Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

wikipedia GLOBAL BLACKOUT!!!!

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Reply 40

Elbonian

Wtf did it literally black out one minute ago?

Reply 41

Logan

Original post by Elbonian

Wtf did it literally black out one minute ago?

yes it just did.

I don't see why these guys are bickering about "oh this is like wikipedia shooting themselves in the foot" and comparing it with how the blacks hanged themselves in the past.

Lolwut? I suggest you read the entirety of SOPA and fully understand the gravity of it. I don't think you do. Simply saying "oh wikipedia is not gonna be affected" is a narrow-minded and naive.

And by what do you mean its an issue just for the Americans? The way politics work is if it gets implemented successfully in America and the other countries see it as a way of controlling the internet then it can easily fly across the atlantic, with the UK probably the next one in line to implement a similar law.

Reply 42

Saliency

it's okay i'll just translate the page from spanish or something

Reply 43

Tudball

Original post by Saliency

it's okay i'll just translate the page from spanish or something

Google Translation: "In the que pasa, many people were quesadilla, thus causing widespread no es bueno."

Happens to me every time.

Reply 44

Arekkusu

Original post by Id and Ego seek

They're not harming themselves in terms of finance, but by making their content inaccessible for us -- their actual audience -- the website serves no purpose other than to make a 'point'.

Maybe I'm just no seeing how Wikipedia will be effected by SOPA coming into play. How would Wikipedia be effected?

I know it's a protest and that is commendable, I just don't see the effectiveness.

First they came for the communists and all that.

The ****ers, it would be the day before I have an essay to give in, and I often like to ground it somewhat by reading the Wikipedia summary of the topic.

Reply 45

A Perfect Circle

Original post by Arekkusu

If you have a smartphone, wiki should work on there dude.

I have an essay in too lol, had to find a way past this ****.

Reply 46

madders94

Wikipedia is working fine on my computer.

EDIT: Aaaah NOW it's gone :biggrin:

I think it's a clever way of doing it. Yarny (a website I use for writing) is doing the same.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 47

plimsolls

yes, wikipedia is still viewable via a smartphone.

So your last minute essay cramming is still safe during these uncertain times. :biggrin:

Reply 48

willbee

I think it's a great idea. Censorship is a terrible thing to be trying to encourage in one of the world's leading countries. It's such a backward thing to do.

Reply 49

Cesar Lecat

Er, you do realise you can get round the "blackout". Just press 'ESC' as soon as you click on a wikipedia page.

Reply 50

the_decider

Original post by Id and Ego seek

Am I the only one who thought this was a silly idea? I'm glad to see an organisation as big and renowned as Wikipedia taking a stand against SOPA, but this idea is like 19th century black people hanging themselves to protest against segregation and unfair, racial discrimination: they're not harming anyone but themselves.

I don't think it's about 'harming themselves' or restricting access to the public audience. I believe it's a way to get a lot more people to realise what sopa is and to deal with it. It is a means to get a bigger audience to acknowledge the fact that there is a new legislation in debate that is not in the best of interest to the people.
You wouldn't believe how many people have no clue what is going on in politics..

Reply 51

username858757

press the reload button; press the stop button before the blackout screen pops up :smile:

A bit of a half-arsed blackout

Reply 52

DevilSiddy

This is good, more sites need to follow suit. They were trying to get this passed quietly but I'm glad word is spreading. This is the start of serious internet-censorship.

For those that didn't bother to read it: Why is this happening?

"Nothing like this has ever happened before on the English Wikipedia. Wikipedians have chosen to black out the English Wikipedia for the first time ever, because we are concerned that SOPA and PIPA will severely inhibit people's access to online information. This is not a problem that will solely affect people in the United States: it will affect everyone around the world.

Why? SOPA and PIPA are badly drafted legislation that won't be effective in their main goal (to stop copyright infringement), and will cause serious damage to the free and open internet. They put the burden on website owners to police user-contributed material and call for the unnecessary blocking of entire sites. Small sites won't have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding sources for their foreign competitors, even if copyright isn't being infringed. Foreign sites will be blacklisted, which means they won't show up in major search engines. And, SOPA and PIPA build a framework for future restrictions and suppression."

Reply 53

Mr Smurf

Until now I never realised how much I needed wikipedia and I don't even have coursework due in. :colonhash:

Reply 54

The_ditto

You can still use wikipedia today, if you HOLD the ESCAPE button as soon as the wikipedia page starts loading. (you will need to either keep on holding the escape button or sometimes only hold the escape button for 20 seconds) and then you can then view the page. Whenever you move between one wiki page and another you will need to hold the escape button again.

Reply 55

vabbian

Original post by FUtsr

5 4 3 2 1 Hurray!!!! Let's all hold genitals and kiss :dancing:

Reply 56

pegase

haha, first time ever I think it's great that English is not my first language :colone:

Reply 57

Kerr Avon

ZOMG, now we'll all have to read books! :afraid:

Reply 58

LowRider

Original post by Id and Ego seek

I agree I guess it's more to raise awareness.

You can just search the thing in google and go on the cached page and you can still use wikipedia.

Reply 59

SillyEddy

There are three things mentioned in this thread that I support:

SOPA
PIPA
Wikipedia going on a blackout to prevent SOPA/PIPA from being abused.

But let me be clear, SOPA and PIPA in principle... Not how they currently are. Both SOPA and PIPA are good tools, SO LONG AS there are intelligent people reviewing each case and not jumping to decisions 'just cause'. Both acts have the ability to do well, but unfortunately both have the major potential of being abused and restricting rights. Therefore, despite it being exams week (and being a major Wiki user) I fully support them in their blackout. I hope congress will be smart enough to either ditch these acts (they already have the DMCA for the SOPA anyway) or make them USEFUL to everyone. Spraying and praying at websites for hosting copyright material is not the way to go... Nor is deleting websites that don't have active monitors against copyright infringement. It's just ridiculous.