Seems I Am Not The Only One....

[ladyofleithian]

Originally posted by morgandawn at Seems I Am Not The Only One....

......who feels the need to take a break from an increasingly dysfunctional relationship.


Original image and campaign source: reddit.

Edited to add my own thoughts (not part of the original reddit call for action):  And if you do not feel like taking a total break and perhaps want just a trial separation or couple's counseling, then perhaps consider Black March Lite 2.0 = spend, but spend money on those content creators and independent retailers who came out against SOPA/PIPA.  And tell them why you're buying their products in March.  There are many of them.

And for those who favor the more targeted boycott, you can find info  here.  But no matter which,  you can participate and you can tailor your level of participation.  We have the tools, the will and the strength to take a stand.


Text of image
Black March - Thursday March 1st 2012 to Saturday March 31st 2012
With the continuing campaigns for internet-censoring litigation such as SOPA and PIPA, and the closure of sites like Megaupload under allegations of 'piracy' and 'conspiracy' the time has come to take a stand against music, film, and media companies' lobbyists.
The only way is to hit them where it hurts.
Their profit margins.
March 2012 is the end of the First Quarter in economic reports world wide.
Do not buy a single record. Do not download a single song, legally or illegally. Do not go to see a single film in cinemas, or download a copy. Do not buy a DVD in the stores. Do not buy a videogame. Do not buy a single book or magazine.
Wait the four weeks to buy them in April: see a film later, etc... Holding out for just four weeks, maximum, will leave a gaping hole in media companies profits for the first quarter, an economic hit which will in turn be observed by governments world wide as stocks and shares will blip from a large enough loss of incomes. This action will give a statement of intent:
"We will not tolerate the Media Industries' lobbying for legislation that will censor the internet."

Comments

Okay, truth time:

[wyncatastrophe.livejournal.com]

I support targeted buying and non-buying, and I definitely support exercising one's right to free speech in order to protest unnecessarily restrictive legislation (I've been doing a lot of letter-writing lately). But I have real reservations about the tone of this particular 4-week ban; if the goal is to impact the entertainment industry to an extent that will cause global economic hardship, I worry that this may not be the best strategy. Should we put our money where our mouths are? Absolutely. But precipitating worldwide crisis in the entertainment industry at a time when the global economy is already pretty shaky sounds to me like it runs the risk, at least, of starting a panic – remember that falling revenue was one of the reasons why the MPAA and other entertainment organizations were in such a hurry to propose their wildly reactionary legislation in the first place. And notice, also, that SOPA and PIPA were most beneficial not to individual artists, but to major media franchises; and that a boycott like this, if not very carefully directed, stands to hurt those franchises much less than the individual artists for whom most of us probably feel a greater affinity. In short: this is a good idea that could be better targeted and more clearly articulated. Your notes at the bottom are a good start toward that direction.