Wikipedia, the popular community-edited online encyclopedia, will black out its English-language site for 24 hours to seek support against proposed U.S. anti-piracy legislation that Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said threatens the future of the Internet.
The U.S. service will be the highest profile name to join a growing campaign starting at midnight Eastern Time on Wednesday that will see it black out its page so that visitors will only see information about the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act.
The information will urge Wikipedia readers to contact their local congressman to vote against the bills. Other smaller sites leading the campaign include Reddit.com and Cheezeburger.
"This is a quite clumsily drafted legislation which is dangerous for an open Internet," said Wales in an interview.
The decision to black out the site was decided by voting within the Wikipedia community of writers and editors who manage the free service, Wales said. The English language Wikipedia receives more than 25 million average daily visitors from around the world, according to comScore data.
The bills pit technology companies like Google Inc (GOOG.O) and Facebook against the bill's supporters, including Hollywood studios and music labels, which say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs.
The SOPA legislation under consideration in the House of Representatives aims to crack down on online sales of pirated American movies, music or other goods by forcing Internet companies to block access to foreign sites offering material that violates U.S. copyright laws. Supporters argue the bill is unlikely to have an impact on U.S.-based websites.
U.S. advertising networks could also be required to stop online ads, and search engines would be barred from directly linking to websites found to be distributing pirated goods.
Google has repeatedly said the bill goes too far and could hurt investment. Along with other Internet companies such as Yahoo (YHOO.O), Facebook, Twitter and eBay (EBAY.O), it has run advertisements in major newspapers urging Washington lawmakers to rethink their approach.
White House officials raised concerns on Saturday about SOPA saying they believe it could make businesses on the Internet vulnerable to litigation and harm legal activity and free speech.
"We're happy to see opposition is building and that the White House has started to pay attention," said Wales.
News of the White House's comments prompted a prominent supporter of the bill News Corp (NWSA.O) Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch to slam the Obama administration.
"So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery," he posted on his personal Twitter account Saturday. News Corp owns a vast array of media properties from Fox TV, the Wall Street Journal to Twentieth Century Fox studios.
Wales said the bill in its current form was too broad and could make it difficult for a site like Wikipedia, which he said relies on open exchange of information. He said the bill also places the burden of proof on the distributor of content in the case of any dispute over copyright ownership.
"I do think copyright holders have legitimate issues, but there are ways of approaching the issue that don't involve censorship," Wales said.
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my apologies...finding it hard to search around with low internet speeds here..did read a bit of it on wiki but couldn't make much sense of it...i apologise..
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Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
Very good decision by Wikipedia.
Hopefully lots of people wondering why Wikipedia isn't displayed tomorrow will actually read the information provided about SOPA and pressure their lawmakers about it.
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Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Krow
I still don't get how a blackout will help to be honest. They could achieve the same effect by a banner ad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ferris
Very good decision by Wikipedia.
Hopefully lots of people wondering why Wikipedia isn't displayed tomorrow will actually read the information provided about SOPA and pressure their lawmakers about it.
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Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
^^ disable javascript and you will be able to access wikipedia
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Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
I love the way wikipedia has handled the blackout. Not by shutting down the servers. They redirect it after a few seconds. I think it would have a greater effect. The sudden transition to black screen could be shocking to some who are not aware for the protests.
Wait till the people behind this hideous law, are faced with the questions of their children, about why Wikipedia is not working as it always do! Let them answer their sons and daughters about how Wikipedia 'break the law' by sharing information from the users all around the world!
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Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajeevk
Google's Black Out can increase the effect highly.
if it happens, then the internet traffic will be all time low
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if it happens, then the internet traffic will be all time low
On the contrary, it may increase. Since people would find it hard to digest that google can be shutdown, and it will create a chaos.
Also numerous other services depends on google will panic.
So yeah google should do a protest, atleast for an hour.
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^^ disable javascript and you will be able to access wikipedia
Quote:
Originally Posted by d6bmg
Without disabling javascript users just have to stop loading is the page manually before it could complete to stop that redirection.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Krow
Adblock plus blocks the wiki blackout.
I don't understand why people are trying to "circumvent" the blackout. Its not entities like wikipedia who are trying to enforce a blackout. Its the absurd idea by the governing bodies that they can control Internet!
Don't forget guys, if law such as SOPA passes, then even this forum is an easy target.
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Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
Almost all the sites i visit on regularly basis are having a blackout today and i can't help but smile as people are finally coming together to make the change they want to see but yeah it's sad that i have to do without them for a day but its all for a greater good as ACTA could be coming as well.
WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
Re: WiKiPedia to shut down for 24 hrs to protest SOPA
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