Wikipedia, reddit and a lot of other popular websites are doing a 24 hour blackout to protest SOPA/PITA for those who weren't aware. Google for you Americans should have a censored black stripe over the main page, but the search engine isn't down because if google shut down for an hour the world would lose it's mind. There is a link underneath the search bar that will link you to a petition that you can sign if you have a First and last name, an email and a ZIP code. Unfortunately only US residents can sign because we don't have the same address coding.

It isn't just the US that this is effecting, it's also people like me in Canada who use US sites a lot (and I don't think people realize just how many sites originated from the US).

Thanks for all of your solutions. It wasn't critical for my essay to use wikipedia, i preemptively wikipedia'd whatever i needed last night =D It's mostly for things I'm curious about and want a bit more information on.

<3

unichan

United States4223 Posts

January 18 2012 23:16 GMT

#22

Wikipedia is easy to bypass, I put this:

javascript:(function()%7Bdocument.getElementById('content').style.display='block';document.getElementById('mw-sopaOverlay').style.display='none'%7D)()

in my bookmark bar and click it on any wikipedia page

gg

Joedaddy

United States1948 Posts

January 19 2012 00:23 GMT

#23

I did my "part" and wrote to my local representative asking him to "STOP SOPA" after seeing the wiki page, which I visited after reading this blog.

Dude... your blog might have actually made a difference!

Shortynut

Australia78 Posts

January 19 2012 01:35 GMT

#24

On January 19 2012 06:53 FourFace wrote:

Show nested quote +

lol 10x. I had to make screenshots to read at least the top part of the articles.

lol i had to do the same

ZenobiaTalon

Canada35 Posts

January 19 2012 01:40 GMT

#25

On January 19 2012 09:23 Joedaddy wrote:
I did my "part" and wrote to my local representative asking him to "STOP SOPA" after seeing the wiki page, which I visited after reading this blog.

Dude... your blog might have actually made a difference!

One person is enough for me. If you want to learn more, I hope I'll have time to write an information blog about exactly what PIPA and SOPA are and why this is such a big deal. No guaruntees, but hopefully before the PIPA vote (Jan 25th I think?). It's really all I can do as a Canadian =( Sad panda.

Joedaddy

United States1948 Posts

January 24 2012 04:33 GMT

#26

On January 19 2012 09:23 Joedaddy wrote:
I did my "part" and wrote to my local representative asking him to "STOP SOPA" after seeing the wiki page, which I visited after reading this blog.

My congressman's response:

Dear Mr. Jones:

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

As you may know, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R- Texas) introduced H.R. 3261 on October 26, 2011. A summary of the bill states it would prevent the online selling of counterfeit goods in the U.S. and expand international protections for intellectual property by removing "rogue" websites containing copyright-infringing material from the internet. H.R. 3261 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

Over the past months, many constituents have expressed to me their concerns with SOPA, and I too share many of those same concerns. For these reasons, I am opposed to SOPA as it is currently written.

You may be interested to know that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor recently stated that there are major issues regarding SOPA that need to be addressed before the legislation can proceed. As a result, Chairman Smith announced that the Judiciary Committee will postpone consideration of SOPA until there is a consensus on a resolution. Furthermore, Chairman Smith stated he will bring together stakeholders from various groups to discuss solutions with respect to online piracy. It is my hope that these discussions will produce legislation that all stakeholders can agree upon. Online piracy is a serious threat, but it is important that this legislation adequately addresses that threat in a way that does not harm the internet or freedom of speech.

The discussions regarding SOPA are not over and you can be assured that I will continue to monitor any developments that occur. While I am not a member of the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over H.R. 3261, you may be certain that I will keep your concerns and views in mind as this bill is being considered.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress