Join The Fight for the Web

Got a moment for a movement!?

See how easy it  is to participate and share actions on any topic - such as STOPPING the Online Piracy Act (SOPA). A dumb government initiative.

Social Media tools like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. are designed to let you easily build an action machine (Thanks SAI for this tip).

If you've been on Twitter today, chances are you've seen a change in some of the avatars like this one I am using today on my main Twitter @DavidCutler - Instead of regular pictures, about 4,500 people have changed their images to a black banner that says STOP SOPA using BlackoutSOPA.org.

If you don't know what SOPA means, read this explainer post. SOPA is one of two bills (PIPA is the other) that wants to stop online piracy.

It will harm Internet innovation. The bill is an attempt to censor the Internet.  It would enable the government to quickly shut down any violating website without giving the creator much time to respond or defend itself.

Everyone from Google executives to leading tech investors have taken offense to the bill. Union Square Ventures partner Fred Wilson joined the Blackout SOPA movement and wrote a post this morning encouraging others to do the same.

If you want to change your picture, visit www.blackoutsopa.org, authorize the app on your Twitter account, and choose one of three "Stop SOPA" templates.  You can easily revert to your original picture if you decide to stop supporting the cause.

Blackout SOPA was created by Hunter Walk and Gregor Hochmuth yesterday at noon, so it has caught on pretty quickly.