Wikipedia Blackout: Websites Wikipedia, Reddit, Others Go Dark Wednesday to Protest SOPA, PIPA

ABC News ^ | January 17, 2012 | Ned Potter

[abb]

Do not try to look up "Internet Censorship" or "SOPA" or "PIPA" on Wikipedia, the giant online encyclopedia, on Wednesday.

SOPA and PIPA are two bills in Congress meant to stop the illegal copying and sharing of movies and music on the Internet, but major Internet companies say the bills would put them in the impossible position of policing the online world.

Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, now says his site will go dark for the day on Wednesday, joining a budding movement to protest the two bills. Google vs. China Watch Video Craigslist Censored? Watch Video China Hackers Stealing U.S. Secrets, Jobs Watch Video

"This is going to be wow," Wales said on Twitter. "I hope Wikipedia will melt phone systems in Washington on Wednesday. Tell everyone you know!"

Other sites, such as Reddit and Boing Boing, have already said they would go dark on Wednesday. And some of the biggest names online, including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, have vocally opposed the proposed legislation.

PIPA, the Protect IP Act in the Senate, and SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, have been presented as a way to protect movie studios, record labels and others. Supporters range from the Country Music Association to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

But the Internet giants say the bills could require your Internet provider to block websites that are involved in digital file sharing. And search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing could be stopped from linking to them -- antithetical, they say, to the ideal of an open Internet.

"If you want an Internet where human rights, free speech and the rule of law are not subordinated to the entertainment industry's profits, I hope you'll join us," said Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing.

snip

[discostu]

Like most protest this is a silly hollow gesture that accomplishes nothing and punishes the wrong people. Shutting down their own websites, keeping the users of the websites from the content, really isn’t going to make the government stop doing anything.

[discostu]

I agree with the cause but the protest itself is stupid. Nobody except Disney and the congressmen they own supports this. But the protest doesn’t hurt them, it hurts the people that already know SOPA is a bad idea.

[transducer]

What you’re overlooking is that most people don’t have any idea that this is going on at all. The shutdown, with the banner explaining the reasons, is a clue-by-four to wake them up.

[discostu]

If they don’t know about SOPA (which is pretty hard to do if you’re already hanging out on the internet) then finding their favorite site shutdown will just annoy them at the site, not the government. They won’t bother to research it, and even if they did bother to research everybody’s favorite place to start research (Wiki) is one of the sites going dark.

[abb]

http://www.politickerny.com/2012/01/17/potential-gillibrand-challenger-slams-senator-for-pipa-support/
Potential Gillibrand Challenger Slams Senator for PIPA Support

http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/01/17/google-joins-sopa-strike-with-homepage-action/
Google Joins SOPA Strike with Homepage Action

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/552001
IBOPE Zogby Poll: 68% Oppose Online Piracy Act (SOPA)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2017262495_microsoft_opposes_sopa.html
Microsoft opposes SOPA

[af_vet_rr]

One of my people - Steve Scalise - is on the list. He’s been a very good soldier for our side up until now. Don’t know what his motivation is here.

There are only two motivations for supporting this: Either he's been bought off by Hollywood or he believes the government should control what goes on the internet.

Either one of those is bad and he should get the boot. This is a critical piece of legislation that could easily lead to websites like Free Republic being shut down.

[af_vet_rr]

With this administration in charge this is no time to give the government more power. Look at the Democrats sponsoring this bill and be afraid.

Look at the Republicans and be afraid!!!! We expect this out of Democrats, Republicans should be fighting this! Instead Republicans like Lamar Smith are driving this.

And they are making Obama look like he defends free speech on the internet.

[af_vet_rr]

US Crackdown On Web Piracy ‘Shelved’

Not shelved, delayed until February. Lamar Smith intends on bringing this legislation back.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2834125/posts

[abb]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/479214-Leahy_Wikipedia_Reddit_Hiding_Behind_Black_Box_of_Censorship.php
Leahy: Wikipedia, Reddit ‘Hiding Behind’ Black Box of Censorship
Says they would be unaffected by the bill

[abb]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/479214-Leahy_Wikipedia_Reddit_Hiding_Behind_Black_Box_of_Censorship.php
Leahy: Wikipedia, Reddit ‘Hiding Behind’ Black Box of Censorship
Says they would be unaffected by the bill

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57359506-261/google-calls-murdochs-piracy-allegations-nonsense/
Google calls Murdoch’s piracy allegations ‘nonsense’

[GSWarrior]

I’d like to propose a 24-hour blackout of acronyms.

[abb]

My pet peeve is 8 1/2 x 14 legal-size paper. If I were King that would be my very first edict - to make use of it illegal.

Would it ever PO the lawyers!

[Borges]

Wikipedia is linking to a page that will identify your Senators and Congress rep. So it is proactive.

[RayChuang88]

The problem with both laws is simple: it gets the Federal government directly involved in what is allowed on the Internet. That is a direct violation of the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment, and both laws would be quickly struck down by the Federal courts.

[Floratina]

I’m surprised by the number of people here who bit on the “censorship” bait. These bills are an attempt to honor / reinforce intellectual property rights. It’s been allowed to go on so long that people apparently feel they are entitled to things that are created and owned by someone else. Sad. I hope these bills prevail.

[Nowhere Man]

In Washington, nothing is dead as long as Congress is in session, or the president’s auto-pen is running.

Mark Twain said, "I fear for my country when Congress is in session." BTW, Mary Bono Mack a sponsor? Sonny would not be proud. B-P

[Nowhere Man]

I’m surprised by the number of people here who bit on the “censorship” bait. These bills are an attempt to honor / reinforce intellectual property rights. It’s been allowed to go on so long that people apparently feel they are entitled to things that are created and owned by someone else. Sad. I hope these bills prevail.

I can see your concern to downloading movies illegally and/or music, but I think this goes way overboard. There is a thing called "fair Use," which I support and all this will do is make people afraid to post pictures and text because they would need a lawyer to figure things out at best or not post anything out of fear. all it is is a power grab by government and the people in their pockets to stifle the easy flow of information instead of adapting to it. As one of my heroes, Harry Mudd, from Star Trek puts it, "Knowledge, sir, should be free to all." B-) This will stifle the flow of knowledge. The old ways are gone, the spread of knowledge is so easy now, maybe we need to restructure the idea of intellectual property itself, redefine it somehow, unlike your house, land, car, software and possessions, it has a bit of intangibility to it. As the saying goes, it either has to put up or shut up with the reality of today and/or adapt or die. This law will stifle creativity and it will drive more things from our shores to other places to make it go underground. I think the way things are is good enough.

[nutmeg]

This is happening today, Wednesday, January 18, 2012.

[Gene Eric]

The blackout is active now. Hit the stop button on your browser to avoid the bounce to the blackout page.

Liberals only complain when their liberties are in jeopardy. Now they’re getting a dose of their own statist medicine. Tools.

[Gene Eric]

Google is also participating with a black strip over the word ‘Christ’. /s