How SOPA is going to F*ck Up the Internet (and make this blog more boring than paint drying)

Imagine waking up one morning and trying to access Facebook only to find a giant CENSORED page show up. Or worse, no page at all.

Now try to access your favorite foodie site, or couponing blog to print out your menu for the week and all corresponding coupons to make shopping. That. Much. More. Fun. And discovering nothing is there besides “Google Cannot Load This Page”

There Goes the Virtual Neighborhood

I’ve not done a large amount of reading about SOPA or PIPA (and truth be told, I can’t stand politics. I go out of my way to NOT talk politics) but here’s what I understand and frankly, all I feel I need to understand at this time:

If SOPA passes in 2 weeks, we’re all hosed. That’s right, you, the reader and me the blogger.

I'm not nearly as entertaining when this is all you see

The only blogger or site that won’t be affected is one that never mentions an opinion of a brand, company or service, does a sponsored post or does brand ambassadorships, they never post links to coupons, blurbs from companies that they’re working with, or even their latest tutorial on how to dye Easter Eggs. I’m sure there are plenty of those kinds of sites out there (and yay! to ya’ll) but honestly I don’t visit those sites and I can’t write this site without mentioning something that I’ve bought, found, or loved (there goes praying for my stock in Lipton Iced Tea and Hershey’s to go up).

Basically you’ll all be reading about my grass growing and the cows escaping(however freaking entertaining that is), it still leaves so many bloggers, including myself pacing until there’s wear in my floors from worry.

If you don’t understand SOPA let me break it down in the simplest of terms:

Anyone with an axe to grind, problems understanding copyright, or just a general douche bag could come along and get a blog shut down (and possibly fined or thrown in jail) for perceived copyright infringement on something that has been written on this (or any) site.

Kiss Your Online Communities Goodbye

What that also means (and this from a community management standpoint) is that any community site, or site that has a community element to it that offers discussion about companies and products, (such as Parents.com, Ravelry.com, LionBrand.com, {insert your favorite message board or forum here}) could also be shut down over copyright infringement because all those people who may copy directions (or links) from the home site of X, Y, or Z brand in an effort to help someone out could be accused of copyright infringement and breaking the very frivolous rules, regulations (and other vague bylaws and meanings) of SOPA.

This means you can’t repost washing or care instructions for your yarns, baby clothes, or even the directions on your beloved detergent because some asshat might think you’re stealing the information.  (Even when another mom or online friend swears her Coach bag is now ruined over a leaky baby bottle of formula – why anyone would put a baby bottle of formula in a Coach bag is beyond me but I needed an example.)

So… just to be clear:

• Posting links
• Posting your kids’ rendition of Brittney Spears’s Oops… I Did it Again to Facebook
• Reposting an info blurb from a company’s website
• A youtube video of your kid’s marching Band playing Carry on Wayward Son at Half Time
• Any other cool, awesome, OMG you must see this link, video or picture

All of the above could be considered piracy and illegal. The sites you love could be shut down and you could be fined and/or jailed.

Still don’t think SOPA won’t affect you? Watch this:

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Now I could be wrong about this information and I could be way off base as to what SOPA really means besides Some Obnoxious law Passed by Assholes but in case I’m not, SOPA would have the power to shut down the general sharing of information and cause chaos across the Internet, possibly killing it. Think of it as a nice Chinese Firewall… you’re only allowed to visit Government approved websites.

If SOPA goes through, it could even affect our children’s education as so many institutions, including homeschoolers, public and private schools rely more and more on the Internet for learning and finding information. How is that in our best interest?

I’m not a big brand advocate, and I’m not even someone that you’d consider any kind of brand ambassador but I love my Internet. I like being able to watch tutorials on Youtube, post ridiculous videos of my kids to Facebook (are we friends? Did you see my blackmail video of my daughter?), and in general sharing awesome and amazing things with people on Pinterest (Oh my Pinterest not you too!), Twitter (what will I do with my day now?) and yes, even my job as social media director could be affected by SOPA.

Tell SOPA to Stick it where the hyperlinks Don’t Shine

If you want to stop SOPA and let our Government know that we’re not just going to bend over and take it (like they like to do to us with so many other things) you can take direct action at Stop American Censorship or contact one of the many companies that support SOPA and boycott them. (I’m compiling my boycott list now but it starts with Walmart and Dollar General).

We seriously don’t have to take this. We don’t have to accept it. We’re not a third world country happy to be led around by our noses and let our Government tell us what to read or share. I get what the intent of this law is but it’s written poorly and it doesn’t have our best interests in mind.

My fear is that if we don’t stop SOPA, then this is just the beginning of a country that is more and more like a dictatorship. And frankly, that scares me. And it should scare you too. I may just be a little blog in a great big Internet but I don’t like the idea of losing my home, do you?

How do you think SOPA will affect you? What will you do about it?

About Nichole Smith

Nichole Smith has written 547 posts on The Guilty Parent.

Founder of The Guilty Parent and Chaos in the Country (now part of The Guilty Parent), Nichole is a writer, blogger, social media strategist, wife to one, mother to four and embracer of mommy guilt.

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