# OK, Wikipedia, we get it. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 18, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897 "2012-01-18T13:00:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/21 "2012-01-18T17:55:41Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Nah, it would take the porn sites going dark to bring people out in the streets with pitchforks. They’ll be holding the pitchforks with one hand, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/22 "2012-01-18T18:12:03Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Wikipedia is generally pretty good about enforcing copyright, but there have been instances in the past where a person or institution claims they’re breaking copyright and wikipedia decides that they’re in the right and keep it up. For example, a few years back a museum claimed that images of paintings put on their website were under their copywrite while wikipedia disagreed, since the paintings themselves were several hundred years old an obviously in the public domain. > > So its hardly inconceivable that should SOPA pass, it could be used to delist wikipedia, at least until things got sorted out. This. I make my living from producing intellectual property and am a frequent victim to copyright violation, I am still strongly against SOPA and PIPA. It’s like using a nuclear bomb to solve a mosquito problem. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/23 "2012-01-18T18:19:54Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Turn off Javascript when you’re on Wikipedia. Problem solved. Thanks. I was wondering why Wikipedia was working for me… gotta love NoScript! ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/24 "2012-01-18T18:24:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Nah, it would take the porn sites going dark to bring people out in the streets with pitchforks. SDMB = brain porn. (that’s not a pitchfork I’m holding) (sorry, there’s brain bleach in the pantry if you’d like) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/25 "2012-01-18T19:31:14Z")
I can access my preferences, watchlist and contributions pages, but not my user page or talk page. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/26 "2012-01-18T19:39:37Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > They’ll be holding the pitchforks with one hand, of course. We saw what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/27 "2012-01-18T20:03:28Z")
If people talking about SOPA/PIPA is annoying you call your congress folk and tell them your thoughts on the matter. “Tell the congressman this SOPA thing seems stupid.” Bam. Done. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/28 "2012-01-18T20:23:27Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > If people talking about SOPA/PIPA is annoying you call your congress folk and tell them your thoughts on the matter. “Tell the congressman this SOPA thing seems stupid.” Bam. Done. And for those Americans opposed to this, all you have to do is look up your rep and your senators on Google (or on Wikipedia if you have NoScript :)) and they will have a contact form on their website. You don’t need to compose an eloquent letter, just jot down a note to them that this seems like a bad idea. Their staffers do care about the public’s opinion and it does influence how they vote. [U.S. Senate](http://www.senate.gov) [U.S. House](http://www.house.gov) If you don’t know your specific representative and senators, both websites have easy search tools to identify them. All you need is your state to look up your senators and your zip code to look up your representative. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/29 "2012-01-18T20:31:52Z")
> [@Philliam](#): > > We saw what you did there. And dear gods, we wish we could unsee it. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/30 "2012-01-18T20:40:12Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > And for those Americans opposed to this, all you have to do is look up your rep and your senators on Google (or on Wikipedia if you have NoScript :)) and they will have a contact form on their website. You don’t need to compose an eloquent letter, just jot down a note to them that this seems like a bad idea. Their staffers do care about the public’s opinion and it does influence how they vote. > > [U.S. Senate](http://www.senate.gov) > [U.S. House](http://www.house.gov) > > If you don’t know your specific representative and senators, both websites have easy search tools to identify them. All you need is your state to look up your senators and your zip code to look up your representative. Or you can go [here](http://act.protectinnovation.com/5545/not-internet-not-here-not-now/) and everything is done for you. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/31 "2012-01-18T22:12:35Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Or you can go [here](http://act.protectinnovation.com/5545/not-internet-not-here-not-now/) and everything is done for you. Done. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/32 "2012-01-18T22:31:30Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > Your little hijack of flashing the article we’re looking up, then your little protest screen is all very well done. > > But couldn’t you have done this on the weekend, when I don’t need to reference you for my tutoring work? If you think a single, planned, short-term blackout is inconvenient for your tutoring work now, just wait until SOPA passes and Wikipedia is liable to be taken down completely unexpectedly for arbitrary periods (meaning hours, days, weeks, or even indefinitely) due to someone filing a copyright infringement notice. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/33 "2012-01-19T02:28:32Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Or you can go [here](http://act.protectinnovation.com/5545/not-internet-not-here-not-now/) and everything is done for you. Done. Thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/34 "2012-01-19T02:38:41Z")
Looks like the protest may have achieved something. > **[USA Today: Support for anti-piracy bills wanes](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638971)** > > http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-01-18/SOPA-PIPA-Internet-protest-power/52653356/1 Hey Chris Dodd. Suck it! ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/35 "2012-01-19T02:45:53Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Or you can go [here](http://act.protectinnovation.com/5545/not-internet-not-here-not-now/) and everything is done for you. Letters sent. Hopefully they’ll be read and not just by the autoanswer-bot. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/36 "2012-01-19T03:20:44Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Moderating] > Even in the Pit, saying “Fuck you,” to other posters is against the rules. Please don’t do this again. > [/Moderating] My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/37 "2012-01-19T03:25:51Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Done. Done^2 ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/38 "2012-01-19T04:15:59Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Or you can go [here](http://act.protectinnovation.com/5545/not-internet-not-here-not-now/) and everything is done for you. I wonder how much good it’ll do to send a letter to Elanore Holmes-Norton. ---
**Author:** ![Tinkertoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@Tinkertoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinkertoy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/39 "2012-01-19T05:18:55Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Or you can go [here](http://act.protectinnovation.com/5545/not-internet-not-here-not-now/) and everything is done for you. Done! I added a P.S. that said "I look forward to your canned response letter that will either discuss a topic completely different than the one I wrote you about, or thank me for supporting your views on the subject which is the opposite of what I actually said. I’m sure you will not fail to disappoint me by not even acting as if you care about what I think after doing so for the last nine letters I wrote. If they don’t sent me a letter thanking me for supporting their efforts to pass SOPA, Or their fight against abortion, I will be shocked. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897/40 "2012-01-19T14:38:59Z")
From [Time](http://techland.time.com/2012/01/19/did-it-work-day-after-results-of-the-sopa-pipa-blackout/): > [@](#): > > All the traffic to Congressional websites definitely had an impact: At one point Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) tweeted “Anti- #PIPA, #SOPA traffic has temporarily shut down our website.” Other Congressional websites were reportedly slow to load throughout the day or returned error messages for visitors. > > And then, the political dominoes began to fall: Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) renounced his support for SOPA (he co-sponsored the bill) yesterday on Facebook, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) used Twitter to tell the world he now opposes the bill and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) told his Facebook followers “better to get this done right rather than fast and wrong.” > > The New York Times reports “then trickle turned to flood,” noting that Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) as well as Representatives Lee Terry (R-NE) and Ben Quayle (R-AZ) announced their opposition to the bill. The Times adds that “at least 10 senators and nearly twice that many House members announced their opposition.” … We aren’t the only ones who got it… (I enjoy Wikipedia & take it for what it is. But–does anybody _really_ use it for tutoring?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-wikipedia-we-get-it/609897.md?page=3)