As a protest of #SOPA and #PIPA (The Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act) two pieces of legislation that are up for debate once again on January 18, 2012, I will be blacked out from all my websites, deviantART included. What does this mean?
"On January 18, between 8am and 8pm EST (or 13:00 and 01:00 UTC), Reddit will be blacking out their website in protest of SOPA and PROTECT IP. We request all website administrators worldwide - and especially those running large user-content websites - to black out their website at the same time, to voice their opposition of SOPA and PROTECT IP. This legislation may very well not only change the future of the internet as a whole, but also change the future of YOUR website. Act against it before it's too late."
This is not just administrators, this is EVERYONE. Take these 12 hours from 8 AM EST to 8 PM EST, and do not use any websites.
deviantART has already officially stated its dislike of #SOPA, saying: "Our view at deviantART regarding SOPA is that it's probably a bad idea. There should be better ways to deal with mass infringement on the Internet than this. This bill in our view can be seen as a threat to the open Internet itself and this is very hard to digest or support."
So… Join us. Black Everything Out. Share this message on Facebook, Twitter, and Every Other Site you have! You can share this quote or make your own: "This account will remain silent on #J18 January 18th, 8am-8pm (EST) as a protest against SOPA/PIPA."
YOU HEARD THEM DO IT!!!