Wiki blackout!
Wikipedia will have a 24 hour blackout beginning tomorrow in order to protest the legislation concerning copyright law which will soon be put before congress. This is the first time I have heard of any type of boycott by a web site provider. Not only is this tactic new, it is meant to address copyright law.
http://www.npr.org/tablet/#story/?storyId=145311476
January 17th, 2012
Daniel, do you think that this type of boycott will be effective? How would a boycott address the copyright law?
January 17th, 2012
Thanks for posting. This seems like a perfect topic for conversation tomorrow!
We can discuss why they are boycotting and I’d like to hear everyone’s stand on it.
January 17th, 2012
I vaguely remember similar “blackouts” when the DMCA was up for a vote, but I might be making that up.
Either way, I just put together a little video explaining why SOPA worries me: http://derekbruff.org/?p=1909.
January 18th, 2012
I was half right! The blackout strategy has been used in the past, but it was back in 1996 to protest the Communication Decency Act. Details: http://www.textually.org/tv/archives/2012/01/030087.htm.
January 18th, 2012
I copied this from a friend’s Facebook page. (He is the CEO of a company that manages songwriters in Nashville.) ”
I know the “blackout” with Wikipedia and Google today seems intriguing, but I wish I could show the worldwide public what I see everyday: hardworking songwriters and artists who toil for years only to have their songs pirated when they finally have a hit. To me, the fight for SOPA legislation is not high tech vs. Big Media – it is content pirates vs. the individual creators who are trying to keep a roof over their heads and feed their families. ”