Thread: GamersBin Attending the Blackout

STOP SOPA!
From all of the staff, we apologize although there is something terribly wrong that we wish to address. The internet is a means of digital communication that without, many things apart of it would not even be known. The internet has been the backbone of protests, social media and the popularity of gaming overall. However, there are two bills that are trying to be passed in Congress: Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act. The staff of GamersBin decided that we would “blackout the website” for the sake of these bills being understood.

Private corporations want the ability to shut down sites that allow downloads of movies, TV shows, music and games. Most of these sites are outside of US jurisdiction, there is no chance for them to take down the website. Protect IP and SOPA allow these sites to be taken down by draconian wording and misunderstandings within the US congress. Protect IP and SOPA also allow corporations to sue US based search engines, directories, blogs or even forums if held with even a small amount of copyrighted objects within the website itself. They also give congress the ability to cut off funds to infringing websites and have US advertisers and payment loaners cancel the website’s account. In a nutshell, that is what these bills will do but we are sure they will do much, much deviant acts of censorship.

The starting flaw with this bill is that it won’t stop the thing it was made to stop. Downloaders will still be able to type in the Internet Protocol Address and get to the website with no problem. The worst thing is that both bills do not have enough wording or understanding in them to where social media sites such as Facebook, Reddit, YouTube and more are now liable for the actions their users uphold. Along with that, people could spend up to $200,000 dollars in fees and 5 years in prison for sharing a copyrighted picture, movies or song even if it is unable to be downloaded or redistributed. Lots of websites could look like piracy sites to the wrong judge. Anywhere where people can express themselves, make art, show broadcasts, TV or movie clips, even Let’s Plays. Even if you trust the US to not abuse their powers, what about more naïve countries that pass similar laws?

In short, SOPA and Protect IP will not stop piracy while making the internet a place of abuse with popular websites being less safe and less reliable. This is the internet we are talking about, it is a vital part of protests and social media and congress is tampering with its basic structure and giving corporations the power to gain more money on the entertainment side of the internet despite the fact that entertainment makes only a small chunk of what the internet has been.

You can do Something About it!
Please send an e-mail to a congressman following these steps.

1. Go to this website hyperlinked on this entire sentence.
2. Watching the video is optional but below is the area to email.
3. Type in the required information and send a detailed and professional document
4. We advise you say your first name or GB username followed by “From GamerBin.com” to represent us at the ending part of the document
5. Send and let your voices be heard.

Don't be a lazy sod, click the link above and fill out the form.

We thank anyone in advance who forgives us for attending the “Stop SOPA and PIPA” Blackout and we hope you send your voice to congress in the hopes that these acts may never be passed.



-The Staff of GamersBin

Great work, guys!

I sent the document.

Does the address needs to be US based?

Originally Posted by GekiDan

Does the address needs to be US based?

I believe not but I am not entirely sure.

Why is it everytime I click on a thread, or on a certain page number of a thread I keep getting re-directed to this page? I realise you're showing your support for a good cause but is it really necessary to have to keep seeing this same message time and time again? It's starting to get seriously annoying now. Showing it once is enough, but every time someone clicks on a thread or page?

Originally Posted by moneill83

Why is it everytime I click on a thread, or on a certain page number of a thread I keep getting re-directed to this page? I realise you're showing your support for a good cause but is it really necessary to have to keep seeing this same message time and time again? It's starting to get seriously annoying now. Showing it once is enough, but every time someone clicks on a thread or page?

thisalso happenedto me..

Originally Posted by moneill83

Why is it everytime I click on a thread, or on a certain page number of a thread I keep getting re-directed to this page? I realise you're showing your support for a good cause but is it really necessary to have to keep seeing this same message time and time again? It's starting to get seriously annoying now. Showing it once is enough, but every time someone clicks on a thread or page?

Jordan and I did this to refer to the blackout while still remaining to leave a message across. Imagine as though the censor is always bringing you back here much like how the Jan 18th SOPA Blackout is for other websites. GB will be back to normal on Jan 19th so fear not. It's not a bug and we are not going to do it for too long. Only during the blackout.

I kinda liked the returning to this thread. It is an example of how SOPA will treat us on various websites.

Originally Posted by IyeNano

I believe not but I am not entirely sure.

Just to be sure, I sent one using a US zip code.

Originally Posted by shaidar_haran

I kinda liked the returning to this thread. It is an example of how SOPA will treat us on various websites.

Yup, which was the point of the blackout - to raise awareness. Wikipedia was down for an entire 24 hours (the english version) and Reddit went down for 12. They did similar things such as what was done here. Google blacked out their logo. Namecheap was down. And thousands of other sites.

It worked too. Now 35 senators are publicly opposing the bill. We need 41 to pass and before the blackout there were only 5.