Yes, you read that headline right. The web is going on strike! What? Crazy, I know. The internet isn’t shutting down completely, don’t worry. But big name sites like Reddit, Mozilla, and even Twitpic will be unavailable on January 18th in protest of two internet censorship bills: Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). These bills are making their way through Congress on January 24th and if passed, it will mean the death of the internet as we know it.

The proposed SOPA bill would allow copyright holders and the Department of Justice to file a court order against websites that enable or facilitate copyright infringement. Now, that’s a broad statement. Basically, “the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators such as PayPal from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites.” This could potentially shut down sites like Tumblr, Flickr, and more. We certainly don’t want people pirating, but this bill will seriously cripple the internet and our First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

PIPA will also be just as damaging. It could lead to the removal of online resources and YouTube because any type of file sharing could be prohibited by the law. The main goal of PIPA is pretty much to protect Hollywood and the music industry. People download music, movies, and TV shows for free and “The Man” is getting angry. Most of the sites are from outside the United States, so this bill would block IP addresses from accessing those sites and allow courts to sue search engines for presenting links to those sites. Google is opposed. The bill is so vague that you could ultimately get sued for posting a video to YouTube with a song in the background. It will destroy the internet the way we use it and make it less secure in the process.

These bills would stop us from doing what we do. If they pass there would be no more CollegeCandy, no more Tumblr, no more Pinterest, no more Reddit. It can even be compared to China’s Great Firewall, which censors the internet so fiercely that there’s no point to even use it. So, why are we letting Congress decide the way our generation works? I’m sorry, but I don’t think its right for people in office who know nothing about technology and social media determine how it’s run. The internet is our generation’s main source of news and forum for action, and it needs to stay the way it is. I’m all for consequences when it comes to illegally downloading movies or whatever, but the way these bills are written do more harm than good. They’re doing this to protect the entertainment industry, which is all fine and dandy except that they’re shutting everything else down in the process. To join the protest, go to Strike Against SOPA.

I’m shutting down on January 18th, what about you? What do you think about SOPA and PIPA?

Caitlin is a senior at the University of Alabama who has an obsession with cupcakes, coffee, and Harry Potter. She always has random fun facts on reserve and aspires to be a professional blogger, social media bug, and/or James Franco’s assistant. Follow her fabulous life @caitlincorsetti. You’re welcome!

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As if the devastation from the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami weren’t enough, Japan continues to deal with threats from a damaged nuclear power plant. Ready for some numbers that will stop you in your tracks? The current death toll stands at 8,100, 12,000 people remain missing and 452,000 have been displaced. These figures, unfortunately, are on the rise. There are a few heart-warming reports coming out, such as the 80-year-old woman and her grandson found yesterday who survived for 9 DAYS (eek!) beneath the rubble of their house, but for the most part headlines remain focused on the nuclear catastrophe.  The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant lost power following the earthquake, and since then has been releasing radiation into the surrounding area. The government has been working frantically to restore power, but traces of radiation have already been found in Tokyo’s tap water and produce at grocery stores.

The Libyan civil war intensified as pro-government forces clash against the now U.S. military-supported rebels attempting to oust the current leader, Muammar Gadhafi. The revolt started almost exactly a month ago when protesters, inspired by the successful pro-democracy rallies in Egypt, gathered to peacefully rally. In the past week, Gadhafi’s supporters seemed to be gaining strength. On Saturday, however, after what was talked about as a too-long deliberation, the U.S., other members of N.A.T.O and the Arab League took military action. This action came in the form of attacks against Libya’s air defense systems to help enforce a UN-mandated no-fly zone.

Cocaine’s been in the news this week, reportedly found in two places it definitely should not be- a fourth grade classroom and the Kennedy Space Center. On Thursday, a fourth-grade boy brought the illegal substance to school and shared it with four of his classmates. When the kids started to feel sick, their teacher realized what was up and alerted the main office (remember the “main office,” btw?) All the kids are OK and won’t be getting in trouble, but the boy’s parents? Ohhhhh yes. As for the Kennedy Space Center? NASA reports that 4.2 grams of the stuff was found earlier in the month. It’s not the first time either; the drug was also found in a restricted area in early 2010. Guess it’s tough being an astronaut.

A study released this week revealed that for the first time, more Americans get their news online than from newspapers. 46% of people reported sticking to online sources (like this column, maybe?) compared to 40% who still read the newspaper. This week, The New York Times website, which formerly provided its content for free, switched over to a pay model. What does this mean for journalism (and my future career)? Who knows, but it’s interesting, at least.

And in another notable study released this week, more than half of Americans reported supporting same-sex marriage. For the first time in years and years of polls, proponents of same-sex marriage surpassed the halfway mark and reached 53%.  In 2003, that number was all the way down at 36%. I wonder if Lady Gaga had anything to do with this.

Photo of the Week:

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

If you had sight of the sky Saturday night, you probably saw the HUMONGOUS looking moon. That was what’s called a “Supermoon,” which is when a full moon is super-close to the Earth. We haven’t had one come so near for 18 years.

People can learn a lot about you from your Facebook profile. By considering your favorite movies, pictures, quotes and the things other people write on your wall, it is quite easy to get a good idea of who you are as a person. And knowing that, many of us are extremely careful about what we throw on there.

And I’m not talking about taking down all those drunk pictures from the Jell-O wrestling tournament so you can get that job with the government you’ve been coveting. I’m talking about leaving those up to show anyone and everyone who is looking that you are one cool girl who happens to enjoy wrestling in gelatin.

Your Facebook picture is especially important. It’s the first thing people see when they look you up, not to mention the fact that it comes up next to every wall post, Facebook message, chat, update, etc., that you do on that damn website. Naturally, you are going to put a lot of thought into your photo of choice. It needs to be a good representation of who you are, be it an artist, a class clown, or any other type of person.

I spend a lot of time on Facebook (is there a 12-step program out there?!) and I’ve noticed that of the 500 million people using the site worldwide, there only 6 basic types of photos that people post on their profile:

[Click on any image to see the gallery!]

[This story was originally posted by Lauren - University of Michigan]

Likey? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.

This is boring.

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like soul mates!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

Schools all over have been experimenting with social media lately – some of them getting into it and some of them encouraging their students to stay out of it. Now Harrisburg University of Science and Tech are blocking all social media from the school’s network including Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and AIM for a week. They’re not the first school to try a move like this, but my question is, is it right?

I think we’re all willing to admit that we’re maybe a little over-connected, maybe a little obsessed with our social media and it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world not to check our Twitter feeds every two minutes. I’m not striking out against the school not supporting social media – it’s their network and if they don’t want students using it that way, it’s their prerogative to block those sites. My problem is that this is an experiment. That’s right, a guy at Harrisburg saw his teen daughter juggling a lot of social media and decided to see what would happen if he took it away. Except, instead of conducting this little experiment in his home, he chose to use his position at the college to pull a social media blackout for a week. And then proceeded to tell virtually no one about it. My qualms about the experiment’s ethics aside (hello, consent?) the bigger question is, is this something the school should really be policing?

I talked a while back about school’s trying to force community policy to curb student binge drinking, and I feel much the same on this issue. Sure, we all know that we overdo it a little on the Facebook updates – just as we all know that if you can’t remember where you live when you leave the bar, it’s probably not fun party time for your liver – but is it actually our school’s business to step in and dictate this stuff for us?

OK, in this case, it’s not that the school is against social media (it is a tech school, after all) they just wanted to study the effects, so maybe that’s not so bad. And as I said, the schools should have a right to police the things that students use their network for, since they are the ones providing it. I just can’t help but get a little squirmy at the Orwellian-ness of it all; just making rules and taking things away without warning and then we all just have to live with it.

And not even have a chance to Tweet about it. Gah.

What do you say? Am I overreacting to a harmless little experiment? Or is this a much bigger issue about how school’s get involved in our lives? Duke it out!

For every hour a student is in class, he or she should be studying for two.  That’s what they say, but is that what you do?  The Huffington Post reports that students today are studying drastically less than their predecessors.  While you or I might roll our eyes and say, “Duh Mr. Scientist man, haven’t you heard of Facebook?” the brains behind this study insist that social media outlets are not to blame for our desire to slack off.  Well…then what gives?  After briefly scratching my head and doing a minimal amount of research, I’ve come to the following conclusions:

Uhhh, It’s Called the Internet
While this report insists that the Internet is not to blame for our poor study skills, I have to disagree.  It’s not so much that I think we’re all on Facebook (she says as she closes that tab), I just think that the process of cracking a book open has changed so dramatically since the good ol’ days.  No longer are we wasting time flipping through card catalogues and rummaging in the library stacks.  It’s a simple point and click world- from Wikipedia to the New York Times archives, we have everything at our fingertips.  I refuse to believe that that doesn’t expedite our cram time.

Housewives Marathon.  All. Weekend. Long.
Guys, admit it: reality TV is like crack cocaine even to an actual crack addict.  Give me a comfy sofa (hell, give me the floor) and six solid hours of Project Runway, Housewives, The Hills…even a really good infomercial has the capacity to grab my attention.  When given the choice between a ten-pound Chemistry book and P.Diddy hawking Proactiv, there simply is no choice.

Maybe We’re Just Smarter
Think about it.  How many times had you been on a plane before you were 22?  How many channels do you get on your television?  How many towns have you lived in?  Compare your numbers to those of your mother and grandmother, and I can almost guarantee you’ll have them beat.  It’s a simple fact that, for the most part, our generation is exposed to a greater variety of lifestyles, cultures, and people than our older relatives.  I’m a big believer that we all learn by osmosis.  I’m not talking about falling asleep with your American Lit notes under your head; I mean submersing yourself in the unfamiliar and achieving a greater understanding of the world through it.  Perhaps global concepts come easier to us because of all the diversity we’re exposed to on a regular basis.

The bottom line: time spent studying is not a measure of the amount accomplished.  I think that we’re a generation of hard workers who has been lucky enough to come around at a time when speedy laptops have replaced typewriters.  I mean, seriously, I’d hate to miss Dollar Beer Night because I was stuck in some musty library all night.  Am I right?

Have you heard of “dick slang,” the newest dance sensation sweeping the nation? No? Well, watch and be all at once fascinated, turned on and disturbed.

I have tried to come up with so many things to say about this video but I just can’t do it. Really, it speaks for itself.

Watch at your own risk.

Really angry.

And here are just 5 of the things that make my want to throw something. Like my Macbook. But I stop myself, because it’s not her fault. And she’s just so pretty and shiny and wonderful… Well, when that rainbow beachball pinwheel thing doesn’t pop up every 3 minutes.

1. Those who don’t properly utilize the BCC
Come on, people. BCC was invented for a reason and that reason was to eliminate the firestorm of emails that comes from those morons who can’t tell the difference between “reply” and “reply to all.” Don’t risk getting 150 emails (50% of which are people complaining about those who reply to all) in response to your “Sunday Funday” email invitation and just use the BCC. PLEASE.

2. Those who don’t know the difference between “Reply” and “Reply to all”
See above. You’re making lots of enemies, reply-to-all-ers. Watch your back.

3. Those who update their status 24/7
Oh, you’re eating eggs for breakfast? You’re in the shower?
Two words: nobody cares.
And really, how do you have time to do all that when you’re spending all your time telling me what you’re doing!?

4. Those who don’t IM back
You can pretend you weren’t near your phone when I texted you, but that doesn’t work in the IM world. I know you’re there. If you weren’t, your name would be gray. Or there would be a little moon next to it. Or an orange dot. But there isn’t. There’s a green dot and green means go, and go means IM me back when I IM you!

5. Those who have full conversations on Facebook walls
Maybe I’m alone in this one, but I believe strongly that Facebook walls are not for full blown conversations. That’s what Facebook messages are for. Or emails. Or, I don’t know, phones. If you want to catch up on your 7th grade choir friend’s life since middle school, perhaps you can choose a less public domain? Or one that doesn’t overwhelm my personal newsfeed every time I log on? I love you lots, but I don’t really need to know about Choir Katie’s boyfriend or where she’s spending her summer. Kthanxbai.

Grrrr.

What Internet happenings have been getting your panties in a bunch lately?

Let’s face it: we all make stupid decisions. Like choosing a fifth over a review session, or bringing that guy home…who stole our iPod in the morning. That’s part of college life… and a big part of what makes it so memorable. But there are some choices that have longer lasting repercussions; things we do now that will haunt us later.

So here are the 11 things from your 20’s you will most definitely regret when you’re 40.

11. Risque Internet Photos: What’s the point of having technology if you can’t use it to send a naughty pre-shower photo to your BF? Nothing will turn him on quite like a naked photo popping up in his inbox while he’s brushing up on his Stats knowledge. You trust him, so what’s the worst that could happen? How about a break up? Or the “forward” button? No matter what you think, those photos are going to come back and bite you in the (naked-with-a-spot-of-cellulite) ass. Just show him the real thing and let him turn to his imagination (or internet porn) for a mid-class pick me up.

10. Trendy Tats: You totally love butterflies/stars/unicorns now, but I can bet money that you won’t want them plastered on the top of your foot or your lower back forever. No one wants to see a mom with a rose tattoo on her left shoulder, so think before you ink.

9. Choosing guys over your girls: You get caught up in your relationship sometimes and blow off the girls. Fine, we get it. But when sometimes turns into “What the hell ever happened to Mary?” there is a problem. Especially when Mr. Douche Bag finally breaks up with you and you come crawling back to the girls with a tub of Edy’s and a box of tissues and they aren’t there to wipe the snot from your cheek. Do you really want to spend the rest of your days holed up in a dirty apartment watching your man play Rock Band and chug Natty Light? Learn the balance, honey.

8. Getting married too young: I’ve seen it too many times – people graduate, freak out and hold onto whatever they can of their youth. And they get married.  And become super lame married people. It may be pure bliss now (and lots and lots of kitchen-ware), but just think about all the awesome stuff you will miss by being tied down in your twenties, all that freedom: to travel when you want, to take a job wherever you want, to sleep with whomever you want, to party as late as you want, to discover yourself, to sleep with whomever you want…. Plus, do you really want pictures of your friends doing keg stands in your wedding album? I thought not.

7. Smoking: Mmmm tobacco. It feels so good when it hits (and consequently blackens) your lungs. Especially after you’ve had a few Rum and Diets. And you look so cool doing it. But you know what doesn’t feel good? Chemo. And you know what doesn’t look cool? Your wrinkley face or your kids stealing the pack from your tobacco stained purse and trying it for the first time. When they are 6. This sh*t will kill you, so stop it. Right now! Seriously, put down that Marlboro Light, sister.

6. Not traveling enough: Trust me on this one – you will never have the time, money or freedom to travel like you do now.  Pretty soon you’ll be working late nights and counting down the minutes until the that will be chock full of grocery runs and Bed, Bath and Beyond trips. Try finding time in that busy schedule to jet-set to Europe and “find yourself.” Pack your bags and see the world now, before you’re too old to experiment with drugs in Amsterdam and enjoy a ping pong show in Bangkok.  Pick up a travel book and start planning!

5. Bad Credit: You can’t live without that Coach bag right now. You just have to have that DVF dress for the date party. Everyone else has an iPhone and you want one too. You’ll just charge it and worry about it later, right? Wrong, bitches. Ruining your credit now on stupid stuff (yes, I am telling you that bag is a stupid investment) will totally eff things up for you in the future. Things like getting a house, a car, a boyfriend (bad credit is a total turn-off) and sometimes even a job. Spend wisely, ladies. That bag is going to be out of style in .25 seconds anyway.

4. Not finishing school: Do we really even need to mention this one? Could you think of anything you’d regret more when you are 40 and working the checkout lane at your neighborhood Wal-mart? That is, assuming, you can even get that job in this economy.

3. Pre-vacation tanning: You tell yourself that you just want to get a base tan before Spring Break in Cabo. Sure, you will look fiiiine in that white shift dress for the 6 days after you return, but that wrinkley, skin cancer-ed mess is not going to look so hot when you’re 40 and you look like a Sharpei.

2. Stilettos: Part of becoming a woman is rockin’ the hottest pair of the highest heels. They make your legs look sick (that’s a good thing), make the men beg, and your jeans are too long to wear with anything lower. Why wouldn’t you wear them? I’ve got one hyphenated word for you: hammer-toes. You want to spend the later part of your life looking at that in a sandal?  Make your Feet Happy with these ultra comfy and cute socks..

(Editor’s note: I was going to put a picture of a gross foot here, but you Google “gross feet in sandals” and tell me how it makes you feel.)

1. “It feels better without condoms” sex: You’ll probably regret this one right off the bat as you spend your senior year chasing a kid around the dorms, but you’ll seriously regret it later when you look back at your life and realize how much you missed out on because you were busy changing diapers and bouncing a kid on your knee. Oh, and no one likes a woman with a bumpy vagina. I’m just sayin’; those genital warts will never go away.

Remember that horrible feeling you would get when you saw your name, terrified to read the comments but also unable to resist it? Remember how happy you were when those years were over and slam books were behind you?

Well, they’re back, they’re online and they’re worse than ever.
And you can create one for yourself?

Welcome to Formspring.com.

Formspring.com was originally made as a website where people could post anonymous questions on a person’s page for them to answer. I’m not sure of the exact reason for creating this site website, or why people would use it, but I’d like to think that it started with innocent intentions; a way for people to find out more about you without having to flat-out ask. However, like most things on the Internet, the site quickly morphed into something else.

Formspring in its current form has become a place where people can talk some major sh*t, and do some completely anonymously. Apparently, once you set up a page on there, you can comment on just about anything without ever having to list who you are. Postings range from actual questions (i.e. the original intentions) to vicious and evil comments (“You’re so fat,” “No one likes you,” “Why are you and your friends so ugly?”). Yeah, it’s bad.

Surprisingly to me, though, thousands of people use this site on a regular basis, even linking to it from their various AIM/Facebook/Twitter messages. And I just don’t get it; they’re basically just begging for people to say horrible and hurtful things about them.

Why!?

Why would people willingly sign up for a site on which they will inevitably receive comments that they don’t want to hear and that will probably make them miserable?  Why would they actively sign up for a service that allows people to say hurtful things about them in the comfortable anonymity the site provides?  Students nationwide were up in arms when Juicy Campus was created, arguing that it was gossip and slander, but now they are out there setting up a similar platform for themselves?!

Recently, a young high school girl in Long Island committed suicide, and friends and family say that the comments on her Formspring were partly to blame for her death. Now, of course, I’m not saying that her Formspring alone made her end her life, because there are many factors that push a person to that point, but  this is a very real example of how hurtful Formspring can be for someone. And for what? What is the point of allowing people to anonymously comment on you and your life? Why do you care what someone has to say unless they can man up and say it to your face?

I’m not saying that everyone’s Formspring is full of bad comments and questions, but plenty of them are, and it’s completely unnecessary. Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t really see the positive side of this site.

What do you guys think? Do you use Formspring? Would you?