You should've read one thing or two about SOPA already. But from what I have experienced, many people still do and not even heard of "SOPA" and they are US citizens.
I have heard of it a while back, but only really paid attention little before the boycott of GoDaddy, a nice episode. They stood by SOPA at first, then softened but calling customers. Finally, they changed side.
Microsoft and Apple are another episode. They were considered as supporter since they are behind BSA. But recently, they claimed against SOPA.
Sony, another one episode. They changed side, too, but it's after Anonymous threatened to take them down alongside other singers, such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Taylor Swift. I am not sure what they would be going to do with them.
I don't agree such action (threat, illegal action). It's using wrongdoing for wrongdoing, no matter how you justify your threat, it is wrong after all.
The same goes to SOPA. I can understand those big companies (music and film industry, even tech companies) want to protect the profit which should go into their pocket, but the reality is the money is lost to piracy. Whoever thinks they should not make not much money is wrong or they make enough money, therefore SOPA is bad is terribly wrong. How so? because their products are not necessity to your life, no one points a gun at your head to force you buying.
Free market is free (as in some sense), any company has right to name their product's price. You don't like, then you don't buy.
I would not say SOPA is entirely bad, but the bill can not justify its goal. It overdoes, too powerful. It will be abused eventually as people have foreseen it and I believe it will certainly happen.
Whoever started the bill either has own agenda or clearly does not understand the nature of piracy on the Internet and the Internet. Yes, you block one pirate website, that's just one of a million of websites, which owned by one pirate of one million pirates.
It's as if telling (blocking) your citizen not going to a marker on a sea map, but there are like 100 marks around that one. And the pirate will set up another two new markers! SOPA does nothing about piracy.
You gotta catch the pirate!
Since GoDaddy boycott, many companies have changed sides. It sounds great as if we have achieved something, but the truth is it's just what they are saying.
Moreover, I feel who swings is who you can not trust. They react to what people like not what they believe and that kind of people is dangerous.
People tend to forget. Watch them as hawk if you can.
I am interested in seeing famous singers and actors coming out against SOPA. Unfortunately, I haven't read any on Entertainment section. Come on, you guys, it's great to build up your public image. TMZ, send agents for their comments!
I also wonder why YouTube hasn't posted or changed its website. Maybe it has strong tie with music brands? Well, just speculation, don't quote me. I do use the question mark.
Now, 18th, January is the blackout day, let have some to checkout. As you can see, I put a script on. It looks like
The script was written by me, it seems to have slight issue, it only blacks out the first viewport, you can scroll down to see the rest of page. It should be open source, so it can get fixed quick.
The WordPress hosting:
Straight to the point! You can also see a WordPress plugin and this super fancy stop-sopa:
Well, I think that's overdo. But that's the creativity.
After fancy one, the Google's pathetic, barely noticeable link:
Where is dat creativity, Google? You can do better than that.
And the Wikipedia's:
It's the best one I have seen so far. News is all over about Wikipedia blackout, probably lots of people use it. By the way, don't forget to check out Twitter's Dick Costolo's comment on Wikipedia's blackout decision, that's another episode.
Reddit:
Nice countdown. It seems to really blackout, not using script to overlap.
Flickr, lol:
I don't quite get the point to darken photo as in per photo basis. You might as well as just put a Google-link-like to save the manpower for coding this.
FSF.org:
Not a screenshot but the page title. Gotta be nerd as in01000100010010010100011101001001010101000100000101001100
DIGITAL domain!Craigslist:
It has Craigslist's spirit, don't you think? I love that PS.
Well, that's pretty much all I have seen on the Internet. Will this blackout day works? Could the bill be stopped? I am not sure, but one thing I am 100% certain:
No matter what will happen on January 24 and in February, the piracy will still be around.