Wikipedia goes dark, Google logo blacked out (Lazy Hussein loving "journalists" lose crutch)

FT.com ^ | 1/18/12 | R Kwong

[Recovering_Democrat]

This screen on the left is what greeted visitors to Wikipedia on Wednesday, as the online encyclopedia site began its ‘blackout’ protest of two controversial intellectual property bills currently being discussed in the US Congress.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I have an acquaintance who works for a liberal media outlet. Her testimony is that Google and Wikipedia are the MAIN sources of research in the realm of journalism. When the internet goes down in the "news" area, there is much pain, since many of the "journalists" there are not used to having to *work* to gather information.

Seeing what passes for news these days, I believe it.

[Recovering_Democrat]

If you really want to read Wikipedia, here is a sneaky way to do it:

http://www.i-programmer.info/news/81-web-general/3632-how-to-read-wikipedia-through-the-backout.html

[Sun]

This is a good time to try something else:

http://www.conservapedia.com/Main_Page

[snowsislander]

Actually, if you are have turned off Javascript or are using a plugin like NoScript, you can still read (but not edit) Wikipedia.

Sites like wordsake.com, however, are actually not available.

[TigersEye]

Perhaps jornolists will have to actually find their own primary sources the way real journalists used to do in pre-Progressive-history.

[Recovering_Democrat]

My point exactly, Tiger.

[TigersEye]

They may stumble on reality and find that they like it. :-)

[James C. Bennett]

There’s an even simpler work-around: Just look up the results of whatever you want, on Google.com, and then use the right-hand floating menu besides the Wikipedia article link to choose the cached page, which is just like the actual Wiki page, except a few days or hours older.

[rhombus]

I have an acquaintance who works for a liberal media outlet. Her testimony is that Google and Wikipedia are the MAIN sources of research in the realm of journalism. When the internet goes down in the "news" area, there is much pain, since many of the "journalists" there are not used to having to *work* to gather information.

I'm old enough to remember when people had to depend on the "work" of "journalists". No way do I ever, ever want to go back to the days when Cronkite's droppings were considered manna from heaven, TET was a military disaster and no one any "journalists" knew voted for Reagan. With the Internet, we are all journalists now.

[rayvd]

Another option if you’re running Chrome or Firefox w/ Greasemonkey — head on over to userscripts.org and search for SOPA. There are a number of scripts there which “reenable” Wikipedia (and a few other sites out there using CSS tricks to overlay the blackout info on top of the normal content).

I am using this one:

http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/123455

(Note I don’t support SOPA, I just want to read Wikipedia :)

[PreciousLiberty]

The important thing is the point of the blackout: SOPA and PIPA are horrible ideas, and need to be squashed.

For one thing, freerepublic.com would likely be shut down shortly after they become law.

Let your elected representatives know that this legislation must not become law, or you will look elsewhere for leadership.

[proxy_user]

If they become law, we’ll be moving to Tor or Freenet for sure.

[susannah59]

Exactly. I rarely use Wickipedia, and have been using Bing as my search engine, but I think SOPA and PIPA are absolutely horrible ideas and need to be squashed. In fact I think it's interesting that both the right and the left see the danger in these bills.

Never forget unintended consequences. No matter what they say a bill is actually about, the long-term unintended consequences are what can have a far greater impact and what we actually end up living with. (Well, you could argue that some of those consequences aren't so unintended but you know what I mean).

[pyx]

Let your elected representatives know that this legislation must not become law ...

The SOPA and PIPA are products of Chris Dodd, Democrat.

Hey Mommyment ! Keep your hands off the Internet.

[KosmicKitty]

I just got to wikipedia with no problems

Guess it was jut a really short black out

[pyx]

I just got to wikipedia with no problems

Guess it was jut a really short black out

Try Clicking on English, KosmicKitty. The screen will turn BLACK.

The SOPA and PIPA are products of Chris Dodd, Democrat.

Hey Mommyment ! Keep your hands off the Internet.

[KosmicKitty]

You’re right

I stand corrected

I also tried to go in via a web search to a particular page and see that all the pages are set to redirect to their black out page.

I am just a tiny bit more impressed with Wikipedia, but I still won’t let me students use it as a reference in a paper.

[Darksheare]

The DHS monitors reporters now too.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2830900/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2830873/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2833099/posts

It’s a short distance from monitoring to actively censoring/censuring those critical of the regime.
Or, disappearing.
SOPA likely is intended to keep such info from being on the net at all.