WTF guys

Recently for whatever reason my “small” 2 man company (netlinx.net) located in rural PA was targeted by Anonymous or at least some people claiming they were from Anonymous.  

For what reason one might ask?  Well the best guess I can come up with is a recent forum discussion on the ubnt support forum where I said that I agreed with parts of the SOPA Bill, and that if the Bill had modifications that put in place a review board, an appeal process, and penalties for bringing fourth false accusations that a web site was openly facilitating the illegal distribution of copyrighted material.

So I am confused, is the Anti SOPA movement against the illegal and wrongful censorship that could come out of the Bill in its current form or is that just being used as a rallying cry to stop a Bill that will crack down on piracy?  

I am against censorship, but I do support reasonable measures to prevent online piracy.  I personally feel that SOPA needs to be re written to insure it is not used/abused by the government against freedom of speech but yet I am openly against stealing other people’s property through illegal sharing and downloading.  Are you trying to say that “you” or anyone has the right to copy and distribute anything for free?  Or are you afraid of the Bill in its current form to be used incorrectly against freedom of speech because I have already stated that I am against the Bill in its current form but would support it if it scope was more clearly defined and targeted to its intended purpose.

The discussion on the forums stated when “someone” compromised our poor little web server and redirected our paying web hosting customers to www.sopastrike.com resulting the loss of several of those customers.  

I mean what gives your cause the right to block my customer’s sites to express “your” political views?  Our company is small, and all of my customers companies are small, all trying hard to keep their employees paid so they can feed their families in these tough times and “you” decide to interrupt their sites for “your” cause?  How does that make you any better than the Government blocking other people’s sites?

My one employee at this “small” company is responsible for the web server in question and if he cannot do his job then I will have to replace him with someone better leaving him and his family including 3 kids on unemployment.

I am not sure what your beef is with netlinx.net but just keep in mind that netlinx.net is not a Multi Million dollar corporation but 2 people trying to feed their families and you decided that your cause was more important than their ability to earn a living!

Way to go guys!  OH, and by the way, Rory and I had very heated discussion on SOPA at work, he being one that was totally against it, and me being for it in a revised form but I do not think you will continue to get his support, especially if he loses his job and can’t feed his kids.

I could understand you attacking a government web site, I may or may not agree with your means but the moment you start attacking innocent civilians all you do is further grey the area between a cause and digital terrorism and that is not the way to gain public support, it only scares people and pushes them towards the government asking them to create even more laws to protect them as nobody knows who will get targeted next.  Collateral Damage makes for a great movie name, but it scares the hell out of people in the real world!