above the fold (misc)

Have you tried Wikipedia today? What about Reddit or Mozilla? Imgur? If you visited any of these sites after 12:00 EST Jan. 18, you likely got nothing but a simple black screen.

These internet giants are up in arms about a little bill being voted on in the House on Jan. 24 called SOPA. The movement is called the SOPA Blackout. Around here, we call that a 21^st Century protest.

What are SOPA and PIPA? 

SOPA stands for the Stop Online Piracy Act. It was introduced back in October by a group of lawmakers in an effort to stop copyright infringement on the internet.

PIPA, which you may have seen thrown around as well, is the Protect IP Act. This is the sister bill to SOPA. It was introduced in November but was halted this past weekend by the White House.

SOPA and PIPA seem pretty cool on the surface. Who doesn't want to fight illegal downloading and other activities that proliferate online? The video below will help you understand why it would be really uncool (as in detrimental) if they are passed.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

How You Help Stop SOPA and PIPA

• The first thing you can do is tell everyone you know about what SOPA and PIPA are really about. Legislative issues can be confusing. With a little time and a lot more clarity, it’s easy to understand why they are such a bad idea.

• Share the video posted above on Facebook and Twitter.

•  You can write a letter to Senate here.

• You can write an email to Congress here.

• You can participate in your own SOPA blackout here.

Got any more ideas on how to help block SOPA and PIPA and let lawmakers know how important it is that these bills are not passed? Have you blacked out your own website? Let us know in the comments below. 

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