How does blacking out your website protest SOPA?

I am on wikipedia right now doing a project and I would of been mega pissed if I had decided to start this later when the website is blacked out. I also read that Rock Paper Shotgun is blacking out their website. All this does is screw the user over more that SOPA ever would, especially for wikipedia.

I guess it props up the message that " hey, there's more of this to come and it won't be a choice, if this garbage gets passed!" "

I mean assume for a second you didn't know what SOPA is all about. Wikipedia is down, you start looking for answers, you learn they're protesting SOPA, you read about SOPA. They've now spread awareness

I guess it props up the message that " hey, there's more of this to come and it won't be a choice, if this garbage gets passed!" "

I mean assume for a second you didn't know what SOPA is all about. Wikipedia is down, you start looking for answers, you learn they're protesting SOPA, you read about SOPA. They've now spread awareness

DivergeUnify

[QUOTE="DivergeUnify"]

I guess it props up the message that " hey, there's more of this to come and it won't be a choice, if this garbage gets passed!" "

I mean assume for a second you didn't know what SOPA is all about. Wikipedia is down, you start looking for answers, you learn they're protesting SOPA, you read about SOPA. They've now spread awareness

MacBoomStick

[QUOTE="DivergeUnify"]

I guess it props up the message that " hey, there's more of this to come and it won't be a choice, if this garbage gets passed!" "

I mean assume for a second you didn't know what SOPA is all about. Wikipedia is down, you start looking for answers, you learn they're protesting SOPA, you read about SOPA. They've now spread awareness

MacBoomStick

I think that's kinda the point.

Piss as many people off as possible to educate them on what SOPA could potentially do. Then theoretically the anti-SOPA crowd will get bigger and bigger.

Should be pretty commonsense.

There are things calledbooks and libraries that I heard are pretty helpful. Like some have said, it brings awareness to the subject. Also, it highlights the fact that the gov't can totally shut down wikipedia at will if this law passes. That's a whole lot worse than one day of inconvenience.

This is the greatest crisis the world has ever faced. Wikipedia is doing their part to save both this planet and possibly the universe.

I guess it props up the message that " hey, there's more of this to come and it won't be a choice, if this garbage gets passed!" "

I mean assume for a second you didn't know what SOPA is all about. Wikipedia is down, you start looking for answers, you learn they're protesting SOPA, you read about SOPA. They've now spread awareness

DivergeUnify

If you can't stand a day without wikipedia for your project than chances are you deserve to fail.Ace6301

Same question of how does not doing your job protest against it? It shows if you are actually an "need" for that company, in this case, if Wikipedia is actually a "need" for people on the internet, and will show what will happen if SOPA/whatever bill passes.

And can the project you're working on not be put into Microsoft Word/Pages, and then be copied over to Wikipedia when it's back?

[QUOTE="Ace6301"]If you can't stand a day without wikipedia for your project than chances are you deserve to fail.sonicare

Same question of how does not doing your job protest against it? It shows if you are actually an "need" for that company, in this case, if Wikipedia is actually a "need" for people on the internet, and will show what will happen if SOPA/whatever bill passes.

And can the project you're working on not be put into Microsoft Word/Pages, and then be copied over to Wikipedia when it's back?

jesuschristmonk

Same question of how does not doing your job protest against it? It shows if you are actually an "need" for that company, in this case, if Wikipedia is actually a "need" for people on the internet, and will show what will happen if SOPA/whatever bill passes.

And can the project you're working on not be put into Microsoft Word/Pages, and then be copied over to Wikipedia when it's back?

jesuschristmonk

[QUOTE="jesuschristmonk"]

Same question of how does not doing your job protest against it? It shows if you are actually an "need" for that company, in this case, if Wikipedia is actually a "need" for people on the internet, and will show what will happen if SOPA/whatever bill passes.

And can the project you're working on not be put into Microsoft Word/Pages, and then be copied over to Wikipedia when it's back?

sonicare

[QUOTE="jesuschristmonk"]

Same question of how does not doing your job protest against it? It shows if you are actually an "need" for that company, in this case, if Wikipedia is actually a "need" for people on the internet, and will show what will happen if SOPA/whatever bill passes.

And can the project you're working on not be put into Microsoft Word/Pages, and then be copied over to Wikipedia when it's back?

sonicare

[QUOTE="sonicare"]

[QUOTE="jesuschristmonk"]

Same question of how does not doing your job protest against it? It shows if you are actually an "need" for that company, in this case, if Wikipedia is actually a "need" for people on the internet, and will show what will happen if SOPA/whatever bill passes.

And can the project you're working on not be put into Microsoft Word/Pages, and then be copied over to Wikipedia when it's back?

jesuschristmonk

[QUOTE="sonicare"]

[QUOTE="jesuschristmonk"]

Same question of how does not doing your job protest against it? It shows if you are actually an "need" for that company, in this case, if Wikipedia is actually a "need" for people on the internet, and will show what will happen if SOPA/whatever bill passes.

And can the project you're working on not be put into Microsoft Word/Pages, and then be copied over to Wikipedia when it's back?

jesuschristmonk

to any body who is in protest of sopa should realize sony is a supporter of sopa I will not be spending my money on there products movies video games tv stereos i have already taken my stance what about you all talk no action = no reason to complain if we dont stand now it will be to late even if you decide not to go to walmart they suport sopa or skip those pair of ugly nikes at least you will be doing a small part hell cotact them thats what i did there is a list of jackasses who support sopa go to craigs list and other sites right now this is what it will be like in the future if big buisness has there way they are leaches who feed off us ford, petmeds, coach, addidas, apple, comcast, the list goes on boycott these companys let them hear us

to any body who is in protest of sopa should realize sony is a supporter of sopa I will not be spending my money on there products movies video games tv stereos i have already taken my stance what about you all talk no action = no reason to complain if we dont stand now it will be to late even if you decide not to go to walmart they suport sopa or skip those pair of ugly nikes at least you will be doing a small part hell cotact them thats what i did there is a list of jackasses who support sopa go to craigs list and other sites right now this is what it will be like in the future if big buisness has there way they are leaches who feed off us ford, petmeds, coach, addidas, apple, comcast, the list goes on boycott these companys let them hear us

deadmonkey76

to any body who is in protest of sopa should realize sony is a supporter of sopa I will not be spending my money on there products movies video games tv stereos i have already taken my stance what about you all talk no action = no reason to complain if we dont stand now it will be to late even if you decide not to go to walmart they suport sopa or skip those pair of ugly nikes at least you will be doing a small part hell cotact them thats what i did there is a list of jackasses who support sopa go to craigs list and other sites right now this is what it will be like in the future if big buisness has there way they are leaches who feed off us ford, petmeds, coach, addidas, apple, comcast, the list goes on boycott these companys let them hear us

deadmonkey76

I think a lot of companies that "withdrew" support did so not because they thought it was wrong but because they knew supporting it would cost them some customers. Just like the guy who said he wouldn't buy Sony products because they used to support it, they probably feel that protesting it will make them a knight in shining armor to haters of the bill which would equal those protesters buying more of their stuff.

The changes are in the area of who is responsible for copyrighted material on a web page. For instance on youtube it's the user who is faulted if they post copyrighted material. However with SOPA those who want to claim copyrights on videos could just go after youtube it's self. Same goes for every other site. Basically groups like google and wikipedia could be sued over copyrighted material added by users on top of having the site blocked (potentially in countries other than the US but I can't say for sure). Ace6301

Most Americans wouldn't even be able to leave the country, if they were planning on escaping our government, because I believe other countries, including Canada (American's first backup-plan to live somewhere else), were liking the idea of SOPA. And if you wanted to move to one of the more popular countries, you'd have to bring with you some talent that that country NEEDS. Though I'm not too familiar with that topic, so I'm just gunna stop there.

I think a lot of companies that "withdrew" support did so not because they thought it was wrong but because they knew supporting it would cost them some customers. Just like the guy who said he wouldn't buy Sony products because they used to support it, they probably feel that protesting it will make them a knight in shining armor to haters of the bill which would equal those protesters buying more of their stuff.

ad1x2

I am on wikipedia right now doing a project and I would of been mega pissed if I had decided to start this later when the website is blacked out. I also read that Rock Paper Shotgun is blacking out their website. All this does is screw the user over more that SOPA ever would, especially for wikipedia.

MacBoomStick

Here's a tip. Don't rely on Wikipedia and don't procrastinate.

Wish instead of a full blackout, they'd just have every pg lead to a SOPA informational page with videos

and Lists ofevery congress man/woman that supports it:twisted:

Wish instead of a full blackout, they'd just have every pg lead to a SOPA informational page with videosdercoo

What are you saying? What they are doing is basically what would happen under SOPA, except less strict and compressed into 12-hours.

http://www.minecraft.net/

DAMN Notch I agree with you and hate sopa whole heartedly but WHY!!! :cry:

Hopefully I can survive without you for a while, Ol' friend.

It gets the message across. The message being, this is what will happen if SOPA gets passed.

Wish instead of a full blackout, they'd just have every pg lead to a SOPA informational page with videos

and Lists ofevery congress man/woman that supports it:twisted:

dercoo

Go to wiki. You can put in your zip and they'll give you the contact information for your representatives.

Then contact them. It's fun! :)

[QUOTE="Ace6301"]If you can't stand a day without wikipedia for your project than chances are you deserve to fail.sonicare

This is the greatest crisis the world has ever faced. Wikipedia is doing their part to save both this planet and possibly the universe.

sonicare

[QUOTE="sonicare"][QUOTE="Ace6301"]If you can't stand a day without wikipedia for your project than chances are you deserve to fail.cybrcatter

LOL Google has a black box over it.sergemyster8

I wish Facebook would do a blackout. That would definitely get the message out there.percech

To protest SOPA, I'm not gonna use soap today, because soap sounds like SOPA. I'm also not gonna sit on my sofa whilst eating soup.