Published on January 22nd, 2012 | by Steven Hodson


Reddit and YCombinator take the war against censorship up a level

While there is nothing wrong with us all congratulating ourselves over the success of forcing Congress to shelve both SOPA and PIPA we would be foolish to think that this is the end of the war, because that is just what the entertainment industry is hoping will happen so they can try again to slide another attempt through their paid for US Congress.

This past week is really nothing more than the opening skirmish of a much larger; and inevitable, battle to come but interestingly enough two big players in the tech world have decide that rather than resting on their laurels it is time to take the fight to those behind things like SOPA and PIPA.

Rather than behaving reactively there is talk starting to percolate through the web about going on the offensive and not like a bunch of disorganized basement dwellers sneaking around behind masks (the common perception not mine). The idea is to move beyond blacking out sites and instead soing something that will really get these corporations attention – their bottom line.

As suggested on a website called The Best Page in the Universe (slightly NSFW language):


This idea has been picked up by both Reddit and YCombinator with Reddit; who was a prime instigator of Black Out Wednesday, discussion that suggests in part:


Now YCombinator is best known for being a startup incubator and investor so they are suggesting that their funding could be used as an effective weapon:


As much fun as the whole Black Out Wednesday thing might have been it is moves like those suggested by Reddit and YCombinator that could have a real effect, and force those in political power to reconsider their backing of the entertainment industry.

via Techie Buzz



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