[Dave]

The internet is blacking out for today, as most of you have probably seen. A lot of websites, including Redit and I Can Has Cheezburger as well as WikiPedia have shut down their websites in protest with the PIPA (PROTECT IP Act) and SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) in the United States. RackSpace, Firefox, and some others are also involved in the protest and Google has changed their banner to protest and inform those interested.

For more information click here. Please feel free to debate among yourselves here after getting informed!

[Chifilly]

I am hugely against SOPA and PIPA (obviously!), but I don't see the point in blacking out websites...

[Dave]

Okay, well not many people understand the significance, but you see.. if the SOPA and/or PIPA bills are passed to become laws we will see a lot of problems. Especially little companies, like those hosted by SixServe or SixServe itself. You see, the SOPA bill states that even a link to a site with pirated files, copyrighted information, etc on a website can make that site justified for deletion and forced closure. So for example, if your site's forums have a link, posted by a user, to http://www.piratedli...lahnotreal.com/, you will be contacted as you own the content according to the United States and you will be forced to close your website in the United States. This doesn't just affect the United States either. Facebook is based in the United States, imagine all of the people on facebook being forced to leave because of one group or people posting pirated information for everyone to see. Furthermore, the bill implies that web hosting companies will have to open it's databases to the government so they can actively search for piracy on client's websites.

The PIPA bill is just about the same, but it was enacted by the Senate and not the House. PIPA is actually a rewrite of COICA (Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act) which was denied in 2010.

As of right now, half of the Senate (40) agrees with the PIPA bill while the remaining 40 remain undecided or undeclared. Thirty Senators agree and cosponsor the SOPA bill while the remaining 50 remain undecided or undeclared. The bill will be sent to congress on January 24, 2011. This is a very real possibility and a lot of people may be affected by it. It's no longer just a book written by George Orwell and titled 1984. The impossible becomes possible in the new millennium and we're not even halfway through yet.

[Chifilly]

Yeah, I understand what SOPA and PIPA are, but I don't see the significance of blacking out part of the web. I've been watching a livestream of someone called Athene who got all his YouTube subscribers and Twitter followers to Twitter-bomb the senates and other people openly pushing the 2 bills, which I think is effective, and it actually worked, as a few of them replied saying they will change their minds, or would at least consider it, because of the things people said. None of it was hateful/flaming/anything mean, it was just thousands of people sending pleading messages, and reasons why it should be stopped, which let them know the scope of the amount of people that are affected. I honestly don't see how blacking your website for a day will have any effect at all.

[Sam]

Chifilly, on 18 January 2012 - 08:51 PM, said:

I am hugely against SOPA and PIPA (obviously!), but I don't see the point in blacking out websites...

To raise awareness. The average American is too busy watching American Idol to take notice unless his favorite sites get blacked out.

[PimpHesus]

My blog also participated in the SOPA strike today. Since my blog's focus is about helping people wake up to the truth about whats going on in this world, it was an easy choice. I just happy that I am awakened enough to share some hard truths about whats wrong in this world and our country. First they kill our Bill Of Rights by passing the Patriot Act, and now the NDAA. Now they think they can put a muzzle on the Internet? They're dead wrong

EDIT: @Sam - It is sad to say it, but your 100% correct about the average American.

This post has been edited by PimpHesus: 19 January 2012 - 02:00 AM

[Chifilly]

Sam, on 19 January 2012 - 01:29 AM, said:

To raise awareness. The average American is too busy watching American Idol to take notice unless his favorite sites get blacked out.

That's a fair-ish point

[IwingMusic]

that's bad. i read google's tweet about telling the congress and there's nothing i could do as of i am not us citizen

[soumikbhat]

Dave, on 18 January 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

Okay, well not many people understand the significance, but you see.. if the SOPA and/or PIPA bills are passed to become laws we will see a lot of problems. Especially little companies, like those hosted by SixServe or SixServe itself. You see, the SOPA bill states that even a link to a site with pirated files, copyrighted information, etc on a website can make that site justified for deletion and forced closure. So for example, if your site's forums have a link, posted by a user, to http://www.piratedli...lahnotreal.com/, you will be contacted as you own the content according to the United States and you will be forced to close your website in the United States. This doesn't just affect the United States either. Facebook is based in the United States, imagine all of the people on facebook being forced to leave because of one group or people posting pirated information for everyone to see. Furthermore, the bill implies that web hosting companies will have to open it's databases to the government so they can actively search for piracy on client's websites.

The PIPA bill is just about the same, but it was enacted by the Senate and not the House. PIPA is actually a rewrite of COICA (Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act) which was denied in 2010.

As of right now, half of the Senate (40) agrees with the PIPA bill while the remaining 40 remain undecided or undeclared. Thirty Senators agree and cosponsor the SOPA bill while the remaining 50 remain undecided or undeclared. The bill will be sent to congress on January 24, 2011. This is a very real possibility and a lot of people may be affected by it. It's no longer just a book written by George Orwell and titled 1984. The impossible becomes possible in the new millennium and we're not even halfway through yet.

Well, I run a website www.thetravellersweb.in and the .in domain signifies it as an Indian Website. Is there any chance of my website being under this threat of SOPA?

[IwingMusic]

soumikbhat, on 19 January 2012 - 07:35 AM, said:

Well, I run a website www.thetravellersweb.in and the .in domain signifies it as an Indian Website. Is there any chance of my website being under this threat of SOPA?

i think the answer is yes.

here's interesting video