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Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:03 pm
by CujoSR
[LEFT]I know this is off topic but the implications of the two bills currently being passed around the Senate and Congress could have lasting effects on this site and the internet in general. Please take a few minutes to read the information on the attached link and send a letter to your congressman urging them not to pass either of these ridiculous laws.

http://americancensorship.org/
http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa/

[/LEFT]
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Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:00 am
by Big Wallaby
I have not read the articles you linked to (yet), but the idea that the government could simply pull the plug on a website that either they don't like, or a website that someone else accuses of having illegal information (not that it has to) is simply ridiculous. That means that if Board X wanted to shut us down, they just make the accusation that we are running torrents or something. This is government overstepping their bounds. It's getting close to time to go out and get pitchforks and torches and head on out to Washington, D.C. Whoops, we could probably be shut down if this stuff passes for me having said that.

Let me put it bluntly: If this passes, the First Amendment will be dead. If that happens, I'll be moving to Australia or Hong Kong. At this point, based on various factors, one website ranks eight other nations as being more free than the United States. Counting down to the freest, that's

8. Denmark
7. Ireland
6. Canada
5. Switzerland
4. New Zealand
3. Australia
2. Singapore
1. Hong King.

If this bill passes, my guess would be that we will earn a spot much farther away from that number 1 slot.

When your government uses any, ANY MEANS to tell you what you can and cannot say, the accurate term is "tyranny". :mad:

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:06 am
by hobie16
Big Wallaby wrote:1. Hong King.
I went to school with his brother Bill.

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:42 pm
by Main Streeter
Big Wallaby wrote:When your government uses any, ANY MEANS to tell you what you can and cannot say, the accurate term is "tyranny". :mad:
Didn't we all know the government would somehow become involved & use their power to in someway control the internet? Washington is full of corruption & greed, thus only logical they go where the majority of the populace can be captured. Well thought out & written BW, as always. :)

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 6:17 pm
by Shorty82
I just emailed my Senators and Congressman and urge every other person on this site, active posters and lurkers alike, to do the same.

You can find the contact for your Congressman here, simply select your state from the drop down box and put in your ZIP +4 in the proper blanks.

You can the contacts for your Senators here. In the top right corner click the drop down box labeled "Find your Senators" and choose your state from the list.

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 4:00 am
by Mr. D.
Big Wallaby wrote:That means that if Board X wanted to shut us down, they just make the accusation that we are running torrents or something.

And what's wrong with torrents? Blocking torrent sites is censorship.

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 8:55 am
by ktulu
Mr. D. wrote:And what's wrong with torrents? Blocking torrent sites is censorship.
Is blocking spam censorship?

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:26 pm
by Mr. D.
ktulu wrote:Is blocking spam censorship?
Well, since spam is unsolicited, it would not fall under the same.

No one is "spaming" you with torrents. They are made available to people that wan to search for them.


But since you brought it up, Spam and junk mail should be blocked. If I have a notice on my door "No soliciting" how then can the post office legally send me junk mail?

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 4:29 pm
by ktulu
Well, as far as postal mailings go, the burden of cost is with the sender, with email, it is with the end users provider.

Torrents, if it was mostly used for legitimate transfers, and not piracy, then they wouldn't be that big of an issue. I suspect that when most providers go to a metered service it may change user's habits in regards to that stuff.

Re: Help Stop Online Censorship

Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:22 pm
by darph nader
I'll do what I can,but one of our congressmen hasn't been to work in almost a year and the other one is storming around the country on his own personal agenda about immigration. :mad: