Wikipedia and Others Protest SOPA
Today I needed to look something up before visiting my doctor, but wikipedia blocked me out.
Wikipedia did this in demonstration/protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
"Wikipedia is protesting against SOPA and PIPA by blacking out the English Wikipedia for 24 hours, beginning at midnight January 18, Eastern Time. Readers who come to English Wikipedia during the blackout will not be able to read the encyclopedia. Instead, you will see messages intended to raise awareness about SOPA and PIPA, encouraging you to share your views with your representatives, and with each other on social media."
You can learn more, ironically, from wikipedia:
These pages are NOT blacked out.
Both these Bills have a number of flawed, to say the least, clauses. The EFF summarizes its really bad parts: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/how-pipa-and-sopa-violate-white-house-principles-supporting-free-speech
More on SOPA from CNET: http://news.cnet.com/posts/?keyword=SOPA&tag=txt;tags
Frankly, its surprising the bill has gotten this far.. it just goes to show who our elected representatives are serving.
P.S. Its not that Wikipedia and the rest of the 'NET is against stopping piracy, its the methods used to do it. I, for one, would suggest the MPAA and others focus on a competing business model. Yes, its hard to compete with the "free" of piracy, but convenience and peace of mind would sway a LOT more customers than shredding the constitution and suing grandmas.
