Internet Censorship?

FlintTheSquirrel · Post by **FlintTheSquirrel** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:37 pm

It is only for a day though I heard. Just hope no one needs to take an online test on that day. Wikipedia is your savior for knowledge. Hehe.

In any case, I heard about this 30 minutes ago.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:41 pm

I heard about that. That's gonna suck.

ChewyChewy · Post by **ChewyChewy** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:47 pm

Well, I hope this protest proves fruitful, and while I don't want this thing to even PASS, I hope that IF it were to, Obama would veto it and it would not be popular enough to override his veto....

ReCreate · Post by **ReCreate** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:22 am

Well, The global blackout to protest SOPA and PIPA of the hundreds of sites participating has begun about 23 minutes ago. I wonder what this will result in.

Rollofthedice · Post by **Rollofthedice** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:32 am

I have nothing but applause for the sites deciding to black out for a day - the shutting down of Wikipedia & others in protest of SOPA and PIPA is going to turn quite a lot of heads.

Post by **Dissension** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:38 am

I'm curious whether the publicity stunt will backfire on them. = P

Post by **Sleet** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:42 am

Most likely not. People rely on them way too much.

Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:47 am

I say Google should have completely blacked out.

Post by **Dissension** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:54 am

Had that happened, people would have used Bing and Yahoo.

Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:59 am

but they'd wish they were using Google, and that's what matters.

Post by **Sleet** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:00 am

Dissension wrote:Had that happened, people would have used Bing and Yahoo.

It'd take more than that to get people to use Bing.

Leafolawl · Post by **Leafolawl** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:11 am

Sleet wrote:It'd take more than that to get people to use Bing.

Bing is my primary search engine. -_-"
*hates google*

Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:14 am

I was fine with all of this.

then Homestuck went black.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:15 am

Leafolawl wrote:
Sleet wrote:It'd take more than that to get people to use Bing.
Bing is my primary search engine. -_-"
*hates google*

you poor thing

Leafolawl · Post by **Leafolawl** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:39 am

Seth wrote:
Leafolawl wrote:
Sleet wrote:It'd take more than that to get people to use Bing.
Bing is my primary search engine. -_-"
*hates google*
you poor thing

[RAEG_outburst]I'm just sick of the fact that everyone treats Google like some resource idol, but when something else works just as well, if not BETTER, for what the person needs or wants, they treat that person like they're missing something! I've used Google, and I don't like it, SEND ME TO THE MOON![/RAEG_outburst]

Sorry, but I feel like it needs to be said like that, since I've gotten this treatment from several people. >.<

Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:04 am

I suppose it's a matter of preference. My mom uses Ask. I just prefer Google because it's what I'm used to.

I would like to point out that Bing was caught using Google's top results to alter their own, effectively making it yield the same results.

back to the matter at hand, most people use Google so Google blacking out would be felt more than Bing doing so.

Rollofthedice · Post by **Rollofthedice** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:18 am

Speaking of Google, has anyone here noticed its new icon change?
I like how they just covered the logo with a black box. Simplistic, but classy.

angelusbr · Post by **angelusbr** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:17 am

I've read that, in order to bypass the wikipedia blackout, all we need to do is press 'esc' before the page finishes loading.
But again, the source was a comedy site.

I also saw Angry Joe's update on Sopa and it seems that it'll die if we keep making pressure.

Ebly · Post by **Ebly** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:03 am

Leafolawl wrote:[RAEG_outburst]I'm just sick of the fact that everyone treats Google like some resource idol, but when something else works just as well, if not BETTER, for what the person needs or wants, they treat that person like they're missing something! I've used Google, and I don't like it, SEND ME TO THE MOON![/RAEG_outburst]

Sorry, but I feel like it needs to be said like that, since I've gotten this treatment from several people. >.<

so what does bing actually do better
like really, what does any one search engine do any better than any other
i dig that their algorithms are different, but how noticeable is that really?

in other news, i enjoy watching the fuss over sopa and pipa
who're the ones living in a censored nation now, huh?
and to think people make jokes about australia

but i suppose i should be used to americans only making so much bloody noise when it directly affects them, by now

i also like how apparently google only changed their icon for you USA guys, because mine is still perfectly colourful and googly.
wikipedia is still blacked out, yes, but i of course don't have the zip code option because my closest representative is either somewhere in california or florida, depending which state is closer to australia

(...probably florida)

Post by **Sleet** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:43 pm

I'd think Hawaii.

"SOPA" always makes me think of sopapillas. Mmmmmm...

Tiggy · Post by **Tiggy** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:46 pm

SOPA makes me think of Loser.

Ebly · Post by **Ebly** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:21 pm

Sleet wrote:I'd think Hawaii.

"SOPA" always makes me think of sopapillas. Mmmmmm...

oh duh, of course, you're completely right. that should have been obvious to me.

'sopa' always makes me think of
well
soap

ReCreate · Post by **ReCreate** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:52 pm

Mandatory Relevant Image:

Anyways, It appears that Google themselves has stepped in too, Blimey! I'm sure that ALL of this attention is certainly going to destroy these bills.

Post by **Sleet** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 2:03 pm

What do they have against soap? Have you been around a nerd before?

Mettlebird · Post by **Mettlebird** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:24 pm

I'm disgusted that the government is trying to censor something that is supposed to be free to everyone. It's just so...well, so stupid that they'd even try to do this. Even if it does get passed, and God forbid it happens, it'll just get reversed within a few months! The whole nation will be sending rage messages to the congressmen, and it'll be all over the media. They'll [the congressmen and such] just get so hated by so many people that they'd take it back for the sake of not getting mauled while they sleep.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:03 pm

ReCreate wrote:Mandatory Relevant Image:

Anyways, It appears that Google themselves has stepped in too, Blimey! I'm sure that ALL of this attention is certainly going to destroy these bills.

Heh, that's a good one

There isn't really any danger of it being passed any time soon IMO. I doubt it'll get passed in an election year, seeing as a large part of Obama's supporters are young people and he really can't afford to shoot himself in the foot so close to an election.
But after the election it could still get passed if enough pressure is put on the governement by enough people with money.

Leafolawl · Post by **Leafolawl** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:08 am

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:I suppose it's a matter of preference. My mom uses Ask. I just prefer Google because it's what I'm used to.

I would like to point out that Bing was caught using Google's top results to alter their own, effectively making it yield the same results.

back to the matter at hand, most people use Google so Google blacking out would be felt more than Bing doing so.

I wasn't saying Bing does work better, or anything like that, I'm saying what about those search engines that DO work better for what someone needs or wants? are they included in the "You don't use Google?" hate? or is it just those who don't use Google because they don't like the way Google works or looks?

Back on topic.
I think the sooner that these bills go down, the better. I don't know how it works, but I DO know I don't like the way it MIGHT work. it's just to bad I'm too young to make a difference in the matter. >.<

Post by **Sleet** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:04 am

I'm seeing the names of political parties here and I don't like where that's heading. Let's be careful to not get in political arguments in here.

GunRacer · Post by **GunRacer** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:59 pm

It's awesome to have seen all these protests, and that seems to have raised awareness of these terrible bills.

This may assuage your concerns, Xane: I haven't seen big news outlets covering it (not sure why) but a lot of conservatives are outraged over SOPA and PIPA, and a few movement leaders have basically told various Congresspersons, "I don't care how much we like you-- if you vote for this bill, we will kick you out in the next set of primaries." Six (!) of sixteen Senate co-sponsorships (and, undoubtedly, even more potential "yes" votes) have been dropped due to this; the bill also looks like it's pretty much stalled in the House. Sadly, it seems like the only way to get our legislators to behave is with direct threats to their political careers.

A few more weeks of pressure should kill this thing for good.

Stay frosty.
GunRacer

44R0NM10 · Post by **44R0NM10** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:03 pm

SOPA is stupid. PIPA is stupid.

I've just seen America trying to put an English university student into an American high security prison. Of course, I do not blame America, but the fact America has enough power to extradite an English civilian to America for trial of up to a 10 year sentence is atrocious. Even worse considering it's because of SOPA. You know what I don't like? I've heard off somebody the law that was broken by the English student is apparently not even an English law. That's right. An English student is going to be punished by A DIFFERENT COUNTRY for breaking a law that is not even a law in HIS OWN COUNTRY.

My apologies if this is at all of topic, but this really angers me.

Post by **Sleet** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:10 pm

44R0NM10 wrote:SOPA is stupid. PIPA is stupid.

I've just seen America trying to put an English university student into an American high security prison. Of course, I do not blame America, but the fact America has enough power to extradite an English civilian to America for trial of up to a 10 year sentence is atrocious. Even worse considering it's because of SOPA. You know what I don't like? I've heard off somebody the law that was broken by the English student is apparently not even an English law. That's right. An English student is going to be punished by A DIFFERENT COUNTRY for breaking a law that is not even a law in HIS OWN COUNTRY.

My apologies if this is at all of topic, but this really angers me.

SOPA is not a law yet; if someone is trying to incarcerate people because of an unsigned bill, then America has more problems than SOPA.

angelusbr · Post by **angelusbr** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:39 pm

I can't believe SOPA killed megaupload!
*cries*

Post by **Dissension** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:43 pm

That was a result of existing anti-piracy and copyright infringement laws, not the Stop Online Piracy Act (which is not a law). Many of the arrests were conducted by authorities in New Zealand.

angelusbr · Post by **angelusbr** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:46 pm

Dissension wrote:That was a result of existing anti-piracy and copyright infringement laws, not the Stop Online Piracy Act (which is not a law). Many of the arrests were conducted by authorities in New Zealand.

Megaupload existed for YEARS and only now, during this SOPA thing, the executives said "oh, my. look at that really old and well known website everybody knew about. Let's close it now."

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:48 pm

This raises a good point that should be remembered. We shouldn't let the blatant insanity of SOPA blind us to the real illegality of some sites.

Post by **Dissension** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:48 pm

Criminal investigations, especially of this nature, frequently take years to come to fruition. The timing of the arrests likely is a coincidence.

angelusbr · Post by **angelusbr** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:06 pm

Dissension wrote:Criminal investigations, especially of this nature, frequently take years to come to fruition. The timing of the arrests likely is a coincidence.

Really? it takes years for them to come to the conclusion people used megaupload for sharing copyrighted stuff?

KJOokami · Post by **KJOokami** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:27 pm

angelusbr wrote:Really? it takes years for them to come to the conclusion people used megaupload for sharing copyrighted stuff?

It takes them years to do just about anything in the court system, to be honest. The only news articles I ever seem to see nowadays are conclusions of crimes and potential crimes (and sometimes absolutely ludicrous things that should never have to be taken to court in the first place; much less, actually be thought about for years at a time) from waaaaaaay far back.

Post by **Dissension** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:50 pm

angelusbr wrote:Really? it takes years for them to come to the conclusion people used megaupload for sharing copyrighted stuff?

There is a difference between knowing someone is breaking the law and having sufficient evidence to obtain arrest warrants or injunctions from a judge to shut down Web sites. Many prosecutors will not take a case to court without overwhelming evidence.

angelusbr · Post by **angelusbr** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:28 pm

I see. But, this still shocks me. I mean soemthing that is well kknown by everyone was only "proved" now.
maybe they just arrested them for not doing anything to stop the piracy.