Wikipedia will go dark to protest SOPA/PIPA

Jimmy Wales has announced that Wikipedia will join Reddit, Boing Boing, and many other sites around the Internet in going dark on Wednesday to protest SOPA/PIPA, the pending US legislation that would make it impossible to run any website that links or allows commenters to link, by making us liable for copyright infringement on the sites we link to.

Wales used his Twitter account to spread the news, writing “Student warning! Do your homework early. Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday! #sopa”
In place of Wikipedia, users will see instructions for how to reach local members of Congress, which Wales hopes "will melt phone systems in Washington."
He also noted that comScore estimates the English Wikipedia’s web traffic at 25 million daily visitors worldwide.

Wikipedia to Shut Down in Protest of SOPA (Thanks, Marilyn!)

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MORE: Copyfight • pipa • protest • sopa • web theory • wikipedia

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paul_leader

I am going to get sooooooo much work done on Wednesday :)
- http://www.dylanmccall.com/ dylan-m
  
  Yeah, I’ve already put off all my assignments until then, knowing how productive it’ll make me :b
- http://aqfl.net Ant
  
  Can we do this daily? ;)
guanto

Question: will Boing Boing and Wikipedia only block requests originating from US IP addresses? People outside the US have no leverage when it comes to US legislation and cannot “call their congressman” to do anything about SOPA. The point of this stunt may, in fact, be entirely lost on them.
- Ipo
  
  They can talk about it.
  It’s not like Americans have a vote on this and you don’t.
- http://twitter.com/bradgall Brad Gall
  
  I would think it would be highly helpful for people outside the US to call as many members of congress as possible and voice their concerns. It might help with their myopic world view if they realize people all over the world think they are being a bunch of dumb-asses. Also call your own elected representatives a complain to them as well.
  - Graham Bradley
    
    Its very important that the blackout is indescriminate. When visitors from other countries can’t access Wikipedia and read why, maybe they’ll think about the repercussions of similar legistlation when it gets (inevitably) peddled by their own government.
    
    Gah, replied to wrong comment, sorry.
    - http://stephenrice.eu Stephen Rice
      
      Maybe you replied to the wrong comment but you’re absolutely spot on.
- guanto
  
  This was a serious question. The Reuters story alternates between “English Wikipedia” (not that this means US-only) and “Wikipedia.” The text of the last JavaScript pop-up on Boing Boing addressed US visitors only (something like “because of the actions of _your_ government,” which was of course incorrect for a huge share of visitors).
  
  It’s just not clear to me and I would welcome any clarification.
  - guanto
    
    Okay, regarding Wikipedia, there seems to be a consensus for blocking only the English-language part, with users still debating whether it should be US-only or international (pretty much a tie right now).
Ipo

Hurra Jimmy and the wikipedians!
Now this is a blackout that will be noticed by people that don’t already know.
Mujokan

That’s a big get.

Edit: I think another good target would be Game Informer. This is a high traffic gaming news aggregator.
- http://mordicai.livejournal.com Mordicai
  
  Yeah, I don’t know traffic numbers, but to ME, anecdotally, that seems HUGE.
$6143719

Good. Not to knock Reddit or anything but a Wikipedia blackout is way more effective. Almost all Congress men know Wikipedia through family members since its the new defecto research site.
- eurycea
  
  “defecto research site”. I love it!
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/TGZ75URQ6DKTCNXV3RV36ZKALQ Matthew

The only way most people in congress would know about the blackout is if AOL did it. Even then, they’d just think it was an outage.
franko

so, even though SOPA is starting down the road to defeat, the blackout is still happening, right? i believe it’s important that it still goes on, i just want to be sure.
- dawdler
  
  Isn’t PIPA still on the table?
- Cowicide
  
  SOPA is starting down the road to defeat
  
  That’s if you take the word of known liars and corrupt thieves. SOPA isn’t dead until we kill it, burn it and set proverbial fire to any asshole in office who mentions that anagram again (and vote out ALL on their asses that already have).
  
  Bring it all DOWN
  
  http://boingboing.net/2011/12/15/how-sopa-became-a-bill.html#comment-387558103
  - http://twitter.com/pyrokinetic Hal Bergman
    
    But “sopa” means “soup” in Spanish.
Cowicide

Google? Time to step up… or be a chump.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Webmasters/thread?tid=0f77464eba23644e&hl=en
- Finnagain
  
  No kidding! C’mon, do less evil!
Lobster

Wait, what’s SOPA again?

http://www.wikipedia.com

*Enter. Enter. EnterEnterEnterEnterEnter!*
Waltb555

Isn’t this kind of preaching to the choir. I doubt many regular visitors to Boing Boing are unaware of the dangers of SOPA and PIPA.
- Cowicide
  
  This is for the irregulars, Walt.
  - GyroMagician
    
    Aren’t we all irregular? I thought that’s what makes us happy mutants?
- Bionicrat
  
  I am in the visitor “choir” but did not know Wikipedia was going dark on Wednesday. So thanks, Cory.
- Mujokan
  
  How is it preaching? Just took it as info.
jerryeast

Don’t these blackouts violate some sort of inferred or apparent user trust? For instance, what about pro-SOPA beliefs held by thousands or tens of thousands of Wikipedia users? Aren’t they just callously brushed aside by this blackout? I think blackouts or boycotts are only effective if ALL members of the boycotting entity are behind the plan. After all, the Internet is a group effort, as BoingBoing and Wikipedia (and other sites) are group efforts
- AnthonyC
  
  The point that BoingBoing and Wikipedia are making is that if SOPA or a similar law passes, then those sites would necessarily cease to exist entirely. So whether some users are pro-sopa is not really relevant- if that segment of users gets its way, then they won’t have site access anyway. That’s part of what this blackout is trying to teach them.
  - jerryeast
    
    “So whether some users are pro-sopa is not really relevant”
    
    What if this were a boycott against Brad Pitt or skimmed milk? And what if I liked Brad Pitt or skimmed milk? I’m just saying that the whole “the Internet is just one big happy family” construct goes out the window when websites start speaking (or boycotting) on behalf of their daily visitors. The ways of protest these days are mighty strange in my opinion. I guess it’s all about “sending messages” and “making points” – several websites blacking out for 24 hours is going to send a message to our government? I’ll see it when I believe it.
    - jackbird
      
      Brad Pitt and skimmed milk aren’t existential threats.
      - http://stephenrice.eu Stephen Rice
        
        I’m still very confused about where on earth skimmed milk and Brad Pitt come into this.
    - AnthonyC
      
      You’re missing the point: you either lose Brad Pitt and skim milk for a day (law hopefully gets defeated) or you have it for that day but soon after, lose both forever (law gets passed). You’re strictly better off in the latter case whether you like Brad Pitt and skim milk or not.
    - William Hopper
      
      The websites are protesting. Nowhere in this do they imply that everyone agrees with them, or that they are “representing” the views of all those who use their website. It is their right to do as they choose with their own site… until this law is passed anyway. As for user obligations, there are none. You use a site or not, but they don’t OWE you anything any more than your local KFC “owes” you anything for buying their chicken. Their company, not yours. They can do as they wish with it.
    - http://twitter.com/barahlin Bára
      
      Why would SOPA supporters mind the black-out? If the law is passed, as they wish it to be, Wikipedia would have to shut down for good. So losing it for one day is just a taste of what they are asking for.
    - Guest
      
      You seem to have the cart before the horse just there. If you think about the people making the decision as the owners of this site, a lot should fall into place.
- Finnagain
  
  Yes, we need 100% approval beforehand to take any protest action whatsoever. Won’t someone please think of the bootlickers!?
pagantaxidriver

Does anyone know how to disable your facebook page for Wednesday?
tw1515tw

FYI BBC Radio 5 Live is mentioning the Wikipedia blackout in its morning headlines today.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  BBC even mentioned BB, which is appropriate since we share two letters.
danick

It’s my understanding that only the English part of wiki will go black?, or is it the whole site?