The Protect-IP act in the senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House are dangerous legislations that can have a destructive affect on the Internet.

SOPA and PIPA would endanger the internet as we know it.  It can endanger the operators of URL shorteners.  It will endanger user generated content.  It will push the internet underground into fragmented dark nets which will make anti-piracy detection and enforcement more difficult.

I’m proud to have the representation of Jared Polis in the House, where the bill seems to have been recently shelved.   Jared recently discussed the issue on Reddit. I’m lucky to have him as my congressman.  However, the PIPA remains alive in the Senate.

Here’s what Jared Polis recommends you can do to influence the opinion of your representative or senator:

 “in order of impact from most to least:

1) Show up at a town hall or talk to them in person, check their schedule w their office
2) phone call, ask for the Legislative Associate in charge of the issue
3) Snail mail
4) email
5) post on their facebook wall or tweet them
6) sign petition”

My Colorado senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet recently withdrew their support for PIPA because exactly this kind of action.  Don’t believe that you can’t make a difference!