SOPA, PIPA and Small Business – What You Need to Know
Today something amazing is happening – thousands of websites from all around the country are taking place in a massive blackout to raise awareness about two pieces of legislation that could change the Internet, and our lives, forever. Twenty-five years ago it was hard to imagine have access to any information that you like from the comfort of your home. As a dedicated library nerd, the Internet was like a dream come true. It introduced me to my husband (and therefore created my kids). It’s given me an incredible career working with other passionate small business owners from across the globe. For all it’s faults (vain social media updates, useless humor sites and ass hat make money online marketers to name a few), the Internet is an incredible phenomenon that has changed the way we interact with information, with one another and the world.
That’s why it’s so incredible that websites are taking a stance on these bills that would severely limit the access we have to information. Information empowers. Information connects. And if these bills pass, our ability to do both will be severely limited. I do not think it is a surprise that these bills were presented and are being debated hot on the heels of the nationwide and worldwide uprising of the Occupy protesters – most of whom have been connected with one another via the Internet.
But despite your political leanings, if you’re reading this blog, chances are you have a business that is at least partially run online. Here’s some essential reading of the implications of these bills for your business.
- What Is SOPA? Startup Offers One-on-One Tutorials (mashable.com)
- SOPA and PIPA, What it Means for Small Business (scrappyface.com)
- End Piracy, Not Liberty (google.com – with a petition to contact Congress)
- Internet Blackout of the Day (thedailywh.at)
- SOPA’s Kind of Like That (WeForgotOurName)
I’ve signed the petition – have you?
Related posts:
