#wikipediablackout support it!

The internet.  It has been around far longer than we care to remember.  First used as a military system it became  a commercialised tool that was available in every home  from the early 1990s and has since become the most powerful tool in the world (or just a way to look up stupid cats: http://icanhascheezburger.com/ ).

However, the US Congress  wants to  put a block on free speech on the internet.  They want tighter controls over what can be viewed and written on the internet.  This probably explains what they intend to do best: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more .  Basically, the short version is that SOPA and PIPA are set up to control online piracy, but unfortunately they go about it in a way that restricts freedom of speech.  Wikipedia are leading the protest on behalf of smaller sites that would not be able to defend themselves against big media companies.  If you wish to support what they are doing you can do so here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page .

So why should anyone in the UK care?  Well a lot of your favourite websites either originated or are run from the US so if there are restrictions there you can bet your backside we will feel the knock on effect.  Do you really want to live in a world where not only your media is controlled, but what you can see on the internet too?

Now I am not talking about your illegal sites (we do not need to discuss those here), but rather the blogging sites that will be affected, the media sites that will be affected.  We already live in a world where it is hard to trust what we read in the papers or see on TV, the internet is the last bastion of freedom where we can express opinion and some choose to use a variety of media to express this.  I am not saying that I agree with every opinion on the internet, but I do agree that people should have the right to express these views without fear of prosecution.

I believe that the majority of people on the internet are intelligent enough to make up their own minds on any issue they read about on the internet and will not take everything as read.  I believe that censorship of the internet is a dangerous measure and will affect countries outside the US.  

The US congress has an average age of around 60 and most members of congress are white and could be described as coming from middle/upper class backgrounds.  Do we really want this unrepresentative group taking control of our interwebz?  Thought not.  That is why I am supporting Wikipedia.  If you have Twitter then show your support too with this hash tag: #wikipediablackout

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