UPDATED: Join our “Stop Censorship” Campaign – Let’s Oppose SOPA and PIPA together
CEO viewpoint Author: Tenko Add commentsHowever, the fight isn’t over yet. These bills are NOT dead, they are just not coming up for a vote right now, which is why we still encourage all our supporters and believers in the open Internet to keep opposing the bills and fight for our rights of free speech and privacy. Stay tuned for updates!
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its sister bill Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) have become a very hot topic for all Internet businesses and users. We have already firmly stated SiteGround position against SOPA back in November and have been actively using our social media channels to raise awareness about the issue. In short: we are against those bills, because we believe they have the potential to take away the most important things we love Internet for – the freedom of speech and the possibilities to express oneself creatively. For more detailed explanation why many people support such a position we recommend the video below:
Latest SOPA developments are encouraging with the White House firmly against and the main architect of the bill backing down. However, there is an important voting in the Senate scheduled on 24th of January and we believe that more people should become aware that Internet, as they know it, is facing a serious change, more people should care and more people should express a strong position built on principles. Recently we have seen the topic being turned into a money making technique by several other hosting companies. We believe that this is dangerous as it makes their position against look driven by profit seeking rather than principles and thus makes it less valuable. We won’t ask you to buy hosting with a “NOSOPA” coupon code. Instead we encourage you to take a minute to think about the bills, and if you find them as inappropriate as we do, to join us in opposing them in our campaign STOP CENSORSHIP.
Enough is enough. So now you already question what should I do to join? It is very simple:
1. Put our “Stop Censorship” stamp on your website showing your opinion and keep it there as long as possible. To embed our campaign stamp, use the code below:
<a style="width:125px;height:130px;display:block;" href="http://blog.siteground.com/stop-censorship/" ><img src="http://www.siteground.com/img/stop_censorship/stop-censorship.png" alt="Stop Censorship"/></a>
2. If you are running a Joomla website, we have also developed a plugin that will let you easily place our STOP CENSORSHIP stamp on your site. Download and install the plugin from here.
3. Be active in social media in regards of PIPA voting and spread the word of your support. Here’s a post we propose in regards with the comming voting that you can post over your social media channels:
Dear Senators, web users are against PIPA. Represent us on Jan 24! I join my host SiteGround #stopcensorship campaign http://is.gd/RtODO8
Or simply click on the buttons below for direct posting over your channels:
There are several other voices and campaigns against SOPA that we support and recommend checking them out too:
- A massive web strike is organized for 18th of January against SOPA by Fight for the Future and if you choose to join our campaign we encourage you to have your opinion posted on the same day
- Make censored posts and have people that want to read them call the Senate
- Add anti-sopa ribbon to your WordPress site
- Tweet to increase cPanel donation for the Electronic Frontier Foundation
As always, thank you for your continued support! I am confident that together we can stop the bills and save the Internet as we know it!
Best,
Tenko
CEO SiteGround
Stop SOPA it violates the First Amendment Rights. We need change and maybe voting out the congress man who generated this bill.
I am so glad to see siteground oppose SOPA and PIPA, this is another reason I am still using you guys for all my hosting!
I Totally oppose internet censorship.
Stop SOPA and PIPA.
I was so glad to see the e-mail about this and reading the your post. I’ve already put it on my Facebook page and plan on putting it on all my sites.
SOPA and PIPA is an accident waiting to happen and the more people that get on board to stop it, the better! Thank you Siteground!
I agree with Andy and I’ll be loyal to SiteGround!
You appear to have an extra space in the url for the link. When we copied the link to the campaign icon, it created a 404. See the url below:
href=” http://blog.siteground.com/stop-censorship/“
Thanks for the feedback, I have just fixed the post
This is absolutely amazing, the old pricks from government who do not even know how to use a computer once again creating bullcrap waves to shut down the people who is totally against their nasty moves, is all about controlling information and to shut down small sellers so the big sellers like amazon, ebay, macys, waltmart can be the only ones selling, so all people have few choices, these so called new laws are nothing but a cowardly way to censor the people who once elected them, there no elections anymore, there is just companies appointing whoever benefits their interests, pipa and sopa are scams, huge scams and every person in the planet will oppose them if they actually will ask them to vote on them, we do not need these things anywhere, what is this now, world wide China? so critical of China and Cuba and now you do the same here? Pipa and Sopa are bad for everyone
So happy to see you oppose this. As the previous person, I would have left immediately if you didn’t. Thanks!
There is no excuse for Government to use its powers of law enforcement against illegal copyright infringement, to put its regulatory fist into the internet. Government needs to find another way to enforce law without forfeiting the internet to the Will of the Government and its tendency to regulate, control, and restrict everything It touches!
I am very happy that you are opposing SOPA and PIPA. I’ve been a happy customer for many years and this makes it even more sweet! Glad I didn’t host with GoDaddy! Rock on Siteground!
Siteground sure wasn’t keen to fight Internet censorship when it invovled Wikileaks – they shut down that pretty fast! Hypocrisy?
The case with WikiLeaks is a really good example how a provider can be legally forced to participate in Internet censorship, in order to continue to operate. The mirror site was taken down as our upstream provider at this point (SoftLayer) has filed a complaint and has requested an immediate reaction from us, otherwise the whole server with all the other customers would have been switched off. SoftLayer never explained to us why they considered the website harmful at first place.
Even with the current legislation there are points where censorship can be lawfully applied. However, we are against the currently proposed new legislation like SOPA and PIPA because we believe it has the potential to increase immensely the problem and many providers like us will be forced by law to apply censorship, no matter what they believe is right.
Love Site Ground.
Disagree strongly with Site Ground position on this. A SOPA bill was needed 10 years ago, and the sooner the better that it can be invoked.
You say you are for creativity, but there is next to nothing right now to stop anyone/everyone from using content placed online as if ‘everyone should be able to use this freely.’ That is strange logic and not how things work in rest of world.
Can everyone use SiteGround freely? No? Why not? I mean its online, and if I find backdoor to allow free usage, are you going to censor that? But why? You must be against freedom, huh?
I honestly don’t get the spin of this into “stop censorship.” One side believes Big Brother is going to completely shut down all free thought, and only allow the Disneys and Fox companies of the world publish content. Another side thinks some of you all must have bought into the whole “mushroom cloud in Iraq” thing (aka, give easily into fear mongering).
Censorship will NEVER be stopped.
Ripping people off is THE PRINCIPLE at work here and while that can’t be done away with completely, it is where true artists ought to be putting their eggs in this overhyped issue.
Josh, Thank you for sharing your position. To have more people express an informed opinion on the issue, even if it is not the same as our, is what makes the discussion valuable.
I agree that in both polar positions on the issue there are many business interests. But I also believe that in the best interest of the users will be if the laws trying to reconcile the opposing business interests meet somewhere in the middle, where the truth is more likely to be. And at this point we just do not perceive SOPA and PIPA as being close to the middle ground.
I agree with Andy Evans above, it is very heartening, and it gives me even greater confidence in my choice of providers, to see you making a stand against this evil!
The moment we stop fighting for our rights,and give more control to the system
Is the moment were tyranny starts taking over
SOPA is dead on arrival, Obama pulled the plug…”for now”
Oppose SOPA and PIPA together. No more comments.
I will stand behind siteground on this 100% and am too glad they are opposing these 2 bills. Honestly don’t make sense how the FCC is trying to protect our rights with open net only to have congress rebutt that with these 2 bills. I understand there are issues with Piracy but blocking the sites and blacklisting them is not the answer. This would shut down a majority of the web and then what good will the net be.
Proud to be a customer of SiteGround and see much different actions than the web host “GoDaddy”. (please don’t throw me in jail for saying their name in a negative manner.)
I would like government to BUG OUT and let us have our 1st amendment rights to free speech!
I am glad to see siteground is totally against the implementation of these laws. SOPA and PIPA are only aimed at benefiting some few people and completely sending others out of business. I STRONGLY OPPOSE SOPA and PIPA. Am happy to know my host and I are on the same side. Lets all unite and speak with one voice “NO SOPA and PIPA”
SOPA and PIPA are trying to go against everything that people desire, mainly the freedom of speech, the possibilities to express oneself creatively and the possibility to learn about new thing that are not in your country. I STRONGLY OPPOSE SOPA and PIPA. This is an amazing work and I am on the same side 200%
Guys we are not from USA but you have our full support against SOPA and PIPA. We use our site for promoting religious views and we decided to join campaign. We believe in information freedom and internet without censorship and we’re glad that we can support you as our hosting company.
I have to say “Thanks’ SiteGround’ for supporting this anti-censorship initiative .
Only a totally naive person could believe that the SOPA or PIPA are design to protect anyone apart from the 1%
At the same time I would like to thank you,Site Ground for the support my website received from you .I know that you were many times under pressure from “concerned minority” because of the politically incorrect materials we publish.Yes you never let us down.
Regards
Jerzy Ulicki-Rek
Joomla plugin don´t work in 1.5.25 version of Joomla…can you fix it? Thanks
We have just released a Joomla 1.5 version of the jStopCensorship plugin! You can download it from this page: http://www.siteground.com/joomla-hosting/joomla-extensions/ver1.6/jStopCensorship.htm
Not seriously they think they will do this, it’s another form of problem. they will only build a more strong piracy way, don’t worry each problem have a solution and if this’s a problem for us we will find a solution. Stupid as they are, for example they have to start to change the prices for DVD if they need peoples to buy it, who are so stupid to buy a Hollywood film on DVD with 30$ that he saw 1 month before on the cinema screen with 10$, only a big fan can do this, no comment and there’s no logic here, why they don’t sell a legal downloadable film for 2$ for example and sell 1000000000 copies than 200 copies if they sell it for 30$. DVD is bad for ecology too
and in this world there’s peoples who are poor and you we have to care about. (i’m not poor and i can buy 10 DVDs by day if i want … i’m only defending.) With my experience, if they need to make money they have to work with poor peoples and give them the chance to participate to this economy.
Other problem here, controlling a web site as You tube !! they will fight another industry for the benefit of another ? i don’t know who make this decision but i’m sure who did it have no idea of what is internet and i’m sure he don’t know how to send emails. You Tube allowed to many talentious musicians and artists to go far and become verry famous, and if they are famous now and have talents because the laws and the technology of You Tube allows that, those artists was singing maybe a copyrighted song or what else to show them talents, and what so, what happens if they sing a copyrighted song, all we know who are singing id and who writes it, it’s only o song or pieces of art with all my respect, now they are famous and sales them art on DVD or internet … and now they need to break the link. i think SOPA and PIPA are supported by the most of those artists or Production industries and it’s really shame, peoples have dignity and pride and when we read article like this, realy we feel bad and if we have to fight we will fight and other solution are there. they have to change them politics than to fight all the world, because they are maybe only 20 members who decides and the world are billions peoples, i’m against piracy because there’s a minimum to pay, but it’s not a reason for me to buy a DVD with 30$ only if i’m fan and it’s a limited edition or special box and if i want to wach it with my family for free i’ll do because i have no choice and i’m not rich.
PS : SOPA and PIPA think well before. using force it’s not a solution, be smart.
PS : Some Software costs 4000$ as Adobe, seriously i don’t know why ? lol.
Billions downloadable full copies on the web and 10 000 legal copies sold, in some level of logic the problem is not piracy or peoples.
Thanks Site Ground.
I have many account with go stupid daddy before they had a good service policy but now front to Site Ground they can put them policy up them ass, because day after i’m no satisfied.
Sh
Most of you all are repeating the mantra of “stop censorship” as if this Act has that power (to censor one and all). In my strong opinion, it does not. But each side is steadfast in what they believe, and so minds are not likely to be changed based on what we each think COULD happen.
In regards to A.Belkoura’s lengthy message, I would rather tackle this stuff head on. AB says he thinks SOPA and PIPA are supported by the big production companies and this is all about greed. IMO, it is the opposite side of the equation that is coming from position of greed.
I’m more or less ‘starving artist’ type, but the writing is on the wall and very clear to anyone who actually looks at this issue, rather than keeping up with latest sound bites. I am one who has produced 42 minute DVD, and would love to put it online, but not if it means once it’s out there, everyone (who is greedy, and wants what they want for free) means they will look to ‘rip’ that DVD, and get it at no cost. So, let’s be honest. Would you rather have a film (or other digital) content for free, or pay some money for it? Those who chant “stop censorship” are pretty much saying, “uh, yeah, I’ll take it for free. Why not? My friends and neighbors all got it for free, heck if I’m going to pay for that.”
So, then what is the artist who can’t promote the heck out of their works (which cost tens of thousands of dollars on the conservative side of things) to do, other than charge $5 to $30 for their content? AB suggests content producers sell 1 billion copies at $2 each, which sounds great, until you realize that only the big ‘greedy’ corporations could possibly afford that business model. No small time artist (read as none) can possibly think they’ll sell more than 100,000 copies, and even more than 1000 copies is ‘getting lucky’ or ‘knowing someone in industry who helped make large sales happen.’ If you disagree with this, show me the business model for independent artists who are selling tens of thousands of copies of their work (and didn’t get lucky).
Guess what folks, it is possible to be against censorship and for SOPA. In fact, I’m yet to meet anyone who is as anti-censorship as myself. But apparently, what all you who are dead against SOPA are saying is, “screw the honest little guy (independent artists) and let me obtain content for free, as I have been doing for last umpteen years. I’m very happy with that way of doing business, and well, everybody’s doing it, so it can’t be all bad.”
Anytime any of you detractors wish to bring up a viable case of how censorship will actually work should SOPA go into effect, I’d be most interested in hearing that. So far, I’ve seen nothing (viable) and the sound bite stuff is just not that convincing… again, once you really look at what’s going on with this issue.
Bravo Siteground for supporting this. Shared in my timeline
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[...] Stop Censorship! Posted On Wednesday, January 18, 2012 By admin. Under Uncategorized var addthis_product = 'wpp-262'; var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true,"data_track_addressbar":false};if (typeof(addthis_share) == "undefined"){ addthis_share = [];}Stop Censorship! Click Here [...]
I’ve already put “Stop Censorship” stamp on my website and also would like to repeat it over and over that “Stop Censorship!”
stop censorship! I am not an american citizen… when did USA became Internet core, so they are entitled to determine its future? INTERNET should belong to all mankind, hope the UNESCO realizes that. Censor USA congress!
STOP CENSORSHIP!! SOPA/PIPA is a violation of our first amendment right. Stop Censorship, passing this law will lead us down the wrong path.
SOPA/PIPA IS A VIOLATION OF HUMANS RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well done SiteGround. Count me in on the campaign. I have put the Icon on my site in order to spread the word.
My fear is that those in power to decide, don’t know the first thing about technology. I hate to be an age-ist, but most people in their 50s or older (which would be many of our representatives, congress people, and judges) have little to no understanding of these technical issues and how the internet works. Numerous interviews with reporters have confirmed this. I believe TechDirt had an article where a congressmen admitted to tweeting on his cellphone because he found the discussion on SOPA so boring. — Excuse ME! – if that’s true.. we “the people” aren’t paying you to not do your job. – Pay attention for cryin’ out loud when something important is being discussed. Sheesh!
I believe that people should be able to express themselves freely and share information. Thank you.
سانسور را متوقف کنید . Stop Sensorship
Well done SiteGround. Count us in on the campaign. We are with you 100% guys. We have put the Icon on our forum in order to spread the word.I believe information over the internet should be available to everyone out there.
Cheers & Thank you guys you are doing a fantastic job
Jennifer Davis
The rights belong to the people…stop censorship!
STOP THE CENSORSHIP!
http://todaysloser.com/?p=1864 read it for it tells the truth.
STOP ALL CENSORSHIP PLEASE
sopa is a horrible disjustice against free speech and must be stopped
stop gouv clinical esteria and schizophrenia, serial killer type.
NPAA/FBI have just killed megaupload. i am one of the millions of users who took it hard, as webdesigner, and graphist. for what ?
false declaration of loss, as if anyone could now afford to buy for 200$ of culture every week…
that millionss of media/culture websites should become few expensives ones… and taxing evering single culture interaction and enrichment, limiting the exponential development of culture. the way they should for financial infinite créativity….
nice one psycho killa
those greedy congress try to take our freedom away plus what more damage we can take here in the usa we lost nasa those assholes
In my opinion, I believe this move by the government is covering up the real reason why they want to give the U.S. Attorney General these powers. I believe it would give them the chance for anyone or business/media attracting vast attention of the masses via social media that will rise up against the government.
We have seen lately what’s been happening around the globe via social media. Authoritarians and dictators can no longer keep in the shadows what is happening in their countries. We have seen and read with our eyes and heard with our ears the bloodshed and uprisings in countries like Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, the U.K., Russia, Greece and other well known countries via the media. Recently, we also saw it in our own country (Occupy Wall Street). This is what I believe the country’s afraid of, after seeing the results globally. Take Navalny for example. He runs a blog in Russia and some of us know what he helped create with the opposition move against the current Russian Kremlin. When’s the last time we’ve seen Putalin do the two-step so quickly? And Navalny’s only one social media source out of millions, if not billions in the near future.
It seems it’s getting so big and powerful, and in a much-much faster pace than anyone could’ve imagined, on how powerful it (social media) can get. I also think that the attempt to maintain this media giant is coming from much bigger forces within the global elite. It seems the time has come that not so slowly now, that the people are finally starting to get the grip that they now have to take things into their own hands, and that the so-called democratic governments have gone to far to keep them down. Finally now, there’s a quick and inexpensive method on getting the word around to the masses, and the government can no longer do anything about it, or else they’ll now be sentenced to permanent banishment, as some like Gaddafi and Mubarak have done. These were leaders that were around for decades. Who would’ve thought that they would be in the position that they’re in now even five years ago?
Some might think that this might be a bit far fetched, but look at the overall global picture. We’re seeing this global media giant growing right in front of us. At least that’s how I see it.
Very nice job guys !!!
I believe that the fight will go on for a very long period.
Lets stay prepared for all the new things they will put front us. Front of our freedom to speak and to listen. They will NOT close our ears, they will NOT close our eyes !
Viva la muerte, Amigos !
Blocking these sites in the United States will not only cripple the use of the web in the United States but in any other country as well. If the US government has the power to cut off the funds to these sites then it makes it impossible for anyone ANYWHERE in the world to view them. The Us will be imposing a law on hte entire worl if either SOPA or PIPA or any bill like them passes through congress.
grate job!!! piracy is a crime, but… represion and censorship are crimes as well… sopa is not a solution