I am not “stealing” this material for my own benefit and gain.
I was scared to take down my site for a day. I’m obssesed with the traffic numbers on my site. I get excited when they are up, depressed when they are down. I’d hate for new users to come to my site today and not be able to see anything more than one post. But this statement of protest is much more important than perhaps losing some potential new readers (please come back!).
SYED will return to its regularly scheduled programming on January 19th, 2012 PST.
In the meantime, please read up about both SOPA and PIPA at this Wikipedia page. Also, consider sending a message to the Senate here at AmericanCensorship.org.
Also, here is a suprisingly accurate rant from… Hitler about the implications of SOPA/PIPA on the interwebs:
Thank you and see you tomorrow!
– Greg
