You may notice something different about the Internet Wednesday, something strange. Messages begin to appear on Google's homepageb and different websites keep insisting you check out something that sounds like soap. Probably an ad, you decide.
You finally figure it out when you find yourself searching for that foreign term your buddy mentioned, but you were too embarrassed to ask about. Wikipedia, usually one of the quickest resources for information, has gone on strike. Not only that, you keep hearing about this SOPA thing. Should you worry? Many of the biggest internet companies certainly think so.
Hundreds of websites have confirmed they are shutting down all day Wednesday in protest of two bills pending in Congress, SOPA and PIPA, which are meant to stop piracy. The blackout is meant to show even the most casual Internet users what the Internet may be like if Congress passes the two bills on Jan. 24, bills the entertainment industry has been supporting for years.
So what's so bad about stopping piracy? According to industry experts, the bill would require Internet companies to police the Internet and allow the government to close down any website linking to copyrighted information, even user submitted links. No more posting your favorite (copyrighted) songs on your Facebook wall or sharing them with friends.
Other well-known sites joining the effort include Reddit, credited as the first website joining the blackout, Mozilla, Wordpress and TwitPic...
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