Reddit is a social news website where its registered users can submit news in two forms, a self-blog or in a form of link. Other registered users can participate by voting any news posted on the website. The most number of votes shall be the most popular article or news item, which can earn a spot on the website’s front page.
Reddit is basically about the freedom to share news and information. This is also what the internet is all about; the freedom on the virtual world to share and get information. Hence, it is no surprise for Reddit to announce a drastic step to manifest its protest against SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act).
The two bills are legislations proposed in the US Congress to enact strict regulation on the internet to stop violations of copyright and intellectual laws. Any website violating intellectual property laws shall be censored. Worse, any person who is caught violating shall be subjected to prison terms.
Reddit will definitely be affected since it will always be threatened with censorship and lawsuits, unless it can police its own users (which is impossible). To protest the two bills, Reddit shall shut down its operation for 12 hours on January 18, 2012, from 8 AM to 8PM. Instead, visitors of site will see messages and links about SOPA and PIPA. Reddit will also stream live videos of Congressional hearings about the two bills.
In a blog of the Reddit Team, it said that the decision to shutdown operations is not an easy decision and the support on the shutdown is not unanimous. However, the team said that it feels that it is the best way to amplify the voice of the community on its protest against SOPA and PIPA.
Is the action exaggerated? Not really, since when the bills become law, Reddit may not just be shutting its operation for one day.
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Tags: pipa, reddit, reddit shutdown, reddit shutdown date, reddit shutdown reason, social bookmark, sopa
