Net Companies Consider the "Nuclear Option" To Combat SOPA 507
Atypical Geek writes "Alec Liu of Fox News reports that Amazon, Facebook and Google are considering a coordinated blackout of the internet to protest SOPA, the Stop Online Privacy Act being debated in Congress. From the article: 'Such a move is drastic. And though the details of exactly how it would work are unclear, it's already under consideration, according to Markham Erickson, the executive director of NetCoalition, a trade association that includes the likes of Google, PayPal, Yahoo, and Twitter.
With the Senate debating the SOPA legislation at the end of January, it looks as if the tech industry's top dogs are finally adding bite to their bark, something CNET called "the nuclear option." "When the home pages of Google.com, Amazon.com, Facebook.com, and their Internet allies simultaneously turn black with anti-censorship warnings that ask users to contact politicians about a vote in the U.S. Congress the next day on SOPA," Declan McCullagh wrote, "you'll know they're finally serious."'"
Such an option is going to cause panic... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Editing fail (Score:5, Funny)
"Alec Liu of Fox News reports that Amazon, Facebook and Google are considering a coordinated a coordinated blackout of the internet to protest SOPA, the Stop Online Privacy Act ... *SNIP*
PIRACY act, it's the Stop Online PIRACY act. Talk about a grammar failure. /GrammarNazi.
Are you the same guy that keeps pointing out that Micro$oft is not actually spelled with a dollar sign?
Re:Srsly? (Score:4, Funny)
I do not think Facebook user are comfortable with phones.
Unless they can text their representatives.
"OMG! Stop that SOPA thing and gime back my Facebook!"
Re:Pot calling the kettle black (Score:5, Funny)
I have to second what the AC said below. That is the most idiotic thing I've heard in a long time.
You're really asking us what the difference is between choosing not to say something or having your government making sure you don't say a given thing? If you are a US citizen AND you would say such a thing, I suggest you print out your Constitution and Declaration of Independence and henceforth use it to wipe your ass with.
Wow.
Do it! (Score:5, Funny)
Alec Liu of Fox News reports that Amazon, Facebook and Google are considering a coordinated blackout of the internet to protest SOPA
Even if Congress relents, they should do it. It would be just too cool of a spectacle not to!
It would also be fun to read the next day in the news how American office worker productivity had a temporary spike upwards.
Seriously (Score:2, Funny)
It really isn't right for Google et al to do this. Each congress member has paid handsomely for their position, and it comes with certain rights and expectations. One is the right to sneak through these kind of laws to help pay back, in a manner of speaking, those that helped them get to where they are today.
This has been the status quo for decades and people need to honor that and understand that they have no right to mess with it.
Re:They can find better protets methods... (Score:5, Funny)
"cheers" is used as a valediction.
What!? "Cheers" is a toast! You mean to tell me I've been getting slobbering shitfaced reading your posts, and you haven't even been trying to keep up? =(
In our darkest hour -- a savior will return (Score:5, Funny)
They came after his planet ... and he started working to find a solution.
Then they came after his child.
Nobody comes after his child.
GORE
Summer, 2012.
Re:Such an option is going to cause panic... (Score:5, Funny)
Make it global from day 1. SOPA would be a problem not just for Americans, but for everyone.
I'm pretty sure that if Google, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Wikipedia all went down for a day, even Washington would realize that SOPA can't stand.
I'm not sure, you have to balance the dislike for having those sites down... against the amazing productivity gains that would result! If they all went down for a day, we'd have flying cars, cold fusion, and warp drive the next day.
But I didn't think the actual sites would be down, just the front pages.
Re:No need ... (Score:5, Funny)
The coordinated effort of a group of companies/individuals to deny access to voting information in an effort to deny the vote.
Around here we don't call that election tampering, we call that Fox News [slate.com].
Re:Such an option is going to cause panic... (Score:4, Funny)