Should smaller sites partipate in Internet Black-out?

[phillipsjk]

Second attempt to post this. Web-fourms seem to be designed to discourage well-reseached posts.
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/02/157217/net-companies-consider-the-nuclear-option-to-combat-sopa

In the growing battle for the future of the Web, some of the biggest sites online -- Google, Facebook, and other tech stalwarts -- are considering a coordinated blackout of their sites, some of the web’s most popular destinations.

No Google searches. No Facebook updates. No Tweets. No Amazon.com shopping. Nothing.

The action would be a dramatic response to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill backed by the motion picture and recording industries that is intended to eliminate theft online once and for all. HR 3261 would require ISPs to block access to sites that infringe on copyrights -- but how exactly it does that has many up in arms. The creators of some of the web's biggest sites argue it could instead dramatically restrict law-abiding U.S. companies -- and reshape the web as we know it.

- http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/12/30/will-google-amazon-and-facebook-blackout-net/

Does anybody think that smaller sites should participate in an Internet black-out if the big players set a date? It may not happen, but there is less than a month left for planning. If smaller sites are going to participate, we should start making plans now.

An open question is how drastic should the black-out be? Should the site be replaced completely, or simply have an anti-SOPA banner/black colour theme? My own website already has a black background/white text style-sheet I can set to the default.

I an also not sure what people outside the United States should be encouraged to do. I don't feel it is may place to contact congress people directly. Should I contact my Member of Parliament instead? If enough MPs hear from their constituents, the government will know about it. If the President of the United States hears through diplomatic channels that people worldwide are contacting their representatives about proposed US legislation, he may be forced to do something about it (he does have veto power IIRC).

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[phillipsjk]

The big names have not set a date (AFAIK), but reddit has: January 18th from 8am–8pm EST (1300–0100 UTC).

Stopped they must be; on this all depends.

Wikipedia may join in:
Wikipedia:SOPA initiative

I plan on replacing my "index" pages with an anti-SOPA message, and encourage people to contact their Member of Parliament. By that time, I hope to have read the bill so that I can understand the implications for sites such as mine with a .CA domain name, hosted in Canada, but using an ARIN IP address (considered "domestic" by the bill). Specific sub-pages will simply be turned black with the text still readable.

[finway]

Really will this happen?

[SgtSpike]

I think smaller sites participating in a blackout would be pointless, but if the big names do it (namely Google and Facebook), it will DEFINITELY draw people's attention to the problem.

Smaller sites should stay open, so that people not able to access the larger sites can still find someplace to discuss the happenings.  Throwing up a banner of support is a good idea though.  But the point is already made if the larger sites go offline.

[phillipsjk]

Smaller sites participating is not pointless if you can get a critical mass.

The Long Tail is on our side.

Smaller sites are also more agile and able to actually implement the black-out on short notice.

IMO, we need a contingency plan in case the big players decide a protest would cost them too much money.

[brunoshady]

every protest against SOPA is welcome