The past few weeks have been interesting for non-Americans. Some of us have been following the SOPA controversy closely, while others just don’t give a damn. That’s not a good idea, if such a monstrosity would be passed in the States then it would surely strike back at us in the rest of the world as well, Europe in particular.
I don’t want that. Don’t fuck with my internetz please!
I’m not sure I’m thrilled about this blackout thing though, which should be over when you’re reading this. Sure, it gets a lot of press and gets noticed, but even if it is just to prove a point, I think “turning off” the internet is a silly thing to do. To me, that’s the wrong message to send, but maybe that’s just me. It doesn’t really matter.
This is good. WordPress is about freedom. Open source is about freedom. These bloody bills are not about freedom, at all.
So thanks for standing up on the behalf of us all, WordPress! Even if not all of us are Americans, we’re behind you on this one. Let’s just not stop being vigilant about these things, there’s always something new and evil that needs to be nipped in the bud before it unleashes Armageddon on us all. SOPA will be rephrased, perhaps rebranded, and possibly snuck under the radar to avoid this type of backlash. That shit always happens, all over the world, all the time.
Stay sharp. There’s more of this nonsense to come.
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Thord Daniel Hedengren is addicted to words, which is fortunate since he's a writer. TDH the author has written books on WordPress, Tumblr, and the Sega Dreamcast among other things. TDH the freelancer is a regular contributor to Web Designer magazine and occasionally appears on Smashing Magazine. He blogs at TDH.me and tweets under @tdh.
2 Responses to Thanks for taking the stand against SOPA, WordPress
People don’t seem to *get* it without being shocked into learning.
Look at the Twitter timeline I linked to below. People still don’t understand what is happening, but they are being forced to figure it out now. Perhaps they will understand what is really at stake as well.
I think this strike is a good thing. My sites went black – not that many will notice. It’s only one day and it makes a strong statement.
It’s also working. Several lawmakers have dropped their support today alone, including bill sponsors.
I completely agree, far more people learned about what this was all about since several sites (including the ones I have) went black — or included links to appropriate sites.
The internet is a powerful communication tool; I’d had to see that silenced.
January 18, 2012 
People don’t seem to *get* it without being shocked into learning.
Look at the Twitter timeline I linked to below. People still don’t understand what is happening, but they are being forced to figure it out now. Perhaps they will understand what is really at stake as well.
I think this strike is a good thing. My sites went black – not that many will notice. It’s only one day and it makes a strong statement.
It’s also working. Several lawmakers have dropped their support today alone, including bill sponsors.
https://twitter.com/#!/herpderpedia
I completely agree, far more people learned about what this was all about since several sites (including the ones I have) went black — or included links to appropriate sites.
The internet is a powerful communication tool; I’d had to see that silenced.