Yesterday afternoon, I read that many Canadian websites would be joining in the US online protest against proposed anti-piracy laws today. Here’s a link to an article from the Winnipeg Free Press that lists some of those Canadian websites and why they’re joining in the cause.
Such laws terrify me as a participant in the social web. Although I am not turning my website off today, I do want to show my support for my fellow Canadians and US colleagues. Why? Because if the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) passes in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) passes in the U.S. Senate, to quote Wikipedia “it would seriously damage the free and open Internet.” That’s enough reason for anyone to support this protest.
Here’s the message from Wikipedia explaining why their English website has gone dark today: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia_anti-SOPA_blackout. Please share your support and stand up against SOPA as well.
In the spirit of sharing, here’s a great video which explains SOPA in more detail: