Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wikipedia 24-Hour Blackout

Wikipedia's 24-hour blackout homepage. The blackout
began at 0500 UTC on Wednesday, 18 January 2012.

 The header floating atop every Wikipedia page before the blackout.


You probably read about it online. On Google, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Mashable – on some site, somewhere. Probably even paid the blacked-out Wikipedia homepage a visit to see it for yourself. You may have hated the fact that you didn't get to run your search or get any work done. But you have to admit that this blackout? Well, it achieved what it set out to do. That is to help you see, experience, understand and realise...


...that knowledge shared is everyone's gain,
and knowledge withheld is everyone's loss.


Just one day without our trusty Wikipedia and we grunt and grumble like we're stumbling around in the dark. (Personally, I'm thankful I didn't actually have to Wiki anything yesterday. =p) But sadly, it's kind of true. What the proposed US legislation, Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate wants to do WILL bring us backward, and into the Internet dark ages.


If you don't know how big a deal this is, or how great an impact will be left if SOPA and PIPA are approved, read this. Cos if these people in high places get their way, you might as well say "goodbye" to freedom of the net. And that, will be a sadder and more depressing day than just 24 hours without Wikipedia.

0 comments :

Post a Comment

Talk to me!