Free Cloud Computing e-Book!

After an overwhelming response and more questions about our series on Cloud Computing, we decided to wrap it all together and add some extra content in the free eBook. This eBook contains all of the great information that was in the individual posts in the series as well as valuable, additional content added by our staff to round out the message.
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What You Need to Know About SOPA.

The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, is a bill which was introduced to fight online trafficking of copyright material. The bill would make advertisers unable to conduct business with websites found in violation and would make search engines unable to link to these sites. Court orders could force Internet Service Providers to block access to these sites.

At first glance it may seem like a reasonable bill, however the way it was written left many possibilities for abuse. For example, if the SOPA bill does eventually become a law, it could end the ability to have open post fields, which means an end to WordPress and Tumblr accounts. Reposting will no longer be an option. Videos can no longer be shared - which means no more YouTube. People would only be able to share their own links, which would greatly affect Twitter usage. So will that affect businesses? Let's look at how ForeSite uses the Internet as an example. We use WordPress to publish our weekly blog. We use Twitter daily, frequently re-tweeting or linking to clients. We post YouTube videos of seminars where we speak. None of this will be possible if one of these bills turns into law.

As of Friday January 20, 2012, SOPA, is no longer an active bill. However, while this may sound like good news to those who opposed the bill, there is no guarantee that the bill won't come back, as many bills are reintroduced repeatedly.

Further, even if SOPA does not come back, it is likely that similar bills will continue to pop up. While the intention of such bills is to prevent piracy and protect copy written material, these bills can lead to serious changes for the operation of some businesses.

Although SOPA got more attention, the Protect IP Act, or PIPA, was introduced first. PIPA's goal was to prevent foreign sites from posting copy written material. Five months later the SOPA bill was introduced, with similar goals.

The most serious result of a SOPA violation would be a penalty of up to five years in prison for the unauthorized streaming of copyright material, but the effect if legitimate websites were prevented from performing regular commerce activities could be much more damaging.

Growing, Launching, And Helping!

ForeSite is pleased to announce the acquisition of Network-IT of Middletown, and the new team member we gained as a result. Christine King, of Middletown joins ForeSite as a Help Desk Engineer. Christine has 10 years of experience in the IT field. She spent 6 of those years as a Client Services Manager and providing remote support. The Network-IT acquisition also brings 30 new IT clients to ForeSite.

ForeSite has also acquired Rios Computer Services of Manchester. This acquisition will bring 12 new dental practice clients to ForeSite.

MATCH Coalition partnered with ForeSite to launch a newly designed and developed web site which launched on 1/16/12.

ForeSite would like to congratulate Enterasys as a Top 100 Product of 2011. ForeSite is an authorized reseller of Enterasys products, which are used in over 300 K-12 school districts. Read More.

ForeSite is pleased to once again be partnering with the Mark Twain in the development of two new web sites. One is for Mark My Words Part II. ForeSite created the original Mark My Words site which launched in the fall of 2011.

The other site is in support of the Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act. If passed the bill would produce the coin at no cost to taxpayers, but would generate revenue for the non-profit organization.

ForeSite is excited to be a member of the Google + Community. If you have a Google + account please add ForeSite to your circles to stay up to date with all of our latest announcements. If you have not added us yet we also maintain active accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN.

*According to TechRepublic.com

Headquartered in East Hartford, CT, ForeSite has been designing solutions and troubleshooting problems for clients' computers, networks and websites since 1997. We are committed to providing personalized customer service and practical, yet insightful, solutions that fit a wide range of business needs. In conjunction with our Worcester office, ForeSite continues to provide premium technology solutions to the central Connecticut and western Massachusetts regions.