A world without blogs?

I understand that there are things that need to be done to stop piracy (no, not the kind of piracy with eye patches, peg legs and parrots), but I cannot imagine my life without my blog or those of my friends in the blogsphere. Unfortunately that could be a reality if SOPA or PIPA passes.

I'm old enough to say I remember living in a time without the Internet, but I don't want to go back there. I know that my life has been enriched by it. I've met people I never would have met, have been able to share and learn so much about the things I love, and have developed better relationships with family that are spread far and wide. But that's in jeopardy now. I certainly don't want to have my right to free speech on my own blog censored nor do I want to miss out on what others may share. But that may just happen if we don't fight these bills.

If this doesn't seem like a big deal to you, then I issue you challenge. Take one week and spend it without posting on your blog. Don't read other people's blogs. Don't use Google, Bing, Wikipedia, Facebook, Myspace or any other search engine or social media site. See what it would really be like to go back in time. I'm sure when you're done, you'll realize just how important it is to ensure we still have free access to free speech.

Then, learn more about these bills and show your support in stopping them, check out Google.