Reddit's anti-SOPA "Nuclear" protest is a good start
Summary: But, to really make an impact on Congress, other major Web sites must follow Reddit's lead to stop the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP laws from being passed.
Reddit's SOPA Protest Logo
Reddit, the popular link-sharing and social networking site with over 2 billion page-views and 35 million active users a month, is taking the nuclear option in protest about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP draft laws by shutting down on January 18th for 12 hours. During that time, Reddit will suspend its normal operations
"Instead," the Reddit administrators state, "of the normal glorious, user-curated chaos of reddit, we will be displaying a simple message about how the PIPA/SOPA legislation would shut down sites like reddit, link to resources to learn more, and suggest ways to take action. We will showcase the live video stream of the House hearing where Internet entrepreneurs and technical experts (including reddit co-founder Alexis 'kn0thing' Ohanian) will be testifying. We will also spotlight community initiatives like meet-ups to visit Congressional offices, campaigns to contact companies supporting PIPA/SOPA, and other tactics."
The social network isn't, according to Reddit, doing this lightly. "We wouldn't do this if we didn't believe this legislation and the forces behind it were a serious threat to reddit and the Internet as we know it. Blacking out reddit is a hard choice, but we feel focusing on a day of action is the best way we can amplify the voice of the community."
Good for Reddit! I agree completely that SOPA and PIPA are horrible laws with potential to wreck the Internet just so the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and their allies can have a free hand to smash any Website at the barest hint that it might be distributing copyrighted material But, while I applaud Reddit taking a stand, I'm not sure how much good their action will do.
Reddit, especially its SOPA sub-reddit has been a hotbed of organizing resistance to SOPA. If it wasn't for the Internet protests that were organized in part on Reddit, Go Daddy, a prominent Internet domain registry, would still be actively supporting SOPA.
But, since Reddit is already the leading social network against SOPA, their action, while commendable, strikes me as just preaching to the choir. I don't see Reddit's protest having that much of a chance of influencing anyone who's not already aware of SOPA's dangers.
The best thing that I hope will happen from Reddit's protest is that it will inspires sites like Google, Yahoo!, Amazon.com, eBay, Bloomberg, and Wikipedia that reach a broader and largely unaware audience to take similar actions in protest against SOPA. We know, under the umbrella of the NetCoalition, the lobbying group representing leading global Internet and technology companies, that some major Internet companies are considering actively protesting SOPA on their Web sites.
While Facebook opposes SOPA, it doesn't seem inclined to make such a move. Wikipedia, on the other hand, while it hasn't settled on a course of action, is still considering a wide range of possible anti-SOPA protest actions.
If other important Web sites follow up on Reddit's anti-SOPA lead , then more people might wake up to its danger and insist that their Congressional representatives do the right thing and keep their hands off Internet freedom of speech. Still, I want to give a big thumb up for Reddit taking a stand. I hope that other Internet sites will now take up the torch as well.
Reddit SOPA Protest Warrior image by Reddit.
Related Stories:
Reddit will enact 'nuclear option' to protest SOPA, PIPA
Should Amazon, Google & Wikipedia "nuke" the Web to stop SOPA?
Don't expect Facebook to go dark for SOPA
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Talkback
Steve, it is sad to see ou promoting crime in your column.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
Please write your congressional representatives and tell them to block this farce of a law. Hopefully there will be a few that havent taken money from the crooks behind this law.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
Why not just get rid of the internet? Or cars? Or microwaves? None of those things are needed either.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
They're doing this to raise awareness among potentially 35 million people, who will visit the site and encounter the information, links and video stream, rather than their usual content.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
As for Reddit, it is a fine example how internet generation is childish and immature. I find the shut down protest very childish, liken to a two year old temper tantrum because the child could not have another???s toddlers toy.
In the end, I see no loss if Reddit goes dark, perhaps users can do something constructive, like producing something original instead of repost links what other produced for their own narcissistic jollies. As for the CEO perhaps he can use the off time to reflect and have lunch with Can I Have A Cheeseburger owner (correct spelling in defiance of the owner / twit) and come up with something original. Better yet Reddit can extend its protest indefinitely and stop spamming my search when I try to search for the original document on Google.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
"Logical fallacies" isn't the term you're looking for either.
It's amazing that you can't understand how punitive DNS blocking is analogous to holding phone companies responsible for the content of every single phone call made by billions of people. Further, laws by necessity must be as narrow, specific and legitimate as is practical; broad and vague applications quickly lead to abuse and millions of taxpayer money spent on litigation.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
However (this is where things go downhill), the law allows the entities behind it (technically the US Government, but really the MPAA/RIAA) to take down websites and cut funding to organizatios who are suspected of copyright infringement; suspected being the key word there. That means that websites and organizations can be paralyzed without fair trial. Those are near "1984" abilities we are granting our government and the private corporations "cattle-prodding" them forward.
Now, in a Utopia this would be fine. The government would never abuse its power. But we don't live in a Utopia. <sarcasm>God knows the US government would never abuse it power. It's not like they've done so in the past.</sarcasm> The government, like the MPAA/RIAA, will continue to do what it deems necessary to remain strong and economically stable. The problem is that what the government deems necesary may not always be in line with free speech or freedom in general.
That is what I believe is scary about SOPA/PIPA. We are giving free rein to censor the internet, which is inarguably the largest source of information in the world. In a sense, we may be handing over the ability to control what we learn/know.
Once again, I have not yet read the bill itself. This is mostly based on what I've read in articles. If I'm wrong (and I very well may be), feel free to correct me. I have an open mind and am ready to learn.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
Vint Cerf and other Internet creators are anti-SOPA and they are anything but childish.
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
Awful
What's going to happen to search engines like Google ? They have bots crawling the net looking for links. This is a big risk to have links to other sites. That's how the Internet functions !
Government always has a knack for destroying innovation. They have not had their hands on the Internet but they are scheming for it. We will have censorship. Who is going to decide if a site's content is acceptable for not ? They will shut down a site without even a trial. Sounds all whimsical.
I can't think of a single company in favor of this except the MPAA and their buddies. They think their sales will go up if this becomes law. I will quit going to movies not that I watch many anyhow. Quite a few editors have spoken out against this. Very bad idea !
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
Current laws
The potential for net information is getting the squeeze
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
RE: Reddit's anti-SOPA 'Nuclear' protest is a good start
You see they dont come back to argue their position. just one quick comment of support and gone.