Blackouts.

[dodger_sister]

Today major sites across the internet are going blackout to protest two bills, SOPA and PIPA. Both of these bills threaten to shut down the internet and the right to free speech in an attempt to stop online piracy. SOPA and PIPA are serious threats to the internet. Under the loose wording of these bills, Livejournal wouldn't last a day. And honestly, once we do this in America, how long before other countries follow suit - countries that need these sites for much needed reform?

For more, go here and see the official stance from Livejournal. (though I do kind of wish they had blacked-out too, just so we could all see how deranged we would become without it for one day, let alone forever).

Go here to Wikipedia and see the one and only English-page visible today - Wiki's stance on SOPA and PIPA. For US citizens, this page also offers you the option of putting in your zip code and finding the information for your local representatives.

If you want a really good write-up of how these bills will kill the internet, The BFF sent me this fantastic article yesterday. If you only click one of these links I am offering you, Click This One. How SOPA and PIPA will land us all in federal-pound-me-in-the-ass prison.

Lastly, Write To Your Representatives. Wikipedia informs me that my local rep has a Twitter, so I'll be sure to point out to him how Twitter will be gone in a heartbeat.


Now I must go lie down. I have a really bad stomach ache. I hope Kevin didn't get me sick.

Comments

[wolfrider89.livejournal.com]

Then I will cross all my fingers and toes!

Yeah, it's not a good feeling. They're deciding things that will affect me, but I can't say anything about it. I'm really hoping this won't inspire Sweden to do something similar. Wouldn't surprise me with this government, but still.

Do I EVER know about that. The roommate is transgender, we've been following this closely. It's arcaic and stupid and wrong, and still our government listens to the small, Christian pary and agrees that the issue is "complicated". Because human rights are complicated. *fumes*

[dodger-sister.livejournal.com]

Well, it still looks like SOPA and PIPA are going down, hopefully, but now we have ACTA to deal with (which looks way scarier what with how they will be watching everything). I have a feeling they are just going to keep coming until something sticks and the internet will never be the same.

I didn't know The Awesome-Cool-Roommate was transgender. I guess you really are keeping on an eye on this issue then. It is ridiculous that they could think to tell someone what to do with their own body. I spent my whole childhood having people tell me what to do with my body, doctors and my parents, acting like I wasn't the one who had to live in this body for the rest of my life - so issues like this really piss me off.

[wolfrider89.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw that it doesn't look good for them. I like. And then I read about ACTA and now I'm a bit scared. WHY do they want to do this to the internet? Free speech, anyone?

He is indeed. :) Sweden is cool about it in that it's paid for by the state if you want to get a gender change, but then you have to be be sterilized, which is... not cool at all. And yeah, I can't imagine having people tell me what to do with my body. It's MY fuicking body. That must have sucked.

[dodger-sister.livejournal.com]

I think, no matter what we do on the internet/downloading/copyright issue, that major changes are about to be made and sadly, our internet will never be the same. I am looking into backing up my LJ in a pdf form, so I at least don't lose all the posts on my daily life when it all goes to shit.

Which is ridiculous, because if the takedown of Megaupload shows us nothing, it shows us that we don't need all these bills to stop illegal downloading - the rules we have in place right now seem to be working just fine.

The latest on the bills here (http://www.infowars.com/sopa-and-pipa-fully-alive-and-a-new-bill-joins-them/).

[wolfrider89.livejournal.com]

*clutches at internet* But, but... internet!

It really does feel like they're trying to destroy it no matter what, huh? And yeah, taking down Megaupload proves that the law is already enough. They just want to monitor us. :S

And what is it with all these catchy abbreviations they come up with? OPEN? Do they think we'll like it better if it has a funny name? *growl*