What We're Doing On This PIPA/SOPA Day Of Protest: Keeping You Involved

from the to-black-out-or-not-to-black-out dept

Wed, Jan 18th 2012 12:30am — Mike Masnick

As more and more sites announced plans to black out their sites today in protest of Congress considering both PIPA and SOPA, a few people asked us if we would take part in the blackout as well. We definitely thought about it, but decided that was not the best use of this site. The key point behind the blackouts for most sites is to alert their users just how bad these legislative proposals are. For that purpose, Techdirt wouldn't gain very much, if anything, in going dark. If you've been reading this site at all over the past few months to a year (year plus, going back to the original COICA bill), you'd already be well aware of why these efforts are tremendously dangerous. Furthermore, we believed that we'd be able to provide even more value in covering what happens today, as these protests roll out. The fact that a couple of pro-SOPA lobbyists joked that they hoped we'd go dark (with one even asking "how much" it would take to get us to stop talking about this issue for the day), gave us even more reasons to keep publishing.

Obviously, however, we support the actions lots of other sites have taken in response to this ridiculous attempt to regulate the internet, based on fairy tales and no actual evidence from the legacy content businesses. The sites that have decided to go with a full blackout deserve the utmost respect for taking a true stand on the matter. Similarly, some other sites are adding their voice to the protest in different ways -- whether it's highlighting problems with the bills or pushing people to call Congress.

That last point seemed like a good idea to us, so with each post today, we'll also be posting a widget that will allow you to call your Senators' office, and express your displeasure with PIPA. We've also "grayed out" much of the site, and have a specific link at the top to StopTheWall.us, where you can find out more. I will actually be doing a bunch of meetings with Senate staffers later today, and I hope (and fully expect) to hear phones ringing off the hook while I'm there.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

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–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: blackouts, pipa, protect ip, protests, sopa

52 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 12:36am

Anybody else thought that the new colors for this day was some kind of error on the browser and tried more than once to reload the page to see if it turned white again?
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Just John (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 12:42am

My plan of attack
Currently, I have been focusing on ICE, asking them what their mandate is, why they are participating in actions outside of their mandate, and making a general nuisance on their facebook page.

I have also been stopping by a few places here and there, like Youtube, the wiki comments, and others, and disproving the shills by posting relevant links to disproved and debunked information sources, including back to Techdirt.

Even posting information on my facebook telling all of my friends that, even though most are not American, they need to pay attention and try to get heard because it will effect them.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 12:44am

Well, I'm not american, that said, calling senators about this is definitely out of the table.

But if there's anything a foreigner can do to help, I'm all ears.
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ArkahnX (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 12:52am

Site Colors
I as well thought that this was an error, then I glanced at the header and noticed it was black with emphasis on SOPA and decided it was Techdirt's look for the day
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Just John (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 12:54am

Re:
Well, when they asked me to sign the Google petition, they just asked for my name and zip code, no other information.

Just go to the Google home page link, and enter your name and find a zip code.

You can also call your government to try to get the other governments to push back. You can call the US embassy in your country to let them know how you feel.

Just some ideas from me. If others have ideas, feel free to chime in.
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Cardman, 18 Jan 2012 @ 1:02am

Blackout Started
I am glad they made this page. I hope people will keep it clear for people to say what they are doing today against SOPA and PIPA.

As I said recently my UK Trader website www.cardman.com is now blacked out. Only a quickly made page to slap together whatever anti-censorship photos I found. Take a look if you want but the only other page still online is my 404 error page which is sure needed today and is a fun one.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 1:19am

Re: Blackout Started
The Google Friendly way is to black out using the 503 error.

Or using some plugin like the one in wordpress
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sopa-blackout/

http://www.webmonkey.com/2012/01/p rotest-sopa-blackout-your-website-the-google-friendly-way/
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PaulT (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 1:41am

Re: Re:
I've done the best thing I can, installing a Wordpress plugin on my blog to automatically display a page today, urging Americans to do what they can. I also updated my Facebook and Twitter statuses to do the same for Americans I'm in contact with.

The best thing you can do is to do what little you can to aid what these websites are doing today - urge anyone with the power to affect this to do so.
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Planespotter (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 1:47am

Re:
Go to the Wordpress website and scroll down a bit, look for the Internation Action box where you can add your email address.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 1:49am

Some good news to start off the morning with

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120118/NEWS01/701189867

Lee Terry a co-sponsor of SOPA, is pulling his name from the bill.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 2:40am

In other news, to get around the wikipedia blackout, simply block mediawiki.org. Some of us need this as a work tool.
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Cardman, 18 Jan 2012 @ 2:44am

Re: Re: Blackout Started
A critic then. I am happy enough with my total blackout site and it will only be down for less than a day.

Take a look at Rock, Paper, Shutgun. Replace my used photos with their video and not much different...
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com

I am not surprised that people do not come up with very beautiful webpages when it has been quite an rush. It looks good enough and it makes the point.
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FM Hilton, 18 Jan 2012 @ 2:45am

Another site goes on blackout
Much to my own surprise, delight, and pleasure, Reclaim Your Game went into blackout mode today. (I'm an admin there)

http://www.reclaimyourgame.com/content/1-Home

When even a relatively tiny site such as ours does this, it speaks volumes.

This protest just might work, after all.
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Hudders, 18 Jan 2012 @ 2:55am

Re: Re:
Just go to the Google home page link, and enter your name and find a zip code

Hm, sounds like quite a good way to render the petition illegitimate to me.
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Just John (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 3:08am

Re: Re: Re:
I have thought of that too, and to be completely honest, I assume Google may have thought about that and may actually do an IP filtering.

The strange part is, keep in mind, I am an American, registered to vote in Arizona, and entered my legal name and zip code, but if they enact an IP filtering mechanism, then I will probably be blocked as a foreign national faking a petition signing, so it would be moot for me as an American. Who knows if they do this or they process on faith that the person is an American citizen.

But, either way, we also know that online petitions are not taken seriously by congress, but if there is a large enough number, it may give them pause, so not sure if it helps or hurts honestly.
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tsavory (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 3:22am

Re:
turn javascript off in your browser will get around it as well.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 3:26am

Actually this grey background makes the site more plesant to read. Could you keep it?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 3:44am

Re:
+1 for that.
Makes my glossy screen less straining on the eyes.
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SmokeMagnetic (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 3:51am

Well at least you admit that if you shut down this site, no one would really give a shit..
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 3:55am

Today is the day the US government finally comprehends what a rogue elephant Google has grown to become.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 4:09am

Re:
hahahahaaha
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 4:40am

Re:
I like them a lot more, actually. I hope they're kept!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 4:51am

Re:
Well, I'm not american, that said, calling senators about this is definitely out of the table.

If you have a representative government, you can contact them. Ask your government to express your concerns to the US State Department, diplomatically.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 4:53am

Re:
Agreed, or at least make it an option.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Planespotter (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:09am

Re:
You missing a sarcmark or just shilling for a dinosaur?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jeff (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:12am

Re:
Today is the day Google finally comprehends what a rogue elephant the US government has grown to become.

** see how that works? **

have a nice day...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:12am

What is the deal with all the google hate, UMADBRO?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:22am

Once you've gone gray you never go back apparently
[ link to this | view in thread ]
gorehound (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:27am

Re: My plan of attack
I have also been posting on my facebook and both of my domains have protest pages as front pages so my domains are DOWN !
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:28am

Use Firefox or Chrome + Stylish extension
http://userstyles.org/
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The Groove Tiger (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:41am

Re:
when my browser background turned gray I thought SOPA had been approved and the internet had reverted to its 90s look.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ahow628 (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 5:50am

Re:
You can contact the US State Dept to protest SOPA.

http://americancensorship.org/modal/state-dept-petition/index.html
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Rain Day, 18 Jan 2012 @ 6:03am

Re:
Google, a rogue elephant? Hmmm, GoDaddy's probably loadin' their elephant gun right now!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 6:23am

Makes Sense! - also it gives anyone interested in learning about it a place to go and learn.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 6:44am

After visiting Wikipedia i found their app thet gives the names and phone numbers for my state reps very helpful. I entered my zip code and was able to call the Washington offices to tell them I was against sopa/pipa.

I was able to get through without a issue. Everyone who hasn't called should call.

Also, after speaking with them I get the feeling the phones are very busy today with like minded people.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 6:51am

wimp.com went dark as well
Adding to the list of dark sites for today, wimp.com has also joined the protest with a landing page similar to the rest. It does include a link to Mike's "Definitive Post on why SOPA/PIPA are bad" post though.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Dementia (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 6:54am

Well, Wikipedia's blackout has actually made it on to FoxNews, MSNBC, and CNN, at least the websites anyway.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 7:09am

Hey! How many of the pirate sites blacked out in protest?
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Daniel, 18 Jan 2012 @ 7:44am

Just use wiki and give the reps a call. The petition on Google is great, but unless you sign it with your own US IP it'll probably be pointless. Lets just hope the government doesn't get to power hungry in a few days.
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Violated (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 8:25am

Reddit now have a nice censorship front page.

Imgur have gone a different route when now every photo they provide has been censored away.

I will look around for more.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 8:29am

Mobile Wikipedia is not blacked out, which means this all fails, SOPA automatically becomes law, and Eric Schmidt has to wash and wax Chris Dodd's BWM every day for the next nine years. </sarcasm>
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Jan 2012 @ 8:30am

Re:
Wait, Chris Dodd has a BWM, not a BMW? PIRATE!! COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!! SUE SUE SUE!!!

(actually a typo, my bad) :\
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Violated (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 8:40am

Re:
Wired, Wordpress and Greenpeace are also blackedout.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 8:53am

Re:
4chan is blacking out all text. Some of these are really creative. I really like Fark's anti-protest.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Violated (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 8:55am

Re:
A large list of blackout participants can be found here...
http://sopastrike.com/
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Violated (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 9:04am

Re: Re:
This one makes me laugh...
http://www.turkreno.com/

So he took offline his own spell checker and now big words are too much for him. LOL. Goes to show this takes all-sorts.
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Sarah, 18 Jan 2012 @ 10:09am

Thank you Mike Masnick
and the rest of you at TechDirt for keeping us informed, aware, and angry. I agree, your blog serves its purpose better by keeping us informed than by being silent. Cheers to all of your hard work and dedication to spreading the word about this silly, pointless, poisonous bill.
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Michael Costanza (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 10:20am

Re:
I kinda like it too. Will keep it in mind for the next site redesign.
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Scott (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 11:25am

Best SOPA page
My favorite thus far

http://theoatmeal.com/sopa
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DH's Love Child (profile), 18 Jan 2012 @ 12:01pm

Re: Best SOPA page
That is f***ing GREAT!
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wildcomputerwife, 18 Jan 2012 @ 12:51pm

"free and open"
Hello, fellow internettees we're coming together to protect our "freedom of speech" ... it makes me proud to be an American. I've been roaming the websites ... emailing Congressmen, Congresswomen and Senators from all over the United States. What excitement on the internet! We'll get the OPEN Bill!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Gary, 19 Jan 2012 @ 1:38pm

Forget OPEN we need nothing.
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