Wikipedia Calls for Anti-SOPA Blackout Jan 18

  • News
  • Thread starter Hurkyl
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Wikipedia
In summary: The blocking of entire domains-The removal of material from a site-The blocking of specific pages on a siteWikipedia sees this as a huge problem, because they would be unable toremove any of the material that violates copyright, and would be at the mercy of the government.In summary, Wikipedia is protesting a proposed law that would allow the government to block websites accused of copyright infringement. They feel that the law would severely harm the website, and that it would be unable to remove any of the material that violates copyright. Many other websites are also participating in the blackout.
  • #106
I've added a notice near the top of PF. Linking to the wiki page to contact reps.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #108
Greg Bernhardt said:
I've added a notice near the top of PF. Linking to the wiki page to contact reps.

Is it just for logged in users?
 
  • #110
Greg Bernhardt said:
I've added a notice near the top of PF. Linking to the wiki page to contact reps.

Thanks, Greg! Glad to know what side you stand on!
 
  • #111
Thanks Greg.

I think this should be the thread to list all of the sites either blacking out or putting a notice up.

The webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal at www.smbc-comics.com has this up:
"Having DB problems (or down for SOPA)"

Every post on 4chan is black text on a black background, to make it look as if it were censored.

I was expecting xkcd to do something, but no new comic has been posted... and it's an hour late.

Boardgamegeek (www.boardgamegeek.com) has changed their front page to a big anti-SOPA thing.

*edit* Actually, a long list can be found here: http://sopastrike.com/
 
Last edited:
  • #112
Evo said:
The law is to stop piracy, in other words *theft*, something that we do not condone here, as per our guidelines.

Software and Media Piracy is not *theft*, or at least not the same as traditional theft, in that the pirate does not deprive the owner of copyrighted material, of said material, but instead infringes on the copyright. This is not stealing. YOU WOULDN'T STEAL A CAR to quote the ad. No I would not, but I will copy a song, I have been copying songs my whole life, and you know what, I own more than 1000 vinyl records, 500+ CDs, nearly all of which I purchased new. They are not losing money when I copy a song, they are potentially making more profit from me when I decide I like it and purchase a hard copy in high fidelity. Now I may not be in the majority, but I have a couple of other thoughts here:

Real music fans tend to enjoy buying music from their favourite artists, as well as going to the live show, buying merchandise, and all that jazz. That is the music scene. I've been active in it for almost two decades now, and I throw money at it like it's going out of fashion, so do my friends, so do all the people that pack out the venues that host the bands we love.

Disposable pop is exactly what it sounds like. Disposable and popular. They should sell it in a way that reflects that. Really cheap. Rhianna is not making music for posterity, you will not show this crap to your grandchildren, sure she's ... doing something, and I guess she deserves to get paid, but for goodness sake, it's a $0.50 song AT MOST, make it so, make your profit on iTunes, and shut the hell up (Big Media).

Big Media needs to stop swimming against the torrent and embrace the internet for what it is, the most amazing marketing machine ever conceived. Make it cheap, make it easy, and continue swimming in your silo of money. Stop trying to ruin the whole world so you can squeeze the last billion dollars out of us, greedy bastards, its not like the artists are even going to see any of it. Oooooh, I hate them so much!

I hate them so much!
 
  • #113
Copyright infringement isn't theft. It's copyright infringement. Those things have formal, legal definitions and are not interchangeable. If you infringe on a copyright, you will be charged with copyright infringement, not larceny.

The crimes are related in the sense that the perpetrator obtains some property illegally, but they aren't the same crime.
 
  • #114
Hurkyl said:
When I see things like this, one of the first things I look for is whether they are taking a reasonable position, or if they are taking an infeasible cartoonish position.

If you are disappointed then I am not sure what you expected! Their goal is to capture the attention of millions of average people, inform them, and persuade them in the 5-10 seconds they are likely to spend on the page.

A splash page like they have would definitely not be the right place for a breakdown of what regulations they would or would not support.
 
  • #115
...and now it's turned into a google blackout...a google logo blackout that is.. :)
 
  • #116
What always gets to me is how unfairly the system is tilted in favour of the copyright mafia (or as some call them, the MAFIAA, parodying both the RIAA and the MPAA). Filesharers do something wrong - they go medieval on their posteriors. Academic hackers come up with interesting findings related to cryptographic schemes (which have implications on copy-protection) - like deCSS Jon and Dmitri Sklyarov - and they get shut down by ridiculous legislation like the US DMCA, and harassed by the law and the copyright MAFIAA alike.

But when the copyright MAFIAA does something egregiously, horribly wrong, like worming rootkits onto people's PCs, they get away with a mere slap on the wrist (except in some states like Texas).

It's not like the MAFIAA is zealously supporting the rights of artists, anyway - enough artists have already spoken out against them to demolish that myth.

Most of the really ridiculous copyright and copyright-related legislation comes out of the US - the DMCA, and now SOPA/PIPA. Customs and Border agents in the US and affiliated countries (the UK and Australia come to mind) can probe your laptop with impunity for porn and copyrighted material. The US also strongarms other countries into accepting near-facsimiles of US copyright legislation under the guise of the Free Trade Agreements. So, even if I'm not in the US, it does affect me. US policy affects the whole world.

So, please, guys - help nip ridiculous new legislation in the bud. DMCA was bad enough, now this new stuff enables the copyright MAFIAA to do far more with impunity than they were able to get away with before. This new law is going to be as ridiculous as prohibition. Problem is, people ultimately saw sense and prohi was repealed. With the way things seem to be going, I don't think we're going to be as lucky if SOPA is passed.

I support Wiki 100%.
 
  • #117
I've noticed a lot of talk about music and movies and such, but no one really has mentioned the fact that books can be pirated too. It's very easy to find PDFs, and even instructional videos on these sites. I paid over $200 dollars for a calculus book that was replaced by an updated edition the very next semester. And that's just for one class. Now really... who is and has been ripping off who?
 
  • #118
How can some student from a poor country buy a 200 dollars textbook while his father's salary does not exceed 100 dollars per month ??. They should better block porn not knowledge .Why not blocking porn websites ? They are more dangerous than downloading textbooks
 
  • #119
In case you guys haven't heard about it already via Twitter or Facebook if you press escape just as wikipedia opens you can get passed the blackout. I just tried it and it worked.
 
  • #120
There is no blackout at the mobile site.
 
  • #121
zahero_2007 said:
How can some student from a poor country buy a 200 dollars textbook while his father's salary does not exceed 100 dollars per month ??. They should better block porn not knowledge .Why not blocking porn websites ? They are more dangerous than downloading textbooks

Nice. I don't agree on dangerous, but what about:

Porn is only interesting for five minutes (your mileage may vary,) while a textbook lasts you a lifetime?
 
  • #122
MarcoD said:
Nice. I don't agree on dangerous, but what about:

Porn is only interesting for five minutes (your mileage may vary,) while a textbook lasts you a lifetime?

I rebut with: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." (Keats)

Doesn't get much more booty-ful than a hot nekkid chick. :biggrin:

Things I love most about PF #2341: the high level of intellectual discourse. :rofl:
 
  • #124
Curious3141 said:
Doesn't get much more booty-ful than a hot nekkid chick. :biggrin:

Man, it wasn't meant like a platitude; I mostly don't get what the fuzz is about. What am I, muslim? I just have sex, or solo-sex, or a relationship, or nothing. Most of the people just seem to make a lot of fuzz about the things you should care least about.
 
  • #125
MarcoD said:
Nice. I don't agree on dangerous, but what about:

Porn is only interesting for five minutes (your mileage may vary,) while a textbook lasts you a lifetime?

Some textbooks are outdated and overtaken by many studies that show different results. However those keep legends alive.

Esc doesn't seem to work for me, but there is always googles cache.
 
  • #126
MarcoD said:
Man, it wasn't meant like a platitude; I mostly don't get what the fuzz is about. What am I, muslim? I just have sex, or solo-sex, or a relationship, or nothing. Most of the people just seem to make a lot of fuzz about the things you should care least about.

You've completely lost me. :confused:
 
  • #127
Andre said:
Esc doesn't seem to work for me, but there is always googles cache.

Disable JavaScript.
 
  • #128
Curious3141 said:
You've completely lost me. :confused:

The muslim comment was on that most monotheistic religions thwart normal sexual tension between people to heavily restricted sexual rules and subsequently frustration. As far as I can see, now a few billion people confuse sexual frustration with religion, and subsequently find that they need to smash each other's heads in over that. Maintaining sexual frustration is just one of the oldest dirtiest tricks in the book of establishing religions.

The other comment was on that I simply don't care on the what, or the why, or the who, on how people fornicate.
 
  • #129
Curious3141 said:
What always gets to me is how unfairly the system is tilted in favour of the copyright mafia (or as some call them, the MAFIAA, parodying both the RIAA and the MPAA). Filesharers do something wrong - they go medieval on their posteriors. Academic hackers come up with interesting findings related to cryptographic schemes (which have implications on copy-protection) - like deCSS Jon and Dmitri Sklyarov - and they get shut down by ridiculous legislation like the US DMCA, and harassed by the law and the copyright MAFIAA alike.

But when the copyright MAFIAA does something egregiously, horribly wrong, like worming rootkits onto people's PCs, they get away with a mere slap on the wrist (except in some states like Texas).

It's not like the MAFIAA is zealously supporting the rights of artists, anyway - enough artists have already spoken out against them to demolish that myth.

Most of the really ridiculous copyright and copyright-related legislation comes out of the US - the DMCA, and now SOPA/PIPA. Customs and Border agents in the US and affiliated countries (the UK and Australia come to mind) can probe your laptop with impunity for porn and copyrighted material. The US also strongarms other countries into accepting near-facsimiles of US copyright legislation under the guise of the Free Trade Agreements. So, even if I'm not in the US, it does affect me. US policy affects the whole world.

So, please, guys - help nip ridiculous new legislation in the bud. DMCA was bad enough, now this new stuff enables the copyright MAFIAA to do far more with impunity than they were able to get away with before. This new law is going to be as ridiculous as prohibition. Problem is, people ultimately saw sense and prohi was repealed. With the way things seem to be going, I don't think we're going to be as lucky if SOPA is passed.

I support Wiki 100%.

I agree with much of what you say, but I disagree that DCMA was a bad piece of legislation. It wasn't perfect, but I feel it gave IP holders some defense of their intellectual property while at the same time protecting websites that offer user-generated content.
 
  • #130
Copying of any work that is outside of the Fair Use law is illegal, no matter what you call it. It doesn't matter if the legal term isn't "theft", it's illegal.

http://www.lib.purdue.edu/uco/CopyrightBasics/penalties.html

http://www.lib.purdue.edu/uco/CopyrightBasics/basics.html#7

Also, my view of Google is normal and I can link directly to wikipedia from Google and it's not blacked out. If I didn't know about this from the news, I wouldn't know anything happened. Anyone else not seeing anything unsual?
 
  • #131
Evo said:
Also, my view of Google is normal and I can link directly to wikipedia from Google and it's not blacked out. If I didn't know about this from the news, I wouldn't know anything happened. Anyone else not seeing anything unsual?
The blackout isn't totally secure, apparently there are many ways of getting round it;
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/01/how-to-access-wikipedia-during.html

As well as this there is a simple escape button method as mentioned earlier in thread.
 
  • #132
Ryan_m_b said:
The blackout isn't totally secure, apparently there are many ways of getting round it;
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/01/how-to-access-wikipedia-during.html

As well as this there is a simple escape button method as mentioned earlier in thread.
I didn't have to do anything, perhaps access via google is the difference.
 
  • #133
Here's what I see at Google:

2uihzr4.jpg


It works fine, though.
 
  • #134
Evo said:
I didn't have to do anything, perhaps access via google is the difference.
Do you have javascript disabled? If not I have no idea :confused:
 
  • #135
zahero_2007 said:
How can some student from a poor country buy a 200 dollars textbook while his father's salary does not exceed 100 dollars per month ??. They should better block porn not knowledge .Why not blocking porn websites ? They are more dangerous than downloading textbooks

Well for one thing, porn isn't illegal. That might be a good reason why we're not blocking porn websites.
 
  • #136
lisab said:
Here's what I see at Google:

2uihzr4.jpg


It works fine, though.
Apparently it's only the main page, I access google through a Google toolbar and the view is normal. Seems to be the same for wikipedia, you only get the message if you access the main page, if you link directly to the content, it's business as usual. At least that is what I'm experiencing.
 
  • #137
Just wondering, Evo, do you use NoScript or some similar plugin?
 
  • #138
Char. Limit said:
Just wondering, Evo, do you use NoScript or some similar plugin?
Nope. Are you having problems? I have not attempted to go directly to Wikipedia's homepage, so that is not in my cache, I've just been doing google searches and accessing articles on wikipedia with no problem.
 
  • #139
I also don't see a black-out on Google, there is a support anti-SOPA link. I assume Google restricts the special logo to US citizens. So Evo probably is a user where Google doesn't know the geographic location.
 
  • #140
I think I have missed the replies here that actually discuss what the issues of SOPA and PIPA actually are! Just seems to be a thread blasting whatever anyone thinks are issues of internet copyright.

As far as I understood the piece that the wiki page links to, the main thrust of the 'complaint'/concern is that the ISPs will be 'rewarded' (by being left alone to get on with it, not too many questions asked) for being excessively restrictive on their internet traffic. In turn, this may lead to a 'mob behaviour' to restrict and prevent traffic of anything bordering on something the ISPs think is risqué, which then might serve to limit freedom of expression.

Well, what's wrong with that? I mean... where one ISP is risk-averse and, say, overly restricts certain subjects/areas, another ISP that is less risk-averse will pop up that will service the customers that the 'big' risk-averse ISP's refuse to host.

Rather than limiting freedom of expression, it might even have the converse effect in which ISPs begin to proliferate (better guaranteeing internet freedoms) so that the internet is controlled by fewer, large ISPs and instead the majority of ISPs in the future may be small, niche companies that pick up business in particular specialist areas.

Seems like a storm in a teacup to me - as far as I read the wiki-linked article has portrayed it.

(incidentally, you still get the wiki pages - just halt the upload of the page at the moment it loads, and before it turns to the blank-out screen, if you want to get to read a wiki article)
 
<h2>1. What is the purpose of the anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia?</h2><p>The anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia is a protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a proposed legislation that would allow the government to censor and shut down websites suspected of hosting copyrighted material. The blackout is meant to raise awareness about the potential negative impact of this legislation on free speech and the internet as a whole.</p><h2>2. When will the Wikipedia blackout take place?</h2><p>The Wikipedia blackout will take place on January 18th, 2022. This date was chosen because it marks the 10th anniversary of the first SOPA blackout in 2012, which was also led by Wikipedia.</p><h2>3. Will the entire Wikipedia site be unavailable during the blackout?</h2><p>Yes, the entire English version of Wikipedia will be unavailable during the blackout. This means that users will not be able to access any articles or information on the site. However, other language versions of Wikipedia will still be accessible.</p><h2>4. How can I still access information on Wikipedia during the blackout?</h2><p>While the English version of Wikipedia will be unavailable, users can still access information through other language versions of the site, or by using a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass the blackout. Additionally, some articles on Wikipedia may still be accessible through search engine caches.</p><h2>5. What can I do to support the anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia?</h2><p>There are several ways to support the anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia. You can spread awareness by sharing information about the blackout on social media and encouraging others to join the protest. You can also contact your local representatives and voice your opposition to SOPA. Finally, you can donate to organizations that are actively fighting against SOPA and other forms of internet censorship.</p>

1. What is the purpose of the anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia?

The anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia is a protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a proposed legislation that would allow the government to censor and shut down websites suspected of hosting copyrighted material. The blackout is meant to raise awareness about the potential negative impact of this legislation on free speech and the internet as a whole.

2. When will the Wikipedia blackout take place?

The Wikipedia blackout will take place on January 18th, 2022. This date was chosen because it marks the 10th anniversary of the first SOPA blackout in 2012, which was also led by Wikipedia.

3. Will the entire Wikipedia site be unavailable during the blackout?

Yes, the entire English version of Wikipedia will be unavailable during the blackout. This means that users will not be able to access any articles or information on the site. However, other language versions of Wikipedia will still be accessible.

4. How can I still access information on Wikipedia during the blackout?

While the English version of Wikipedia will be unavailable, users can still access information through other language versions of the site, or by using a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass the blackout. Additionally, some articles on Wikipedia may still be accessible through search engine caches.

5. What can I do to support the anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia?

There are several ways to support the anti-SOPA blackout on Wikipedia. You can spread awareness by sharing information about the blackout on social media and encouraging others to join the protest. You can also contact your local representatives and voice your opposition to SOPA. Finally, you can donate to organizations that are actively fighting against SOPA and other forms of internet censorship.

Similar threads

Replies
10
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
2
Replies
65
Views
12K
  • General Discussion
2
Replies
65
Views
8K
  • General Discussion
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
9
Views
2K
Back
Top