Bill C-38: Will rabble/babble go black on June 4?
'Black Out, Speak Out': Canadian Internet Campaign Targets 'Undemocratic' Bill
http://www.rt.com/news/canada-internet-black-out-418/
"A sweeping omnibus bill introduced last month to the Canadian parliament has been harshly condemned as 'undemocratic'. Over 13,000 websites across Canada are planning to protest with a June 4 blackout to highlight their cause.
Bill C-38 - otherwise known as the 'Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act' - is a 425 page document that has been described as a 'statutory juggernaut.'
What was submitted as a budget bill to the Canadian House of Commons will introduce, amend or repeal nearly 70 federal laws.
The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Quebec, Dennis Drainville, was anything but diplomatic of the bill. Drainville accused the Harper government of 'using every tyrannical tool they can find to ensure that their corporate agenda and ideological policies become the law of the land.'
'In the last twelve months I have seen clearly the rise of tyrannical policies and the application of such mind and state control that the people of Canada, unless they soon react, will find themselves not only slaves to a corporate and political abomination they never chose, but they will experience the extinguishing of any of the hopes and dreams that they once had for a nation firmly based upon the foundations of compassison, justice and peace.
For God's sake, for all our sakes, wake up Canada,' the letter concludes..."
I understand the blackout, but I think the Conservatives will be laughing themselves sick at seeing their opposition offline for a day.
ps: Dennis Drainville is my bishop, and he has history with the NDP. We studied at Trinity College together.
I think the coalition's call should be respected and observed. Yes, you have posted your Bishop's stuff before. As for his history with the NDP, clearly he has overcome it and gone on to talk turkey far better than they..
Yeah, he's a heck of a guy.
God bless Dennis. Harper can go to hell.
I'd support that.
http://www.blackoutspeakout.ca/
rabble has been discussing this for the last three weeks trying to square our support for this action with our technological capabilities and our imperative to report on it as journalists. So stay tuned for June 4!
What Catchfire says ... rabble will be doing something, but we're not yet sure what.
I plan on wearing all black on June 4th. I know I know, this would be different from any given day how?
If you're looking for recommendations, I'd vote for not going down.
Put up a splash screen maybe, but I don't see the sense in alternative media going down when it is business as usual for the mainstream.
When wikipedia went black earlier this year it worked because it drove the point home to many people who used the internet, but weren't aware of the effect of the proposed law.
That's probably not the case here, and unless there is a specific reason to do otherwise, I think the media should do what is most effective in a protest like this - speading information, not staying silent in protest.
At my work someone is making a Drupal 6 module that will set up a blackout splash page. I would think it would work fine on rabble.
I would expect it would be released on drupal.org by the end of the week. Should be just a case of downloading and installing the module.
I'm not sure what the Rabble techs have planned but the solution would be the same for any Drupal 6 web site.
Feel free to PM me or have your techs PM me if they need more info.
When it is posted to drupal.org I'll provide the link here.
To be clear, I meant a splash screen one could click through to get access to the regular site.
Yeah that's what everyone means.
Go lo-tech. Just ban us all for a day.
Going Black will just give Lord Crossharbour unnecessary publicity.
You need "Ask me why I'm wearing black?" signage;-)
That would probably get a few conversations started, mmmm.
NH
Brilliant idea!
http://drupal.org/project/protest here it is
Well?
yes and I absolutely support the campaign too bad though it includes such awful environmental sellouts. World Wildlife Fund?! They don't come more corporate than WWF...I'll remain focused on this bad bill and try and forget some of the 'civil society groups' Quebec is looking better and better..
So long as the signeage isn't black text on a black background. That might start conversations, byt not the ones you'd WANT to have started.
(on edit)perhaps somebody could ask the NDP and Bloc MP's to wear little black lapel squares in the House on that day(obviously, the Liberals would refuse to).
I'll be back at work on Monday, so won't be online then anyway. but you have my support for the blackout effort anyway.
self-delete. Dupe post.
Good. Thanks.
Hope you don't mind that I support the campaign too, NDPP.
the more the merrier Smith...but just in case you didn't already know, many of those listed here:
www.blackoutspeakout.ca/
are also listed here:
Boreal Forest Conflicts Far From Over - by Dawn Paley
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/3444