Stop SOPA From Becoming a Law.. Act Now!

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is a bill which, if passed by the US Senate in the last week of this month, could have unprecedented consequences for small businesses, publishers and individuals not only in the US but around the world.

Copyblogger has an excellent piece up on their site that explains why the bill needs to be stopped now. I urge you to read that article word by word, and then act by signing the petition here – americancensorship.org.

If you are in the US, it clearly states what you should do but if you are not in the US, you need to scroll down a bit and put your email address in the box that says Not in the US? Petition the state department.

You need to understand that a bill like this getting passed in the US could cripple your internet usage no matter where you are in the world. That’s because whatever sites you can’t live without, like Google, Facebook etc are headquartered in the US and bound by the laws of that land. Also companies like Paypal, which form the backbone of Internet businesses around the world, are based in the US and will need to adhere to the provisions of this draconian law (if the act becomes a law that is).

Spread the word about this and pray that US Senators get some sense in their head and vote against this bill on January 24th. If it does become a law then God help the Internet.

Some Interesting Links

I come across a lot of great articles daily, so I thought I’ll share some here which I stumbled upon in the last 3-4 days.

Mark on Productivity 501 has a pretty detailed article on getting an online masters degree from Harvard. If you are not in a position to get a regular, full-time master’s degree and considering an online course then you should take a look at this.

Marc Andreessen wrote on WSJ on why he thinks software is eating the world. It’s actually kinda obvious considering some or the other kind of software powers almost everything around us these days, but his article still is insightful and makes a nice read.

A neat article I came across today on learning a foreign language without spending a cent. The content is well-written and the resources mentioned are very useful.

Another one from Productivity 501 on creating an electronic signature. I think digital signatures are going to take over pen-and-paper signatures in the near future so it doesn’t harm to know how to create them quickly and easily.

The Economist had this interesting article on the decline of Asian marriage and its far reaching effects. I wonder how the governments will tackle this new phenomenon if they could tackle it at all.

Apple’s Humongous $76B Cash Balance

I have been trying to find a justification for Apple’s cash reserves that are now worth $76 billion, and I haven’t succeeded yet. So I thought I will pin down my thoughts here and see what you all think.

You might have heard that Apple now has more money than the US Treasury. Its cash reserves are enough to buy a company like Netflix. Steve Jobs has always defended the cash reserves saying that it gives the company “flexibility and security”, and it can take “big and bold risks”, meaning huge acquisitions. Continue reading “Apple’s Humongous $76B Cash Balance”

Building Your Own Website With Network Solutions

Note: This is a guest ( and sponsored ) post aiming to introduce people – completely new to the world of building sites & web hosting – to the offerings of Network Solutions hosting, domain and other site building services.

Have you ever looked at a website you frequently visit and wondered how someone managed to set it up? Many people have experimented with starting blogs, or setting up cheap websites that operate through hosts with little to offer in the way of creativity or generation of traffic. Continue reading “Building Your Own Website With Network Solutions”