atr-mod asked: yo, if your interested in stopping censorship you can go to this tumblr /blog/defendinternetfreedom I'm an admin there.
Thanks! We follow you already, but for anyone who doesn’t, here’s the link to their blog.
truth-has-a-liberal-bias:
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Republican Congressman Lamar Smith, lead sponsor of the currently dead SOPA bill you’ve heard so much about, has another bill in the works that uses Child Pornography as a screen to push through an amendment that’ll have your internet service provider tracking all of your financial dealings online. Each time you use a credit card, each time you read your bank statement, all of your IP information and your search history will be required by your ISP to be stored for 18 months at all times. This bill is H.R. 1981 and will have more dire consequences than SOPA or PIPA ever had the potential to have. […]
(via stfuconservatives)
Terrified of ACTA? Here’s what you can do.
It’s good to be scared of ACTA, and of SOPA and PIPA, which may be temporarily delayed, but certainly aren’t gone for good. They are scary. Very scary, and they pose a pretty immediate threat to the freedom of the internet.
STAGE ONE: IMMEDIATE ACTION
- Educate Yourself. There are some excellent posts on Tumblr with a good roundup of links so you can fully understand what it is we’re so scared of, and why it’s so important to take action. Check the ACTA tag for some, or take a look at this post, or this one. Both are informative, and found on the very first page of the tag.
- Speak Up. Sign the petitions that come your way. Again, there are a lot of great resource on Tumblr with links to these. Try here, and here. It only takes a few moments, and it actually can make a difference. But don’t stop there - talk to other people. Friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, classmates. Post something on facebook, twitter, reblog a post on your tumblr. The more people know and understand, the better. The scariest part of these acts is how few people actually knew about them until it was almost too late, and how few people still know about them. They’d rather it stay that way, and we have to make sure it doesn’t.
STAGE TWO: LOOK BEYOND ACTA
The recent and terrifying takedown of popular filesharing sites happened even without any of these recent bills passing. The system is already flawed. Even if we somehow manage to put a stop to this recent legislation, we still haven’t won. Not with things like the DMCA still in place. Here are some links it would be good to read, and organizations you can look into, especially if you’re not already familiar with the current state of copyright law. There are a lot of concepts and related issues that everyone should try to familiarize themselves with - net neutrality, intellectual property, fair use, and more.
STAGE THREE: TAKE ACTION
If you don’t have the time or ability to take more action, that’s fine. It’s enough to pay attention, stay informed, and keep the conversation going. In fact, that’s probably the most important part. But if everything that’s happened lately inspires you to do more, here are some options:
- If you’re a student, high school or college, look into Students for Free Culture. I know from my own failed attempt to start a chapter that they’re incredibly responsive and helpful, and have a lot of excellent resources and ideas for students who want to get involved. Check it out here.
- Contribute to the Commons. If you create anything - writing, songs, paintings, photographs - please consider publishing it under a Creative Commons license. It’s an excellent system, meant to help create an alternative body of culture and creative works that can be shared and remixed and built upon - what we should be able to do with all culture. This does not mean you can’t charge for it, and there are different levels of licenses so you can keep control over how your work will be shared. Read more, or register work, at their website - here.
If there’s anything that should be added to this post, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
