With Wikipedia, Reddit and other sites offline today in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act, you might be wondering “What’s so bad about SOPA, anyway?” Luckily, the answer to your question is just a couple of clicks away.
ExplainSOPA.com is a portal that offers users one-on-one explanations of the the bill. All you’re required to do is give your e-mail address and select the option to either learn about SOPA (and PIPA, the Protect IP Act) or explain SOPA/PIPA to someone. Once the request has been processed, you’ll be paired with someone who made the opposite choice. The system then sends the e-mail addresses of experts to those wanting explanations in order to arrange explanations about the importance of the bill(s) via e-mail, Skype or over the phone.
The site comes from Tutorspree, an online portal that traditionally performs a similar service pairing tutors and clients on any number of subjects for a fee. According to the footer of ExplainSOPA.com, the new site was created “because we believe in the importance of a free internet and the power of 1-on-1 education to share knowledge, change minds, and open dialogue.”
MORE: SOPA: Reddit Confirms Jan. 18 Blackout; Wikipedia, Others May Follow
Disclosure: Time Inc. parent company Time Warner supports SOPA legislation.
Graeme McMillan is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @Graemem or on Facebook at Facebook/Graeme.McMillan. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.