If you’ve visited Google or Wikipedia or Reddit today, then you’ve already encountered the widespread Web blackout in protest of two awful pieces of legislation which could, as Wikipedia says, “fatally damage the free and open Internet.”
The goal of these bills is to combat online piracy and protect copyrighted material.
Following are some links with background about these bills and why I and many, many others think they’re a Bad Idea.
Brad Plumer: “Everything you need to know about Congress’s online piracy bills, in one post“
Brad Plumer: “Five reasons the Internet’s still protesting SOPA and PIPA“
David A. Fahrenthold: “This is what happens when you make the Internet mad“
Laura Conaway: “What’s at stake with SOPA, PIPA“
Karl Martino: “If you’re not going dark, help others get informed: Be a Better Activist Day is today“
Martino links to both of these:
Joshua Kopstein: “Dear Congress: It’s No Longer OK to Not Know How the Internet Works“
Clay Johnson: “Dear Internet: It’s No Longer OK to Not Know How Congress Works“
And go see The Oatmeal for a helpful animation on SOPA/PIPA that features Oprah, Jesus, a horny koala and an anti-kitten-burning coalition reference.
If you’re not sure how to contact your members of Congress, there’s a handy link in the blogroll to the right titled “Contacting the Congress“ which can help you figure out the names and numbers of your representative and senators. Or you can just click on the words “Contacting the Congress“ in the previous sentence. Or in that one.
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