Stop Online Piracy Act & Protect IP Act

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

IMO Google isn't doing enough to spread the word of SOPA/PIPA. I know they don't want to resort on a blackout, but what they are doing is so minimal, you can hardly tell.

Not everyone types "google.com" when they got a built in search bar on their browsers. Not even that, a text below the search bar on their homepage doesn't look like a "HEY! YOU MUST CLICK ON THIS!!!" link. Disappointed with these results, Google. Yes you made a great micro site about SOPA and what it can do, but what's the point of making it if casual mom and dads are not going to click it?

Google as a whole is too important for a blackout as top businesses use them I guess, but come on there is YouTube. YouTube is a great site for you to perform this blackout. There is no video sharing site out there that is popular as YouTube, so they don't have to worry at all about losing members/visitors. And for Gawdsakes, it's for one day. If SOPA/PIPA passes, YouTube itself has to drastically change!

[Edward_Elric]

Ah, but SSMB is European, craaay-cray.

Sonic Retro went down tho.

[Emperor Robrainiac]

I take it its too early to decide if another blackout will happen? Please I must know if this is going to be planned in the near future...

I'm so sorry for being so insistent on asking this question, I'm just really excited as to how this Blackout will turn out, with so little answers from many people. Will it succeed? Will it fail? Will it have an impact? Will it be ignored? How will people feel if the SOPA ends up passing, even after all this protest?

After thinking, I've come to realize that these are questions that will not be answered anytime soon. All I can do is wait and see how these events will play out. So in the meantime, I apologize if I'm bugging anyone. I think I'll go to bed instead of staying up all night until the webpage goes down.

My god though, I'm feeling many emotions all at once about this. Is anyone feeling the same way? Maybe it's just me, because I've never been involved or apart of protests like this... Granted, I'm not technically involved, but it'll be interesting to see how this affects me along with my family, who are all avid internet users.

Okay, I'll shut up now.

[Aoi]

Looks like your dream came true lol.

[Noir]

IMO Google isn't doing enough to spread the word of SOPA/PIPA. I know they don't want to resort on a blackout, but what they are doing is so minimal, you can hardly tell.

Google does a complete blackout.

People see this.

They think, "Golly, I want to learn more so I can contact my congressmen. Wait... how the fuck do I contact a congressman?"

They try to Google it.

They can't.

Nothing is accomplished.

Google blacking out would be the dumbest possible thing to do on this day.

[sniffy]

wow this is bad real bad the internet might get raped owo

but i live in the eu

so its isnt a direct danger

but im darn sure it will happen in the eu too

so i cross my vingers

[Dark Qiviut]

Google does a complete blackout.

People see this.

They think, "Golly, I want to learn more so I can contact my congressmen. Wait... how the fuck do I contact a congressman?"

They try to Google it.

They can't.

Nothing is accomplished.

Google blacking out would be the dumbest possible thing to do on this day.

Not true. Most ot the sites (that I know of) that are blacked out post a blurb telling them why, detailing the weary user what the bills mean, and how to combat them. Wikipedia, the Sonic Stadium, Retro, BuzzerBlog, Reddit, and TransiTalk Media Group are some Websites that post that blurb. I was expecting Google to do the same before yesterday afternoon. Google's method of protesting's rather weak to me.

[Noir]

Not true. Most ot the sites (that I know of) that are blacked out post a blurb telling them why, detailing the weary user what the bills mean, and how to combat them. Wikipedia, the Sonic Stadium, Retro, BuzzerBlog, Reddit, and TransiTalk Media Group are some Websites that post that blurb. I was expecting Google to do the same before yesterday afternoon. Google's method of protesting's rather weak to me.

Google has plenty of information they're providing themselves on the issues. That's not what I'm talking about. There's a multitude of other reasons someone would want a search engine while taking in all this information, and blocking them from it would do no good. Want to know the history of internet censorship? Want to know the story behind the DMCA? Want to read news articles on SOPA and PIPA? How will you manage that when Google isn't up? It's not as if everyone in the world knows there are other search engines.

[Dark Qiviut]

Now Mozilla is involved in the protest.

http://www.mozilla.com/

[SoniClub]

Google does a complete blackout.

People see this.

They think, "Golly, I want to learn more so I can contact my congressmen. Wait... how the fuck do I contact a congressman?"

They try to Google it.

They can't.

Nothing is accomplished.

Google blacking out would be the dumbest possible thing to do on this day.

Wouldn't necessarily have to be a full blackout, perhaps just a large reminder + link to another site about it that you can click off of. I mean, I appreciate they're a large company with a lot to consider, but the fact is they're one of the prime targets of this legislation and could experience severe consequences.

[PaddyFancy]

So much for the blackout. I thought everyone was treating this SOPA and PIPA thing seriously, but seeing as you can still read the messages here, this isn't so much a protest but doing it for the lulz. What kind of stunt is this?

[Jeffhog]

The kind of stunt that allows me to do this.

In any case, it seems that people are starting to back away of SOPA now, according to Noire.

Edited January 18, 2012 by VizardJeffhog

[No more]

I like what the SSMB has done here. At college today some people where complaining about it. It's better just today than forever more.

[Noir]

In any case, it seems that people are starting to back away of SOPA now, according to Noire.

Haha well if people are going to start quoting me I should probably share sources before someone calls me out and by then I've lost the links.

http://t.co/FiMEjepZ

http://www.politicspa.com/breaking-holden-withdraws-sopa-support/30899/

[bmn]

Just posted in status about this, but I've seen in a few places the question (paraphrased, of course), "why bother with any kind of blackout on a small site, when it's not going to have any effect on the people debating it?"

While places like Wikipedia can actually have an impact on the people involved with SO/PIPA, with us smaller sites of course that won't happen, and we're not egoistical or stupid enough to think we can have that sort of impact.

For us it's more about getting the word out to people that don't know about, don't know enough about, or are apathetic to it. I've seen a few people here say things like "I didn't know about SOPA until I saw the video Dread posted" - there are people that have missed, avoided, or been shielded from coverage of these things, and that's what this is all about. If it wasn't for people in the US caring enough to actively contact their reps (which has resulted in a number of them getting involved or changing their own views), SOPA in its original crazy form would have been written into law long before now.

In the past, stuff like the PATRIOT Act got a lot of negative coverage, but in the end the general public got apathetic about it and it was quietly sworn into US law. That may well happen with whichever of SOPA or PIPA eventually goes ahead, and it's for this reason that the more publicity, the better - even on sites with small audiences that don't have a direct say themselves.

Some like Retro have gone the whole hog, while at places like Wrecks and TSSZ they've made their opposition to the bills known but have left their designs and content unmolested. At TSS, we wanted to make an impact to our visitors, but think we can sufficiently raise awareness without explictly removing access to the site and forum.

[Danj86]

Hamha!!

All hail our supreme masters for taking part in trying to stop this evil!

Let's not be negative nellies, we'll go down fighting if we must. Just like Dr. Eggman.

Anyway, I doubt it will come to that, and that's saying something. Concidering that I'm a pessimist...

So I'm going to find some pretty things to spark up my sig for when the blackout ends. Lets all have a jolly good day. And remember, this is what we think of SOPA and PIPA.

Bye-Q XD

[eXtaticus]

Updated my avatar, member title, location and signature to more directly oppose SOPA and PIPA. Just in case you somehow forget to vote to veto it.

[Silver*]

I'm on the fence about this bill. Yes, piracy is horrible but there are other ways to do it. I mean, for one they shut down Limewire which was a smart move on their part but you still have sites like Napster and all that still there. I think if they really wanted to stop piracy, they should shut down the sites that offer free downloads of music/movies and what not, you know the ones that you originally are supposed to pay 99 cents to $2 on. I'm mean, even youtube is cracking down.

[Pelly <3's U]

^

Or you know...they could offer better alternative to people who pirate that they could still earn revenue from...

like Hulu or Netflix

[PaddyFancy]

At TSS, we wanted to make an impact to our visitors, but think we can sufficiently raise awareness without explictly removing access to the site and forum.

I still think by not removing access, you've missed the point of the protest.

[Carbo]

Not sure what you're implying here. There are a myriad of ways to perform a strike/blackout/protest, and it's not limited to shutting a site down. TSS isn't the only site that's performing this kind of blackout. The script being used is an endorsed one from one of the official SOPA Strike websites and is automatic.

SOPA is not primarily about shutting down websites and that's not the mission statement, it's about filtering and removing content. Yeah, images could have been removed too as part of this, but that's besides the point. I'm not sure how shutting down a website is going to prove our point any more, this is efficient as is.

EDIT: Here's another example at a different means of protest going. Extra Credits have banded together with various indie developers and game journalists to actively oppose and not cover E3 2012 in the slightest unless ESA backs down their support from SOPA due to E3 being the ESA's biggest source of income.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

Google does a complete blackout.

People see this.

They think, "Golly, I want to learn more so I can contact my congressmen. Wait... how the fuck do I contact a congressman?"

They try to Google it.

They can't.

Nothing is accomplished.

Google blacking out would be the dumbest possible thing to do on this day.

Did you even read my entire post instead of just that paragraph?

[Noir]

Did you even read my entire post instead of just that paragraph?

Yes, and that doesn't change that a total blackout of Google would help no one. In fact you said the same thing; I was agreeing.

[Pelly <3's U]

Major Ziggy,

I thought the point of the protest was to get the word out to people so they would take action and stop these laws from passing....

So is essence...exactly what we're doing.

Blacking out a website or making it unaccessable just for itself is a gimmack.

Utilizing said means as a way to drive people into action is making a political statement.

I think the way you're using the word gimmic is quite ironic.

[Ming Ming Hatsune]

Yes, and that doesn't change that a total blackout of Google would help no one. In fact you said the same thing; I was agreeing.

I know what you mean, but I never said I wanted them to do a total blackout. Or imply. What I said what they are doing is so minimal. They can do better to spread the word.

I'm checking google.com now, on my side the logo has never gotten the "black bar". It has the "Tell Congress" link below but the logo hasn't changed. I wonder how many people got the same issue as me, including the casuals who would overlook that link below the search bar.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Spice on the Starlight