Wikipedia and others down for 24 hrs

[JJVP]

(CBS) - On Jan. 18, the English version of Wikipedia will go down for 24-hours to protest the U.S. anti-piracy laws - Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). FYI, that's midnight tonight. Here's everything you need to know to prepare for tomorrow's Internet blackout.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162- ... o-prepare/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lambda Force]

It will be nice to get a break from certain coworkers pretending they're smart.

[Dave2]

It will be nice to get a break from certain coworkers pretending they're smart.

I'll bet my coworkers will be asking me all kinds of weird questions tomorrow. I make no secret of where I get all my info from... I'm just the only one who frequently appends "lemmie look that up real quick" to "I don't know...". (Though that's quickly changing now that everyone in my dept has a smartphone.)

[Liberty]

My sites are black until around 8:00pm including the CHL handbook wiki.
Maybe some large sites will come down. Hopefully people will take notice and complain to their congress critters.

[chasfm11]

I'm glad that they (the online providers) are doing this. I understand that piracy is rampant but SOPA is another Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank solution where the cure is 100s of times more deadly, especially to individual freedoms, than the disease. The potential for mis-use of the provisions of SOPA are huge.

If we are ever to rein in the Federal bureaucracy, we need to start convincing Congress to use a rifle on problems, not a battery of howitzers.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I know what these bill does, but I have to admit I know little about its support in Washington. Is this think likely to pass?

Chas.

[Ashlar]

No, the house version is dead, but the senate version is.. uncertain, though not likely.

It theoretically could get passed in the senate and get reintroduced in the house and pass.

At this point, the blackout is more of a token measure just to express how horrible this bill would have been. Even a site like this could have been knocked off the internet by an overzealous copyright holder. As many pictures from various sites, and article excerpts that are posted here? *flip switch* -- now we're gone, and it's up to you to justify why it should be turned back on, at your own expense.

And congresscritters wonder why congressional approval is so low. If Lamar Smith were *my* congresscritter, I'd be blasting emails at him til my fingers bled. He needs to get his hand out of the back pocket of Hollywood lobbyists.

[Oldgringo]

No, the house version is dead, but the senate version is.. uncertain, though not likely.

It theoretically could get passed in the senate and get reintroduced in the house and pass.

At this point, the blackout is more of a token measure just to express how horrible this bill would have been. Even a site like this could have been knocked off the internet by an overzealous copyright holder. As many pictures from various sites, and article excerpts that are posted here? *flip switch* -- now we're gone, and it's up to you to justify why it should be turned back on, at your own expense.

And congresscritters wonder why congressional approval is so low. If Lamar Smith were *my* congresscritter, I'd be blasting emails at him til my fingers bled. He needs to get his hand out of the back pocket of Hollywood lobbyists.

It appears that Rep. Lamar Smith claims to be a Republican and from all indications he is largely funded by Hollywood that is not largely Republican. Hmmm...?

[Keith B]

It appears that Rep. Lamar Smith claims to be a Republican and from all indications he is largely funded by Hollywood that is not largely Republican. Hmmm...?

I call those types 'Repocrats'.

[Carry-a-Kimber]

The mobile wiki site seems to be working as usual.

[Wes]

you can also disable java to browse the normal site or simply add ?banner=none to the end of the url once you get to the black screen (note, you will have to add the banner verbiage to the url every time you click a link)

[Liberty]

I believe both bills as they stand are unlikely to move forward, and that the biggest danger is of someone ammending it to another bill.
Reps of the ilk of Lamar Smith have too much of money invested in them to just let this thing go away.

[74novaman]

Never thought I'd be on the same side as Nancy Pelosi against my own Rep.

But in this case, I am. SOPA will allow the same Justice Dept that is doubling down to stop Sen Issas investigation into Fast & Furious from going anywhere to decide what sites on the internet get to stay up or get taken down. How is this a good idea to ANYONE?

[tallmike]

Senator John Cornyn is supporting this legislation. I hope everyone takes the time to contact him (and your local rep too, if they are supporting or undecided)

http://cornyn.senate.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nakedbike]

You can also use a non-english version of Wiki to get around the blackout. If you're using Google Chrome it will translate everything to English for you if you ask it to.

My other favorite work time lul site is down until later tonight in protest. The luls have been more boring than usual.