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[ThatObviousUser]

Alright, so this thread concerns the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, House) and the Protect-IP Act (PIPA, Senate.) They are two very horrible bills that put censorship into the hands of large corporations and the US government. We have a thread for discussing the matter here. If you want to be caught up to speed really quickly, watch this four minute video. To see where your congresspeople stand, SOPAOpera is an incredible resource. Please highly consider calling, emailing, and/or writing your congresspeople and voice your opposition to these awful bills.

Still with us? Good. What's happening is that the full Senate is planning review PIPA on the 24th. In response, many websites are planning to do a "blackout" on the 18th. Here's a partial list:

• Wikipedia
• Wired
• Imgur
• Reddit.com
• Backloggery
• The Oatmeal
• The entire Cheezburger Network
• Destructoid.com
• Hacktivist group, Anonymous
• Mojang.com and Popular MMO, Minecraft
• All sites in Major League Gaming’s network
• XDA Developers
• Gaming site, GOG.com
• Sonic Retro
• NewGrounds
• Boing Boing

Some sites that will have anti-SOPA/PIPA language or signage on their sites on the 18th:

• Google
• Ars Technica
• DeviantArt
• NeoGAF (via avatars)

In lieu of an actual NeoGAF blackout (which would be preferable), several of us in the SOPA thread have decided to "blackout" our avatars. This means we'll be replacing our avatars with one of these:

We will be doing this Wednesday the 18th. Most of the sites listed have decided that their blackout will be from 8am EST to 8pm EST, so if you want to get back quickly to your old avatar that's what you can do. Personally I'll be doing it for a full 24 hours, and encourage others to do so as well.

I know this interferes with the "real life avatar January" thing, but it's only 12 hours (or more, if you want), and this is vitally important in spreading the word around NeoGAF. Congresspeople have been backing off SOPA and PIPA in the last day or so, but not enough to ensure it doesn't pass. We can beat this if we all come together.

 

[Zoramon089]

I hope Google doesn't go down...I've got a final on the 19th...

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

I'm in. Hopefully this gets more people get aware of this


EDIT: Yeah I may as well start now and do it the whole week too

 

[Volimar]

If it makes you feel like you're helping, go ahead. But I can't help but think that most of GAF is already pretty clued in on SOPA, so I don't know what you're after here.

 

[Dug]

I heard that Wikipedia might shutdown too? That would be interesting...

 

[Archer]

fuck it, i'll start now and run thru the end of the 18th.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

If it makes you feel like you're helping, go ahead. But I can't help but think that most of GAF is already pretty clued in on SOPA, so I don't know what you're after here.

I doubt even half of the Gaming side is aware of SOPA. In any case, it doesn't matter if it's one or one hundred people that are finally clued into SOPA because of this, we need everyone we can get.

 

[Zoramon089]

I doubt even half of the Gaming side is aware of SOPA. In any case, it doesn't matter if it's one or one hundred people that are finally clued into SOPA because of this, we need everyone we can get.

Why do you think that? There's been multiple big SOPA threads on Gaming-Side

 

[Veins]

Shouldn't the avatars mention SOPA on them? otherwise people won't know.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Why do you think that? There's been multiple big SOPA threads on Gaming-Side

Ah, that's true. But those threads don't get nearly as many replies as the OT ones.

 

[Manos: The Hans of Fate]

Ah, that's true. But those threads don't get nearly as many replies as the OT ones.

Perhaps they know SOPA will be passed and it will be signed into law...unless Obama want's to support Job Killing Piracy for the 2012 election. Then again maybe I'm just cynical.

 

[duckroll]

I'm not sure what blacking out your avatar would serve at all in the actual purpose other than a statement of "I can't really do anything worthwhile to help this cause so I'm going to do something dumb instead".

When a major site which provides a service or discussion platform goes on a blackout, they are effectively telling showing all the people who are using that platform what happens if the internet reaches a point where such a service or platform can no longer exist. It's effective and gets people to think about it.

What does an avatar blackout do? It makes you look like a moron for a day when you're posting on GAF. Lol.

 

[RDreamer]

I'll probably do it. I'm not sure how much it'll help, but hey any more help and attention is worth it, since changing an avatar isn't exactly a lot of work.

 

[Dr. Malik]

No, everyone who visits Neogaf is already aware of SOPA so you are just preaching to the choir. Also if any of Real Pic January Hot Gaf are blackout I'll make sure to pass SOPA myself

 

[Agnostic]

Fuck all you people. I had it first.

 

[Tesseract]

dibs.

 

[Alucrid]

Fuck all you people. I had it first.

:lol

 

[Archer]

:lol

 

[ThatObviousUser]

I'm not sure what blacking out your avatar would serve at all in the actual purpose other than a statement of "I can't really do anything worthwhile to help this cause so I'm going to do something dumb instead".

Please. I've called, I've emailed, I've signed petitions, I've posted links on all the major social networking sites, among other things. This is just one more thing I felt I could do.

It'd be better if GAF went offline though. Combined with the other gaming sites doing a blackout it might send a message to the ESA.

What does an avatar blackout do? It makes you look like a moron for a day when you're posting on GAF. Lol.

You're either with us or against us Duckrolls.

 

[genjiZERO]

should do it one facebook too

 

[Korey]

I'm not sure what blacking out your avatar would serve at all in the actual purpose other than a statement of "I can't really do anything worthwhile to help this cause so I'm going to do something dumb instead".

When a major site which provides a service or discussion platform goes on a blackout, they are effectively telling showing all the people who are using that platform what happens if the internet reaches a point where such a service or platform can no longer exist. It's effective and gets people to think about it.

What does an avatar blackout do? It makes you look like a moron for a day when you're posting on GAF. Lol.

Awareness. Someone reading GAF might wonder what all the blacked-out avatars are about and they'll want to find out, educating themselves in the process. Together with all the other things going on on the internet that day, it'll show people that it's something serious.

Also if a lot of people do it it'll show that many people are standing together on the issue.

 

[PhoenixDark]

I call dibs on a Wesley Snipes avatar

 

[Door2Dawn]

No. It's pointless.

 

[Mik2121]

While I won't do the avatar thing (it will just make it harder for many of us to recognize posters based on their avatars), I think the whole blackout for websites could send quite a neat message. But more sites need to get into it.

 

[Escape Goat]

I'm going to white out my avatar and accomplish the same thing.

 

[DoomGyver]

How about "SOPA" on a stop sign?

 

[ThatObviousUser]

How about "SOPA" on a stop sign?

If you want to make it, I'll put it in the OP, but it doesn't really conform to the "blackout" message.

 

[SleepyJohn11]

Here's a partial list:

• Reddit.com

That site doing would give the most significant amount of attention, really.

I haven't seen a growing anti-SOPA facebook group. Maybe have one for many people to join and "blackout" profile pictures...

I call dibs on a Wesley Snipes avatar

Make sure his eyes closed or not wide open to make it more effective.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Ill join in on the funs

 

[Korey]

Here's a partial list:

• Reddit.com
• The entire Cheezburger Network
• Destructoid.com
• Hacktivist group, Anonymous
• Mojang.com and Popular MMO, Minecraft
• All sites in Major League Gaming’s network
• XDA Developers
• Gaming site, GOG.com
• Sonic Retro
• NewGrounds
• Boing Boing

That site doing would give the most significant amount of attention, really.

I haven't seen a growing anti-SOPA facebook group. Maybe have one for many people to join and "blackout" profile pictures...

Wikipedia will also be joining. Jimmy Wales has said he wants to coordinate with Reddit, but he's not making the decision, the community is voting on how best to proceed (partial blackout, full blackout, global or just US, etc.):

Jimmy's comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales#Wikipedia_SOPA_blackout.2C_redux
Wikipedia's SOPA initiative: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA

I'm all in favor of it, and I think it would be great if we could act quickly to coordinate with Reddit. I'd like to talk to our government affairs advisor to see if they agree on this as useful timing, but assuming that's a greenlight, I think that matching what Reddit does (but in our own way of course) per the emerging consensus on how to do it, is a good idea. But that means we need to move forward quickly on a concrete proposal and vote - we don't have the luxury of time that we usually have, in terms of negotiating with each other for weeks about what's exactly the best possible thing to do. As I understand it, the Foundation is talking to people about how we can geolocate and guide people to their Congressperson, etc. Geoff will know about that. Our task is to decide to do it with a thumbs up / thumbs down vote.

 

[loosus]

Good idea. When Obama logs into GAF, he's going to be utterly mortified.

 

[Joe Molotov]

What am I going to do all day on the Internet if the entire Cheezburger Network is down???

 

[Grakl]

I hate SOPA/PIPA, and do what you wish to protest it, but this seems pointless. An avatar that crosses out the acronyms would be better if you really wish to raise awareness.

 

[FatalT]

This is fucking dumb. How about we black you out to protest SOPA instead?

 

[LQX]

Why not just black out GAF?

 

[DarkKyo]

This is fucking dumb.

Maybe you could just not participate. You don't have to be a bitch about it.

 

[AzureSkies]

Can't we all just play Blackout by Scorpions instead?

Seriously though, blacking out your avatar is a good idea but I don't feel like it'll effect much in the slightest, people would be more aware if sites like Facebook and Google are blacked out than NeoGAF avatars.

Spoiler

Can you guess what my picture will be on the 18th?

 

[IntelliHeath]

Then ask evilore to set neogaf.com black out. I can imagine people would go crazy.

 

[Unknown One]

I'll adopt it to show my stance on it since most of us are aware.

 

[kehs]

Spoiler

I'm spoiler tagging all my posts on the 18th.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

This is fucking dumb. How about we black you out to protest SOPA instead?

Pipe down, commie.

Spoiler

I'm spoiler tagging all my posts on the 18th.

Lol, I'd be for that idea but then after the 18th the posts would still be spoilered.

 

[Tesseract]

we should change the blackout date to june 5-7.

true mayhem.

 

[duckroll]

Spoiler

I'm spoiler tagging all my posts on the 18th.

That might get you banned instead. Lol.

 

[kehs]

Lol, I'd be for that idea but then after the 18th the posts would still be spoilered.

Written in technological stone.

That might get you banned instead. Lol.

Guess we'll find out.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

How bout we all type in spoiler text

Spoiler

it would be about as useful as blacking out your avatar

edit: too late

 

[Lasthope106]

How about Evilore taking down GAF for a day. That will have a lot more impact than doing some silly slacktivism.

 

[AzureSkies]

I've basically decided I'm just having Scorpions' Blackout cover with the STOP CENSORSHIP bar that a couple of members have.

Still gets the point across.

 

[Zaphod]

No. It's pointless.

Any action that spreads the word about these ridiculous bills is helpful. Look how much has been done so far to weaken these bills. I am far from an activist and I generally find most political involvement a waste of time but it seems that in this case awareness is making good progress in stopping SOPA.

 

[Pein]

I've never changed my avatar on GAF but I'll do it for this.

 

[duckroll]

How about Evilore taking down GAF for a day. That will have a lot more impact than doing some silly slacktivism.

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I don't know if he's up for it. I would support such a move though.