Spiral Knights - SOPA: Letting you all be informed about the endangerment of the Internet

SOPA: Letting you all be informed about the endangerment of the Internet

16 replies [Last post]

Tue, 12/13/2011 - 14:16

Kogoya

I am Mightyputty. I am a regular player in SK and my brother knows a lot about tech news. This was what I got from him. This could change the internet forever. I am not sure whether I am exaggerating or not, but I fear the worst.

SOPA stands for Stop Online Piracy Act. It is an American Bill that was proposed on late October. Now we don't care much for American politics don't we? But this goes further than that. In essence, this new bill (if passed) will effectively kill technological innovation and cut off any internet freedoms we now possess.

How does this bill kill the internet you ask? Well think of all those Let's Plays and gameplay videos you watched. Think of trying to research for a paper through the Internet. Think about reading a forum where you can have fun with other people who share your interests. Think of search engines and encyclopedias. All that will be wiped.

Why? Because any (yes any) website containing external links and (and to) copyrighted material will be flagged and shut down effectively. This includes Google, Youtube, Wikipedia, Facebook, and more.

Well I'm not from USA, so I don't have to worry. Sorry but no. Almost all websites and networks are run from the American domain. Essentially, SOPA allows the American government to find sites like these within their domains and cut it off.

To find out more, here's a wikipedia page about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOPA

The main point of this thread is to inform about the consequences of this bill if it were passed. There has been a large lack of broadcasting about this bill, which is significant to the technology industry overall.

It's so important that Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, Yahoo, AOL, Megaupload, and other big websites have stood up against this bill, with Wikipedia even threatening to black out their site in protest.

Now you are informed. What do you think? In all honesty, I hope this bill doesn't pass and that if it did pass, it won't be as bad as I explained it on this thread.

Tue, 12/13/2011 - 16:25

Oceanprince

Censorship

This works by effecting the DNS addressing system.

What's interesting is that Hollywood is behind this, but not big Tech companies. Guess they know something...

Tue, 12/13/2011 - 18:57

Jim-Dale

What do you want Jim Dale to

What do you want Jim Dale to do about it?

Tue, 12/13/2011 - 20:26

Kogoya

All I did here was to just

All I did here was to just let you guys know about it because there's been a lack of media attention. I'm searching for an online petition to sign to go against the legislation. So far, it's only in the planning stages but it has reached Congress. The hearings will continue this Thursday, so all I can say is this: spread the word (if I find my worst fears will come).

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 13:42

Oakgear

At times like these I'm glad I play European run games

And that I'm not even american (idiots)

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 14:17

Oceanprince

Oakgear

Yea for being in Europe (love the Opt-In law) but the US holds the DNS servers. The US will try and block any domain. And once that's done, you can't access that server anywhere in the world. So much for net neutrality...

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 16:25

Littlerbit

No me gusta esta SOPA, ¿puedo

No me gusta esta SOPA, ¿puedo obtener un poco de SOPA diferente?

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 01:30

Australiumfish

Oh, America...

Its funny how every other first world country just naturally supports the freedoms of people, at least for the most part, and wouldnt so much as think about censoring something so vital to today's society.

And then America, its so determined to reduce the freedoms of everyone that the people had to give it a protect-the-freedom law in its constitution, just to remind itself to not screw itself (and then because of its size, everyone else) over.

Well done American Congress, you actually managed to consider breaking your own laws and consider forcing us all back a good few years in technological development.

(If they do pass this completely messed-up bill, im not using the words I would like to here, by the way)

Well done America, now all you need to do is sit back for a couple of years and watch as the world slowly builds its resentment of you.

(If they pass it, I estimate it will be six months (or less) before the internet is entirely wiped out, and some people lose their jobs thanks to the reduction in businesses. Give it a year, the majority of people start wanting the internet back. Give it two years, every member of congress who voted in favour of the bill finds themselves facing a mob of highly angry people, and a few days later, facing a noose. Just my personal opinion, based off the way human decency goes out the window in a group of people determined on revenge.)

Good luck America, I hope logic comes through and this bill gets not just scrapped, but incinerated. If not, then good luck America for when every country hates you (even more than before (lets face it, America has annoyed most countries in the world at some point already.)).

From just an ordinary Englishman:

-Australiumfish

*Bows*

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 05:25

Kogoya

Congress will talk about SOPA

Congress will talk about SOPA and maybe vote on it today. Lamar Smith, a Texan Republican who coined this bill, stated that Youtube and Facebook will not be affected, BUT the wording is so vague that it puts innocent sites within the hole. All the government needs to do is to hear an accusation from anyone, go through the process for a month or so, and then shut the site down or blacklist it. Let's hope it doesn't pass today.

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 06:01

Oceanprince

It's so bad

I could link copyrighted material here, and this site gets shutdown. It's not dedicated to infringing, but it has that content. So it must die!

DMCA. Know about it.

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 14:02

#10

Jim-Dale

So Jim Dale could kamikaze

So Jim Dale could kamikaze bomb sites Jim Dale does not like?

/approve

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 15:58

#11

Thimol

-----

This thread is idiots.

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 16:18

#12

Kogoya

@Sylvanius

Then don't comment. Besides, here's the stories if you really don't think this has a chance of happening:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/15/sopa-bill-congress-onli...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/fight-against-sopa-cal...

Want some more? I got some.

Sat, 12/17/2011 - 14:03

#13

Blanky

TotalBiscuit Sums it up perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhwuXNv8fJM&feature=g-user-f&context=G252...

Sat, 12/17/2011 - 21:35

#14

Zyoni

This can't happen. It just

This can't happen. It just can't. The end of everything.

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 15:00

#15

Tradley

Spread this video

Spread this video! He explains a large amount of hypocritical evidence.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJIuYgIvKsc

Sat, 12/24/2011 - 13:43

#16

Gimpyo

it cant legally happen. the

it cant legally happen. the constitution wouldn't allow it, and if it does, then the people of america will be instantly pissed and, as a whole, go up to congress' front door, as well as many countries. its not going to pass. i know our leaders are stupid as all hell, but they aren't that stupid

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SOPA: Letting you all be informed about the endangerment of the Internet