SOPA Turns America Into China

January 11, 2012 54 Comments

We are not, I repeat, we are NOT going back to the dark ages if it kills me. This is not a drill, people.

The educated clergy of the dark ages controlled the information while the masses remained poor and uneducated. And we all know how well the dark ages turned out.

SOPA is looking to turn back time and allow governments to block access to your website. I grew up in a Communist country and I know what Information Control looks like, and this is it, people.

What can you do?

Install Stop SOPA Ribbon across your WordPress blog and give your readers a voice.

My friend Konstantin has created this plugin for us yesterday and I think every WordPress blog should have it.

The install is really easy. Go to Plugins -> Add New and type Stop SOPA Ribbon. When it downloads click to Activate and you’re done.

Don’t alow this Anti-Liberty bill to pass. It will turn America into China overnight.

Watch the video to see how.

CREATIVITY, Mind Hacking

sopa, triberr

We Don’t Need Aggregators. We Need Distributators.

Army of Darkness is a Better Blogger Than You. And Here’s Why.

albertqian

@Triberr Glad you guys are Anti-SOPA. No need for Go Daddy shenanigans #toolschat
pipijul

@AskAaronLee hai
Risantisp

Shotout pls @AskAaronLee
Sven Tilburg of 40FS

yeah look it up – cause if #SOPA passes you ain’t gonna be able to look anything up anymore!

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

haha….ya, look it up, folks. So true. And clever on your part @Sven Tilburg of 40FS

Sven Tilburg of 40FS

@dino_dogan If I remember right the US levels with China on other numbers too: The percentage of inmates, the amount of executions and the spread of wealth. So maybe SOPA is just this last detail that was missing? (And let’s be honest. For big corporations countries like China are so much more sexy. Low salaries, no unions, no protesters, lot of silenced consumers. Heaven!)

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

Well, right you are. Heaven for corporations indeed. Poor corps, they have it so tough already. @Sven Tilburg of 40FS
Sven Tilburg of 40FS

@dino_dogan Dini, just follow the Money I am pinging it so it’s easier to tweet and fb it. http://pinterest.com/40fs/sopa-follow-the-money/

SocialMediaJeff

@jeffbullas @dino_dogan Jeff, do you actually talk, or are you just #automated? #Toronto, #socialmedia #credibility
infovestment

@aiki14 the chinese r already better capitalists than the americans,only thing the US has left is that ppl can choose between two parties
http://zombieresponseteam.net/ MorganBarnhart

I saw that ribbon when I was reading another post and was like, “I want that!” then I stumbled across this blog post that I seemed to have missed. But yes, I am installing the plugin now.

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

#awesomsauce L=:-) @MorganBarnhart

http://www.janetcallaway.com/ janetcallaway

Thanks so much, Dino, for the great explanation of SOPA and for the plugin. Needless to say, I will be installing it. Off to share this post with my tribes. Many thanks, my friend. Aloha. Janet

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

Thank you Janet. You have no idea how much I appreciate you. And, Im trying to convince Triberr team to go to Hawaii for a week We’ll see @janetcallaway
http://osakabentures.com/ osakasaul

@janetcallaway Perhaps you learned something about the Chinese and cigarettes, Janet…? After all, watch the video and kindly tell me where there is a word about what we should know about what is actually presented. You know, in the actual bill?

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

Saul, with all do respect, the actual content of the bill is irrelevant. The bill is designed to take our online liberties away and control the flow of information. Nothing less than a complete denial of the bill will do. @osakasaul @janetcallaway

http://osakabentures.com/ osakasaul

@dino_dogan@janetcallaway Dino, we have heard that SOPA may impose on our civil liberties. Perhaps we should either:

1. learn enough about the Bill to take a strong stance against it or

2. spend the time reading on such things, rather than writing. @Marc Collucio (Connect.Me) suggested http://lifehacker.com/5860205/all-about-sopa-the-bill-thats-going-to-cripple-your-internet – with solid take-away value.

I would bet that I’d fully agree that we should help get the bill crushed by spreading the word. Only, how does your video or text, in this post provide any impetus to do that? DL the banner (which makes US responsible for answering our blog readers’ questions on it) and the Chinese smoke like demons. Got that, take-away vale-wise.
http://osakabentures.com/ osakasaul

@dino_dogan@janetcallaway Dino, we have heard that SOPA may impose on our civil liberties. Perhaps we should either:

1. learn enough about the Bill to take a strong stance against it or

2. spend the time reading on such things, rather than writing. @Marc Collucio (Connect.Me) suggested http://lifehacker.com/5860205/all-about-sopa-the-bill-thats-going-to-cripple-your-internet – with solid take-away value.

I would bet that I’d fully agree that we should help get the bill crushed by spreading the word. Only, how does your video or text, in this post provide any impetus to do that? DL the banner (which makes US responsible for answering our blog readers’ questions on it) and the Chinese smoke like demons. Got that, take-away vale-wise.

markwschaefer

@janetcallaway Seriously? This is a “great explanation?” You’re taking action based on advice from somebody who has not read the bill … And has no intent of reading the bill? Wow.

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

@markwschaefer@janetcallaway I dont know where this notion of me not reading the bill comes from. I never said anything about that one way or the other. However, I will say that reading the bill is really not relevant here. After all, you dont have to taste shit to know it tastes bad.

The guy who “wrote” the bill was caught red handed in a middle of copyright infringement scandal. The whole thing is a quagmire and it doesnt help anyone.

Discussing finer points of the bill would only give this turd some merit. It doesnt deserve any.

markwschaefer

I appreciate your passion but this is a piss poor explanation of the problem, the bill and the implications. You need to read up on the bill and explain it a little more rationally than cigarettes in China to get my attention Dino.

SOPA is flawed — agreed — but at some point I would like somebody to propose a reasonable alternative to stopping piracy. And “piracy is our right” is not an acceptable answer.

http://solitarymama.com/ cmajaski

@markwschaefer As writers, musicians, artists and creators of things which produce an income, I think we should make sure we understand the anti-piracy part. I have not read it so I can’t say, but this is where my concern is at this point.
http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

Piracy can’t be stopped. And this bill doesn’t matter to pirates. Pirates are not going to stop because someone passed some bill someplace. The only thing this bill will accomplish is to infringe on free speech and civil liberties.

@markwschaefer

markwschaefer

@dino_dogan I seriously hope this blog post and your replies here are a publicity stunt of soe kind. I have rarely seen so much BS in one spot.

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

To truly appreciate the hypocrisy of SOPA, check out the author of SOPA’s website. Copyright infringement galore. http://www.vice.com/read/lamar-smith-sopa-copyright-whoops @markwschaefer
http://osakabentures.com/ osakasaul

@markwschaefer when a team with more experience, more money, and a better monetization plan eat Triberr’s lunch with functions that they take from Triberr and include into a better blog-sharing platform, let’s see how Dino feels about IP infringement.

Sven Tilburg of 40FS

@osakasaul@markwschaefer What a crappy post, seriously bud. This is not about supporting “Piracy” (which btw I feel you didn’t fully understand) – This is about PROTECTING FREE SPEECH. Your (and dinos, and my and everyone else’s) copyright is FULLY PROTECTED as of now. Google “Digital Millennium Copyright Act” – I myself have taken sites down in a matter of hours which used stolen code that was copyrighted by me. There is absolutely no need for a new bill. The new act (“SOPA”) gives the government a tool at hand to shut down site deliberately. And as with the “National Defense Authorization Act” the real threat is hidden in tons of paper.At any rate: We see here a limitation of our freedom to protect corporate wins. And let me tell you one thing my friend – If it comes to freedom, I do not wish a bill that protects my assets for the price of the countries freedom. Fuck that!Oh, btw – this is a golbal issue – just last week a PRIVATELY owned corporation has won a law suite in the Netherlands and can now tell the 2 biggest providers which domains and IP’s to block and they have to comply within 10 days WITHOUT ANY FURTHER approval though a judge or the court. Nice eh? Is that how freedom of information compares to fucking copyright? – Is that the world you want to live in?

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

@Sven Tilburg of 40FS@osakasaul@markwschaefer The machinations surrounding this bill are baffling. They removed DNS blocking provisions to pacify the out burst. But DNS blocking is irrelevant, they can still block IPs (internet Protocol address).

For people who dont really understand how Internet works (which is A LOT of people) DNS may seam like a reasonable capitulation, but it’s far from it.

http://www.newsuperaffiliateblog.com/ AdrienneSmith

I just got through reading about this Dino so thanks for the video explanation and the ribbon. I’ll definitely be spreading the word and doing my part. My congressmen are probably expecting yet another letter from me. We should be on a first name basis by now!

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

Tell him I said hi @AdrienneSmith

http://solitarymama.com/ cmajaski

I don’t think people are understanding SOPA and now we have tons of blogs spreading around strange and unclear explanations (not yours of course). I would suggest that people read up on the actual bill and what it entails so we don’t all sound like a bunch of idiots. It is just as dangerous for a bunch of knuckleheads to run around screaming fire without explaining where the actual fire is. When something this important turns into a mommy and daddy blog bandwagon (and it’s going in that direction) it is taken less seriously.

Thanks for the info and I will look into the plugin for the ribbon. At the absolute least, we should become informed.

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

Who can actually read through the whole thing? It’s designed to be long, boring and obtuse. But within those pages there are provisions that allow US gov to block your access to certain sites deemed to contain pirated Intellectual Property. It’s weapons of mass destruction all over again. Who needs proof when you can exercise executive power? @cmajaski

http://solitarymama.com/ cmajaski

@dino_dogan Does it block the website from YOU or does it affect the website because I thought (although just skimming) I read in your link that it affects the site’s ads and rev. Because to me, there is a difference. Again, not supporting SOPA but I wish bloggers would provide more information when discussing these types of matters.

Agree on the WMD bullshit and I do see the analogy.
http://osakabentures.com/ osakasaul

@dino_dogan@cmajaski So you tell us “look it up,” but you begin by telling us we should add the Stop SOPA ribbon to our blog, though as for yourself, “who can actually read the whole thing…?” You rant on the Chinese and their smoking – but how about, if you haven’t the time to read something you’ll vehemently take a stand against – at least providing a synopsis of what the bill states?

You are taking the general stance that online piracy need not be stopped because, as you replied to Mark Schaefer, “Piracy can’t be stopped. And this bill doesn’t matter to pirates. Pirates are not going to stop because someone passed some bill someplace?” What about YOUR IP? Will it be honky dorey with you you when someone re-engineers the mistakes out of Triberr and eats your lunch? (Because, after all, the very idea of piunishment for online theft is fundementally wrong…? Oh, and that’s what you *think* the bill is about, based on what, Dino, the title? After all, you tell us right here that you haven’t even read the bill.)

afmarcom

@mqtodd It SHOULD be! #mediachat
MarsDorian

@BigGirlBranding @dino_dogan THat’s the sad truth – the whole copyright infringement thing is just a premise for state-controlled web

BigGirlBranding

@MarsDorian @dino_dogan yea agreed!

dino_dogan

@BigGirlBranding @MarsDorian I expect to see Stop SOPA ribbon on your blogs toot sweet

MarsDorian

@dino_dogan is there an app or website that offers that ? I’m in
dino_dogan

@MarsDorian fo shizzle. Info here http://t.co/zk3QZmfc
BigGirlBranding

@dino_dogan @MarsDorian Just put mine up.
dino_dogan

@BigGirlBranding @MarsDorian that is awesome. You opted for the one across the logo. Very bold. I like it
BigGirlBranding

@dino_dogan @MarsDorian No other way to go but bold.
MarsDorian

@BigGirlBranding RIGHT IN YOUR FACE ! haha. btw – SOPA seems to tank like the Titanic, so you may not need the banner for long
BigGirlBranding

@MarsDorian lol you know it! let’s hope not sure ruins the aesthetics round the joint. Lol

40fs

@triberr Thanks for the RT! #SOPA
JBoolie

@tedcoine @dino_dogan Agreed! What to do?

dino_dogan

there’s a link to a Stop SOPA plugin in the post #GreatStart http://t.co/yJZCd7vj @JBoolie @tedcoine

keithint1234

@AskKim Should SOPA pass even you, could be blocked at a U.S level.
keithint1234

@AskKim And let’s not forget that what you define as “copyrighted” may not be what the SOPA proponents consider as copyright.
http://osakabentures.com/ osakasaul

I thought to include Charlie Cheever’s input (Quora), quite useful. If you think this is inappropriate, please moderate this out, Dino:

“…SOPA and PIPA seem unlikely to do much to protect the rights of content creators and copyright holders but even if they do, the collateral damage that these bills could have on services with noble missions of information exchange that have nothing to do with piracy makes them not worth it. You can read a lot more about SOPA on the topic page about it. Some users have also created boards collecting news and other information about SOPA and its progress: http://www.quora.com/Stop-Online… http://www.quora.com/stopsopa And I made one as well: Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Kevin Der also wrote something about SOPA here: http://www.quora.com/Kevin-Der/P… If you want to help stop SOPA from passing, you can get some ideas about how to do it here: What can the average person do to stop SOPA? We’ll be thinking through the best ways that Quora as a company can help stop these laws from passing, but in the meantime, we just wanted to let everyone know where we stand.”
http://www.amberrisme.com/ amberrisme

Dino, I liked the post title and the post. It spurred me to blog about it, and I even tortured myself all weekend by moving over to self-hosted just so I could get the ribbon. Thumbs up.

http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

@amberrisme wow…thats amazing Amber. Thank you for taking action on this

http://alphaefficiency.com/ Bojan011

Common, it was not communism, it was socialist country. Growing up in communistic country is even worse! Plus if anyone can say that, that would be me in a way, although internet was there when I was really young, and I loved every second of it!