Wikipedia Down: Internet Blackout Has Begun

reply to post by Raist


I agree with you. If this law passes, a lot of the internet will become useless and not only that, the legislation will set precedents for more to be passed all throughout the world.

I would also like to point out that the United States likes to shove itself into other countries' business, and I'm sure that SOPA will affect everyone world-wide. For example, YouTube is based in the United States, and would have to take down a lot of its content, or go offline in the U.S. and I'm sure that more legislation would be passed to try and shut down websites world-wide.

People who think that Wikipedia going down is a "punishment" are misguided. It is going down to make a point, to keep the internet free in the future. It isn't that hard to not use it for one day. A simple cost analysis would reveal that not using Wikipedia for a day is worth saving the internet.

Also, more people need to start learning to care about themselves and their rights, think critically and value intelligence. If they don't, then it is their own fault when they become slaves.

It's not even down, it's just a weak forwarder, just go to the page you want, hit the esc button a few times and it works fine, I'm kind of disappointed by the fake blackout but it's better than nothing.

reply to post by MystikMushroom
I doubt I'll get much better responses than I have to any of my other efforts in the past (typically form-letter replies disagreeing with my view...ugh), but I have reached out to my representative and both senators.

Let's see what happens...

Hello, as a SOPA supporter (not American), I wanted to say something.

I support SOPA because:
1. I am an occasional singer (besides my office work). I don't want my mp3s to be passed on from one person to another freely. I have to earn a profit from my singing, you know.
2. I don't want my birth day and bio on Wikipedia or on IMDb if I become a celebrity. My biography is mine, it's not public property so I have the right to keep it private.
3. I don't care if Facebook and Wikipedia cease to exist; they are time-wasters.
4. I want to be able to sue people that insult me on message boards.

I think the ATSers afraid of SOPA are the political junkies that ruined ATS. Yeah, that's right -- it was a time when ATS was more about UFOs, aliens, time travel, paranormal stuff and now it's mostly about politics; Obama this, Ron Paul that. It's not what it used to be!

If this law passes, a lot of the internet will become useless

So what?! Are you an internet addict or something? Life was a lot better before the Internet anyway. It's mostly the nerds, geeks and web junkies that oppose SOPA. SOPA won't destroy the Web, it will clean it from junk like 4chan, memes, illegal mp3s, etc. You'll still have access to freeware & shareware.

reply to post by happy2003


Please tell me who you are so that I can never buy any product associated with you. I would also like to know the business you work for as I will not be buying any of their products either. Thank you for your support of draconian laws.

ATS has always had a political content to it. If you failed to notice this it is because you never ventured far from a few forums. I can go to those forums now and see content without political discussion in it, or I can come to a news forum and see discussion on a political view much as you have just done.

ATS has always had its political side. It did at one time have a much better grouping of people that held very intelligent conversation with a great deal of critical thinking.

If SOPA passes ATS will be lost for sure, as will most other parts of the net.

Again though please inform me of anything you are in contact with so that I can make sure I do not support those products.

Raist

Originally posted by happy2003

If this law passes, a lot of the internet will become useless

So what?! Are you an internet addict or something? Life was a lot better before the Internet anyway. It's mostly the nerds, geeks and web junkies that oppose SOPA.

edit on 18-1-2012 by happy2003 because: (no reason given)

Says the person using the web at the moment.

Wow, the irony.

Raist

"ATS has always had its political side."
Correct. But most of the hot recent topics in the last few years are mostly about politics or religion. ATS used to be way more balanced in 2003-2005. Now it's 80% political/economics/religious stuff.

reply to post by happy2003


However, you still have ATS to come too.

Apply SOPA and you will or have it or much of the web.

Raist

It could be a coordinated systems test effort to see if a blackout can infact work?...or it could be a cover for something far more sinister

reply to post by Raist

ATS is not a piracy website. And I have nothing to be afraid of, since I'm doing nothing illegal online.

And if Google and Facebook are so concerned about this, ask them about their dubious (ab)use of personal information.
While ATS has some merit, Google and Facebook are just jumping on the anti-SOPA bandwagon to look cool, while retrieving and abusing personal information. How hypocritical.

reply to post by happy2003


ATS uses a lot of names, link articles, and links videos that fall into the category of piracy. So, while ATS might not be a site to go and down load content from with the intent of pirating it, it does still contain pirated content according to this bill.


Look through the legislation and you will see that a huge degree of the internet will be shut down. Seriously this could affect most of your news outlets as well, though it will be aimed more at your not so popular alternative new sites.

Raist

So I guess the relevant question is, are you missing Wikipedia?

Me neither.

reply to post by schuyler

Not really. Too much information overload I guess.

Originally posted by happy2003
reply to post by Raist

 

ATS is not a piracy website. And I have nothing to be afraid of, since I'm doing nothing illegal online.

The most gut wrenchingly terrifying that can be said to me is

The innocent have nothing to fear

and friend you come close to saying it.

ATS is a piracy website I'm afraid.

If you will look to your left you will see our avatars now look over a few threads how many of them are from TV shows of are other types of copywrited material.

So if sopa was passed they would have to go.

Now look at most starting posts for a thread, these usually contain at least one link, ATS cannot guarantee that the site linked to contains no copywrited material, so links would have to be removed from ats and obviously embedded videos.

Also much text is copywrited. news articles, books, magazines they are all copywrite just as much as your music. ATS would no longer be able to put up user input and comply with SOPA so all our posts and thread would have to be deleted and ATS would have to stop us from creating new ones.

I hope you would enjoy what was left of ats.

As for the internet being irrelevant geekery, I'm sure people said the equivalent about the printing press.

They need MORE CONTROL on the internet. All the CRYing people on here. All the lies, stories and complete utter disregaurd on humanity. You all know the websites that do this activity, i don't even need to list them, because you know i'm right. We need websites that give out truthful information AND not some Truth lies crud that the GREEDY give us all day to SCAM you out of money somehow. If people take these scumbags and get rid of what they pushin and put them in jail with the regular populous and heavy fines. Maybe things will get better.
WILL THEY TAKE THESE SCUM off the internet? NO, the scum will still float on the surface as it always does. We all know it stinks and they get away with it. If it were up to me i would arrest them all and put THEM in fema camps. If they take out 1 scumbag out of 1000, the world would definately be a better place to live in. We all know that this will not happen and the scum rule. Hence they get different punishment than you or i. THAT, in itself ,should make a statement or a dent, but sadly people don't care until it hits them right in the mouth.

Originally posted by happy2003
Hello, as a SOPA supporter (not American), I wanted to say something.

I support SOPA because:
1. I am an occasional singer (besides my office work). I don't want my mp3s to be passed on from one person to another freely. I have to earn a profit from my singing, you know.
2. I don't want my birth day and bio on Wikipedia or on IMDb if I become a celebrity. My biography is mine, it's not public property so I have the right to keep it private.
3. I don't care if Facebook and Wikipedia cease to exist; they are time-wasters.
4. I want to be able to sue people that insult me on message boards.

I think the ATSers afraid of SOPA are the political junkies that ruined ATS. Yeah, that's right -- it was a time when ATS was more about UFOs, aliens, time travel, paranormal stuff and now it's mostly about politics; Obama this, Ron Paul that. It's not what it used to be!

If this law passes, a lot of the internet will become useless

So what?! Are you an internet addict or something? Life was a lot better before the Internet anyway. It's mostly the nerds, geeks and web junkies that oppose SOPA. SOPA won't destroy the Web, it will clean it from junk like 4chan, memes, illegal mp3s, etc. You'll still have access to freeware & shareware.

edit on 18-1-2012 by happy2003 because: (no reason given)

1. No amount of free mp3's will dig into your checkbook when your just a part time unknown entertainer.
2. You can't have Private Fame. It doesn't exist and never has, ever.
3. One mans trash is another mans treasure applies here I think.
4. Well calling someone an internet addict, nerd, geek, and web junkie is an insult and slanderous at the same time. Be prepared to be sued for all your Privately earned Fame has earned you.

reply to post by monkofmimir


I doubt it will do any good. You seem to have found the spoon in the knife drawer.


Raist

I think SOPA is too restrictive. Ok, piracy is one of the many problems, but what about trolls and web bullies? Most people on the Internet tend to turn into trolls/web bullies when they have the opportunity. Too much negative energy on the Web these days... Internet wasn't supposed to be used as a way to vent off negative emotion while insulting others on here.

███████ everything ████ ███ █ is █ █████ ██ fine █████ ██████ ███. ████'█ ██ ██████. The ████ ███ █ government ████ ███ ██ knows ████ ███ best █ █████ ██.

reply to post by happy2003


the problem is more basic than the internet it's people, the solution is to ban people. Problem solved

Seriously though

Originally posted by happy2003
what about trolls and web bullies? Most people on the Internet tend to turn into trolls/web bullies when they have the opportunity.

Written word is terrible at conveying emotion, so please trust that I am saying the following in a caring and genuine way.

Good lord, wo/man grow a pair! People don't turn into anything online, in fact quite the opposite they stop pretending to be anyone else than themselves. I've been trolled more times than I can count and honestly I could care less. There are plenty of horrible things in this world Disease, Famine, loneliness, Tony Blair they should be the issues we should be dealing with not minor quibbles about internet trolls.

The internet is an imperfect system but it works and considering how rarely humanity manages to get anything to work I think were better off fixing those things that truly are broken than taking the sledge hammer of legislation to the internet in the hope of fixing it