An update on SOPA/PIPA

See my last post about these two bills: SOPA (and PIPA): What they mean for your Internet.

Since my last post, I’ve gotten numerous emails from Demand Progress and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, thanking me for my opposition against the bills, and ironically, asking me to sign more petitions. It turns out that the activism on the Internet has pushed these bills to the “ropes,” as Demand Progress claims. Now, they’re asking me to push Obama to veto the bills. “President Obama has expressed concerns about the bills, but hasn’t pledged to veto them,” the organization claims.

In addition to the slew of emails, major Internet websites and blogs have in one form or another, expressed their concern for SOPA and PIPA. Here’s what I’ve encountered so far:

• Wikipedia blacked out its website for 24 hours, providing a great graphic and contact form (see above)
• Google blacked out its logo, and provided a link to some statistics regarding anti-SOPA/PIPA activism.
• SOPAStrike.com launches a newspaper headline: INTERNET GOES ON STRIKE. Some websites choose to redirect to this link.
• Minecraft.net reds (instead of blacking) their site out with “PIPA & SOPA? HOW ABOUT NOPA?“
• Thought Box, along with thousands of other WordPress blogs, black out their website for 12 hours. After the 12 hours, websites remain with a banner that says STOP CENSORSHIP.

What’s my opinion about all this political activism? To be honest, I’m not tired of these emails. A free and open Internet is something that I am fiercely proud of, and will defend with equal fervor. If you believe in these same fundamental principles, I’ve added a link to this blog on the sidebar: “I’m voting for the Net.” Clicking on it will bring you to a website where you can pledge to only support candidates who stand for Internet freedom.