Usually once a contest starts, we just roll with it. I try not to interrupt the flow of contests. But if you're using the Internet today, you might notice that some very notable sites have very prominent information on them, or are shut off completely.
![]()
If I were tech-savvy enough, Superhero of the Month would be joining in full-force.. Instead, I'm just going to soapbox a little. A few days ago, I posted on Twitter that I don't mix politics with Superhero of the Month, but this isn't a liberal, conservative, moderate, socialist, anarchist, whateverist thing. It's something that literally could affect all of us.
Two bills have gone before Congress in the United States, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House of Representatives, and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate. Both bills aim to root out online piracy in order to protect copyright holders. In my personal opinion, that is a good thing. You're free, of course, to disagree with me, but I believe that music, films, programs, etc. have a lot of work put into them, and they should be protected.
But the major problem with SOPA and PIPA is how Congress plans on rooting out the problem. In a nutshell, if a site so much as links to a site that contains pirated material, it can be taken down and access to it can be blocked with no warning.
Per my understanding, Superhero of the Month reader Joey McFakerton could post a link to pirated material in a comment. If I don't do everything to remove the offending link before I get reported, Superhero of the Month gets taken down. And that's ridiculous.
SOPA and PIPA are one of the few pieces of legislation in recent memory that have been able to unify Americans in their opposition to it. This is remarkable considering how we seem to have become increasingly polarized and divided politically in the last decade. The fact that it's been able to unite both sides of the aisle in opposition should give some indication of how bad this legislation is.
I'd recommend checking out http://americancensorship.org/ or one of the many sites that offer information on SOPA and PIPA and what it means for you.
Okay, now that I've soapboxed, keep on sending in those fantastic Gorilla Grodd's you've been sending in! Just six days left!![]()
Two bills have gone before Congress in the United States, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House of Representatives, and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate. Both bills aim to root out online piracy in order to protect copyright holders. In my personal opinion, that is a good thing. You're free, of course, to disagree with me, but I believe that music, films, programs, etc. have a lot of work put into them, and they should be protected.
But the major problem with SOPA and PIPA is how Congress plans on rooting out the problem. In a nutshell, if a site so much as links to a site that contains pirated material, it can be taken down and access to it can be blocked with no warning.
Per my understanding, Superhero of the Month reader Joey McFakerton could post a link to pirated material in a comment. If I don't do everything to remove the offending link before I get reported, Superhero of the Month gets taken down. And that's ridiculous.
SOPA and PIPA are one of the few pieces of legislation in recent memory that have been able to unify Americans in their opposition to it. This is remarkable considering how we seem to have become increasingly polarized and divided politically in the last decade. The fact that it's been able to unite both sides of the aisle in opposition should give some indication of how bad this legislation is.
I'd recommend checking out http://americancensorship.org/ or one of the many sites that offer information on SOPA and PIPA and what it means for you.
Okay, now that I've soapboxed, keep on sending in those fantastic Gorilla Grodd's you've been sending in! Just six days left!
