# Wikipedia shutting down for 24 hours on January 18. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 17, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765 "2012-01-17T03:29:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/21 "2012-01-18T05:09:18Z")
Well, Wikipedia is down and has been replaced by a black screen with a search bar to look up your congresscritter and write a protest letter. Looks like Reddit is going down at 8am EST. Google going offline would really be chaotic and make a statement that affected everyone, but I can understand why they’re not doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/22 "2012-01-18T05:10:09Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Does anyone know of a good video I can show my students about the shutdown? We use Wikipedia fairly often at school and it would be a great lesson to show them that it is shutdown and why it is shutdown. > > Nothing to crazily biased, though. Just a video about the controversy. It’s shutdown for 24 hours. Unless you don’t visit the site during class, just do a screen gab and save it. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/23 "2012-01-18T05:10:31Z")
It looks like Wikipedia is blacking out its pages by adding something that overlays the “protest sopa” page on top of every page, but the original page is still there if you view source. Probably means one could write a greasemonkey script to edit the pages to remove the overlay if one was so inclined. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/24 "2012-01-18T05:11:42Z")
The black bar on Google’s page? I see that. At least they are participating tonight. > [@Lancia](#): > > Check out the new doodle. Just noticed it now, 9pm PST. It wasn’t there an hour ago. ---
**Author:** ![Sparklo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Sparklo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparklo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/25 "2012-01-18T05:20:23Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > It looks like Wikipedia is blacking out its pages by adding something that overlays the “protest sopa” page on top of every page, but the original page is still there if you view source. Probably means one could write a greasemonkey script to edit the pages to remove the overlay if one was so inclined. Just turn off JavaScript and it’s business as usual. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/26 "2012-01-18T05:26:59Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > …And Congress will totally notice. They couldn’t give a damn whether Congress notices. They care whether their users, the voters who put Congress in power, notice. ---
**Author:** ![IntelliQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@IntelliQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IntelliQ)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/27 "2012-01-18T05:28:04Z")
Wow. I heard it might happen… “For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia. Learn more.” ---
**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, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/28 "2012-01-18T05:37:33Z")
Merged **IntelliQ** ’s post into this thread. ---
**Author:** ![IntelliQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@IntelliQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IntelliQ)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/29 "2012-01-18T05:42:39Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Merged **IntelliQ** ’s post into this thread. Thank you, sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/30 "2012-01-18T05:47:16Z")
I’m still able to access Wikipedia on my phone. Don’t have access to a proper computer until tomorrow, but as of now I’m not seeing any difference on the mobile version. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/31 "2012-01-18T05:47:32Z")
I reckon productivity will surge. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/32 "2012-01-18T05:52:21Z")
And it is probably a good thing for students that classes just started again. No term papers due. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/33 "2012-01-18T05:53:17Z")
Appropriately, the Wiki page on [SOPA itself](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act) is _not_ blacked out. Oddly, though, there _is_ a featured article for today, even though nobody would be able to read it. ---
**Author:** ![IntelliQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@IntelliQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IntelliQ)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/34 "2012-01-18T06:55:39Z")
From the [NYT](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/technology/web-wide-protest-over-two-antipiracy-bills.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp): > [@](#): > > Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and author the Protect IP Act, accused opponents Tuesday of trying to “stoke fear”… Damn Im so sick of that generic canned defense by politicians. There should be an autoslap app hardwired into them every time they vomit a stupid canned phrase that doesnt address the policy. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/35 "2012-01-18T07:16:06Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > Too bad they don’t just shut it down in the U.S. > > Lord knows the technology exists to go the other way. I’m in Australia: Wiki and Google are both working as normal for me. Google redirects to google.com.au for me anyway, so I can’t easily see the US version. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/36 "2012-01-18T07:22:32Z")
So the worldwide Wikipedia shuts down because the US Congress has a bill before it that Wikipedia doesn’t like. Those of us who are not Americans, who were unable to vote for American politicians, who cannot influence American policy, and who do not live in the United States of America, are left in the dark. Jimmy Wales, for the record, I don’t agree with the US Congress. But to punish us non-Americans who have no say in this battle? You’re crazy. You’re really making me think twice about contributing the next time you have a pledge drive. Jimmy, if you really disagree with US policy and lawmaking, then interrupt the service of US users. Don’t upset the rest of us, who have made efforts to work with the necessary authorities. You’re asking me to protest to lawmakers that I did not, and cannot, elect. Give your head a shake, and tell me that your position is something I can do anything about. As a non-American, not living in the United States, I can do nothing. ---
**Author:** ![enigmatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@enigmatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigmatic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/37 "2012-01-18T07:38:43Z")
I came here to figure out why it was still working 😃 Like Sparklo said, you won’t see any change if you are blocking javascript. ---
**Author:** ![enigmatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@enigmatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigmatic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/38 "2012-01-18T07:43:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Jimmy Wales, for the record, I don’t agree with the US Congress. But to punish us non-Americans who have no say in this battle? You’re crazy. You’re really making me think twice about contributing the next time you have a pledge drive. I think this is one of those issues, in which raising public awareness of the problem is valuable, no matter where people are living. If Wikipedia is so important to people that they can’t do without it for a day, they are certainly going to want to know about legislation that would put its entire existence at risk. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/39 "2012-01-18T07:49:15Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > And it is probably a good thing for students that classes just started again. No term papers due. There seem to be a lot of students out there freaking out: [https://twitter.com/#!/herpderpedia](https://twitter.com/#!/herpderpedia) (link to retweets of, well, people on twitter freaking out that wikipedia is down, oddly enough) ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/40 "2012-01-18T07:57:04Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Those of us who are not Americans, who were unable to vote for American politicians, who cannot influence American policy, and who do not live in the United States of America, are left in the dark. As I said in the post immediately before yours, it’s having zero effect in Australia. Maybe it’s restricted to north America. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765.md?page=3)