Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 So Wikipedia tells me it will be offline Wednesday as an act of protest against SOPA. I had the amusingly dual reactions of "like that'll do anything" and "OMG how will I survive?". I'd like to hear this community's thoughts on internet activism, our dependence on the web, and obviously all things SOPA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Goldengirl Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Originally Posted By: Actaeon So Wikipedia tells me it will be offline Wednesday as an act of protest against SOPA. It's not just Wikipedia. I've seen a smattering of other sites say they'll be offline in protest, as well. I've even heard rumor that Facebook will join in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Any chance they can make it permanent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Erebus the Black Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 You mean wiki or fb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 You do know that Eric Cantor has pretty much tabled SOPA? It's not going to be brought to vote anytime soon. Of course, that dosen't mean PROTECT-IP is dead, but frankly PROTECT-IP is way easier to deal with, even if it still is sub-optimal. Pity I have to support SOPA now. I really didn't want to, but anything Cantor dislikes probably will turn out to be a good thing for America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotghroth Rhapsody Soul of Wit Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Originally Posted By: Dantius You do know that Eric Cantor has pretty much tabled SOPA? It's not going to be brought to vote anytime soon. Of course, that dosen't mean PROTECT-IP is dead, but frankly PROTECT-IP is way easier to deal with, even if it still is sub-optimal. Pity I have to support SOPA now. I really didn't want to, but anything Cantor dislikes probably will turn out to be a good thing for America. I assume that you are--at least partially--joking. Protect IP is not easier to deal with. Both pieces of legislation are unworkable. There is a (still flawed, but workable) alternative bill, called the OPEN act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrulous Glaahk Yuna Corne Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I hope Facebook joins in. My devastation alone will be enough. But I really hope Google/Youtube joins that blackout. It will effectively shut down the entire internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotghroth Rhapsody Soul of Wit Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Originally Posted By: Actaeon So Wikipedia tells me it will be offline Wednesday as an act of protest against SOPA. I had the amusingly dual reactions of "like that'll do anything" and "OMG how will I survive?". I'd like to hear this community's thoughts on internet activism, our dependence on the web, and obviously all things SOPA. There is effectiveness in calling attention to potential legislation that most Americans have never heard of--including many who spend a lot of time on the internet. Sites like Wikipedia and Craigslist serve a diverse demographic. Bear in mind that TV news has given zero coverage to SOPA and Protect IP. The media conglomerates support the legislation, but are wise enough to realize that an informed public will not. SOPA and Protect IP are unworkable and need to be scrapped. Problems include ineffectiveness against pirates, interference with legitimate uses of the internet, bias towards the well-heeled, security issues with DNS, and lack of due process. There is a preferable (but still flawed) alternative, the OPEN act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall The Ratt Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Quote: Bear in mind that TV news has given zero coverage to SOPA and Protect IP. The media conglomerates support the legislation, but are wise enough to realize that an informed public will not. SOPA and Protect IP are unworkable and need to be scrapped. Problems include ineffectiveness against pirates, interference with legitimate uses of the internet, bias towards the well-heeled, security issues with DNS, and lack of due process. There is a preferable (but still flawed) alternative, the OPEN act. I feel like the bill itself is a prime example of the US government being heavily influenced by the wealthy; sort of what the Occupy movement is all about. This is also an example of why I don't like mass media; you only see what they want you to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Erebus the Black Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Originally Posted By: Yuna Corne But I really hope Google/Youtube joins that blackout. It will effectively shut down the entire internet. The only way that will work is if Bing, AOL, Yahoo and whatever search engine apple runs on its iPhone join them, otherwise Google will just lose a portion of its market share and income. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Luckily the top web sites in the US are pretty well documented: http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/US. There are alternatives to Google's search engine, but Youtube's #3. Many of those sites (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Craigslist, imdb) are under no obligation to keep up service. Ebay, Amazon, Paypal, and Netflix may have more trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Trenton. Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Or learn of a site thats not doing that, copy the address, paste it into notepad, and put it into the address bar next time. There is no way to officially take the internet off the web Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Like Dantius said, SOPA is dead for now. But it or something like it could come back. And PROTECT-IP is, in my mind, nothing more than politicians using the door-in-the-face technique again. Blacking out Google... doubt it's going to happen. Though I wouldn't be surprised to see a doodle on the subject. Blacking out Wikipedia... effective, but not everyone uses Wikipedia on a daily basis. The idea of searching the Internet to find an answer to something is still foreign to some people, surprisingly. Blacking out Facebook or Youtube... if it does happen, it will be ridiculously effective. Even a thirty-second redirect with a short informative message and a link for congressperson contact information will do a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Of course, Wikipedia gains a lot of freedom by being donation funded. Facebook and Youtube, from my understanding, gain revenue by advertisements. They would have a lot of cause to hesitate, particularly if there doesn't appear to be any immediate danger from SOPA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Erebus the Black Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I bet all the pron sites are also joining in, that should really make a dent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall A less presumptuous name. Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I feel like SOPA and similar acts are sort of like bad DRM. All they will do is make things harder for those of us that do things the right way. The dedicated hackers and pirates will always find a way around the blocks. That said, I haven't done too much looking into the specifics of these acts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk nikki. Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Originally Posted By: Erasmus I bet all the pron sites are also joining in, that should really make a dent Yeah, though I read that certain sites are now less frequently visited than certain other social media sites. Having an aversion to most news sources, I'm not sure if this is still the case (or, really, what SOPA is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 It's midnight on the East Coast. Google's got a doodle, Wikipedia's off, and a webcomic or two (I noticed Questionable Content) is down. Not much of a statement. Glad it sounds like it's already dead in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curious Artila Nescioquis Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Fortunately, Wikipedia isn't as off as it could be. Disabling Javascript bypasses their blackout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I find that deliciously ironic, perhaps even intentional. Much like SOPA, the Wikipedia blackout only affects those without technical expertise, easy to bypass if you know how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Nioca Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 It also isn't that effective versus dial-up modems; the black-out effect only happens once the page is finished completely loading. Which, if it's image-intensive, can take a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Callie Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I just read a Wikipedia page by taking a screenshot of it before before the blackout screen could come up. I am such a rebel. Edit: Ironically, you can still view the article for SOPA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk ĐªгŦĦ Єяŋϊε Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 google has a blackout over the logo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Originally Posted By: Excalibur I just read a Wikipedia page by taking a screenshot of it before before the blackout screen could come up. I am such a rebel. Edit: Ironically, you can still view the article for SOPA. It's much easier to go to the Wikipedia mobile site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 I think Tyran wins the "best ways to get around Wikipedia's well meaning blackout" competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Alorael at Large Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 This is less impressive given that Wikipedia says on its own page that it's intentionally accessible by mobile and by disabling Javascript. I think they're doing absolutely the right thing: raising awareness by virtually everyone visiting Wikipedia while not impeding access to information. —Alorael, who finds that he can still access Wikipedia pages with Javascript on even with a fast connection. It just requires hitting command-period immediately after clicking a link and a few tries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotghroth Rhapsody Soul of Wit Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Originally Posted By: Master1 I feel like SOPA and similar acts are sort of like bad DRM. All they will do is make things harder for those of us that do things the right way. The dedicated hackers and pirates will always find a way around the blocks. That said, I haven't done too much looking into the specifics of these acts. You understand SOPA/PIPA quite well. DRM can always be circumvented. The best that you can do is to slow people down. DRM does often screw over paying customers and casual users. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Aoslare Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 They can do many things that DRM can't do. In particular, they can stifle free speech by sowing fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Flickr has the most creative protest I've seen so far. You're able to darken anyone else's images today. The Daily WTF has a fun pop-up too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrulous Glaahk Yuna Corne Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Really guys? It's pretty easy to find a wikipedia article on google and find the cache. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Or, you know... http://www.britannica.com/. (Because no one would ever just walk down to the library and grab a physical copy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Originally Posted By: Actaeon Or, you know... http://www.britannica.com/. (Because no one would ever just walk down to the library and grab a physical copy). The volumes are really useful for squashing bugs. I don't think the warranty for my computer would pay for repairs if I used it instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Callie Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Now that we have a protest against SOPA maybe people should pay attention to the US government retaining the right to indefinitely detain US citizens...or assassinate them without due process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Surely there was a topic on that somewhere... How could we have neglected it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Karoka Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 If they pass SOPA, wouldn't they be effectively breaking the First Amendment? As in, they are breaking their own law? WHAT IS THIS?!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Callie Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Originally Posted By: Karoka As in, they are breaking their own law? WHAT IS THIS?!?!?! That is nothing new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Karoka Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Originally Posted By: Excalibur That is nothing new. Okay, that's it. I'm moving to Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Originally Posted By: Excalibur Now that we have a protest against SOPA maybe people should pay attention to the US government retaining the right to indefinitely detain US citizens...or assassinate them without due process. But but... those people don't give us funny pictures of cats! Can't you see SOPA is important? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Callie Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I can has copyrights! Originally Posted By: Karoka Originally Posted By: Excalibur That is nothing new. Okay, that's it. I'm moving to Canada. I know little about Canadian politics, but surely they have their own problems as well, like proroguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk ĐªгŦĦ Єяŋϊε Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Originally Posted By: Excalibur I can has copyrights! Originally Posted By: Karoka Originally Posted By: Excalibur That is nothing new. Okay, that's it. I'm moving to Canada. I know little about Canadian politics, but surely they have their own problems as well, like proroguing. they also have a complex regarding america Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrulous Glaahk Yuna Corne Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Turns out the wiki blackout had some pretty big effect: http://boingboing.net/2012/01/19/how-the-internet-blackout-affe.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I didn't think it would have as big an effect considering the generation voting on the measures still have their VCRs blinking 12:00. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast The Mystic Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Originally Posted By: Yuna Corne Turns out the wiki blackout had some pretty big effect In the long term, though, I strongly suspect that the blackout's total effect will be precisely nil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrulous Glaahk Yuna Corne Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 In the long term, the human race's total effect will be precisely nil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Erebus the Black Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Originally Posted By: Randomizer still have their VCRs blinking 12:00. I still have my VCR (and my stereo) blinking on 12:00 because it resets every time there's a blackout, and there are a lot of blackouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 I was not aware so many people still had VCRs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Originally Posted By: Actaeon I was not aware so many people still had VCRs. I still have a LaserDisc player in one of my closets, to be perfectly honest. My VCR is right next to my DVD player, and it's still hooked up to my TV (and yes, the time is correct). There's even record player hooked up to my new computer! I must be getting old... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 DVD Players are getting to be sort of out of date, too. Which just means that soon, you will be able to pick DVDs up cheap at yard sales and second hand stores the same way you can get VHS now. ... How do you go about hooking up a record player to a computer, and what does that accomplish? I usually go the opposite route, hooking my computer into my stereo system when I'm bored of my vinyl and the radio's less than stellar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Originally Posted By: Actaeon How do you go about hooking up a record player to a computer, and what does that accomplish? I usually go the opposite route, hooking my computer into my stereo system when I'm bored of my vinyl and the radio's less than stellar. My record player actually has a USB port on it and can be hooked up to my computer as an audio input device. If you have an older record player, you can certainly use adapters that would turn the output from RCA to standard minijack, which you can plug into most any computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Again, what does that accomplish? Transfer of vinyl to mp3? Edit: In an effort to return to topic... hacktivism vs. blackouts. Which, if either works at all, is more effective? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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