On Wednesday, January 18th, Destructoid took part in a blackout protest against the proposed SOPA and PIPA bills currently being considered by the US Congress. We feel strongly that the powers these pieces of legislation would grant could fundamentally change the internet as we know it and not for the better.
When we blacked out our site for the day, we asked all of you to send us a photo showing how the bills made you feel. As you'll see in the gallery below, you did not disappoint. In fact, the vast majority even followed the instructions we gave for size and color. Really, an impressive showing all around.
It would take a much more talented writer than myself to convey how much we appreciate the immense support you've shown Destructoid in taking this action to raise awareness on an issue that affects us all. The fight isn't over. There are still a lot of ill-informed people who wield considerable power over the future of the internet and we're not done making sure our voices are heard. And we know that you guys have our backs. So, thanks for that. Also, cocks.
LAUNCH GALLERY (216 IMAGES)
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
Likes
Mega Man 2, Arcade Games, Books about games, Board games, Having cultural interests that aren't games
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
52 comments | showing # 1 to 50
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
7:00 AM on 01.20.2012 | 
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
 (225x300)-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
-220x.jpg)
Still, mad love. <3
http://maddox.xmission.com/
Try to guess which one is me. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Check it out & spread the word!
Google half assed their "blackout" and any of the major sites that enjoy money didn't bother with a blackout so unless there was a news item on TV, I would say awareness was somewhat minimal.
Agreed. He is literally the only potential candidate willing to vocally oppose not only SOPA and PIPA, but the unconstitutional aspects of the recently passed NDAA bill as well. Obama has been a colossal disappointment in regard to the protection of citizens' rights, and I shudder to think how much further our liberties will be eroded with Romney, Gingrich, or Obama at the helm for the next four years.
Agreed. It was a start, but getting Google or Amazon to join in would help immensely.
@turbokill
I hope we are the 2012 apocalypse edition of that book when its reissued.
@hawkeyed
Jesus Christ, these people don't want us to just sit down and enjoy our lives do they? Controllers gotta control.
Seriously people, lets keep up the fight and keep our voices being heard. Now that we are making such a ruckus, they are going to push back just as hard to get their short sighted way. We can't give up now.
It forced television news coverage. That alone makes it a success. I enjoyed The Daily Show's segment on it, too. Lots of people who didn't know anything about SOPA now are at least aware it exists, even if they don't care to act.
Seriously, when I sent the picture into Dtoid, I expressed that although I am a web professional, I will not likely be directly impacted in terms of my employment/livelihood/etc. but seriously fear that by the time my daughter is aware, that the Internet will all but not exist, instead being a corporate-ruled, sanitized communication relic.
I believe that the way in which Google supported the blackout (linking from the "censored" homepage to information and a very easily completed petition) was much more effective than a total shutdown would have been. After all, a blackout lasts only a day, but literally millions of people signing their names on a petition and sending it to various congressmen can have a far greater reach of effect in the long run.
So please keep up the good work, not just the Dtoid staff but ALL of us, to fight the good fight!
And, from the looks on some of your faces, you all need hugs too. :D
But yeah, fun idea, sopa sucks, etc.
We are legion.
Glad you went for the YOU'RE TEARING ME APART SOPA
picture
Nice one guys :)
http://news.yahoo.com/homeland-security-given-green-light-monitor-american-journalists-072933420.html
Either way, I supported the picture taking in spirit and wish I could have joined in. Like I said elsewhere here yesterday, I did spend that whole day positively spreading the word on why this abomination needed to be stopped.
@Magnalon
I told them to go to Gizmodo, their write up on it was about the easiest to understand. There was also an infographic about how the Movie industry is being retarded on the issue (retarded is my word, not theirs), but I can't remember who had it up.