# 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:** 3
**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, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/41 "2012-01-18T08:03:02Z")
My mistake, I have Java etc turned off by default. If I turn it on, it’s blocked. Which is exactly **why** I have all that crap turned off by default. ---
**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, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/42 "2012-01-18T08:18:21Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > As I said in the post immediately before yours, it’s having zero effect in Australia. Maybe it’s restricted to north America. Perhaps it is. I can get nothing from Wikipedia right now. ---
**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, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/43 "2012-01-18T08:40:35Z")
> [@](#): > > 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) According to wikipedia the javascript thing is deliberate in order to let people use it if they want to opt out of the protest. Although from the looks of the above, turning off javascript may be beyond our future best and brightest. 😃 As an added data point to the “outside US” argument. I’d not heard a squeak about this on the News over here before this, now my _Mum_ knows what SOPA is. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/44 "2012-01-18T08:47:22Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > 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. Because, if the bill passed, then sites would be just as unavailable to people outside the US as inside. Being outside the US and defaulting to [Google.co.uk](http://Google.co.uk), I actually just had to google “[google.com](http://google.com) doodle today” to see today’s [google.com](http://google.com) doodle. 😃 (How much wood would a woodchuck chuck… :D) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/45 "2012-01-18T08:55:48Z")
Non-English Wikipedia is not affected. So just fire up French or Spanish or whatever and keep going… ---
**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, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/46 "2012-01-18T10:21:21Z")
It still works. A mistake? At the top it says “The English Wikipedia is currently locked for the SOPA/PIPA blackout”, but it’s not. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/47 "2012-01-18T10:44:34Z")
I tried using it shortly ago and it was blocked for me. I was asked to contact my local politician, presented with a space bar in which to enter zipcode. ---
**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, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/48 "2012-01-18T10:45:15Z")
Ah, I see now. It works if Javascript is off. Well, that’s a cop out. It’s not really down if it’s just using Javascript to block you. It doesn’t seem like many people have noticed that. MSNBC is reporting that Wikepedia is off. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/49 "2012-01-18T10:54:42Z")
Mine’s shut down. Wikipedia is my home page, at least for my Safari. ---
**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, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/50 "2012-01-18T10:56:47Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The black bar on Google’s page? I see that. > > At least they are participating tonight. Are they shutting down tonight? Were did you see that? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/51 "2012-01-18T11:11:51Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Google, Gmail and Yahoo are the big players. If they pull the plug for a couple days the shit will hit Congress’ fan then. 😃 > > No email from Yahoo or Gmail for a couple days? That would shake Congress’ cage. That would be a dick move. I’m glad they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/52 "2012-01-18T11:13:52Z")
Today is the day to test Teeming Millions Knowledge without easy access to Wiki. 😃 ---
**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, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/53 "2012-01-18T11:15:00Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > Today is the day to test Teeming Millions Knowledge without easy access to Wiki. 😃 Just turn off Javascript and it works fine. I don’t know why they didn’t really shut it down. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/54 "2012-01-18T11:30:24Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Are they shutting down tonight? Were did you see that? Google’s not shutting down, they are just putting a large black bar across their logo. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/55 "2012-01-18T11:53:06Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > For things like this, I presume Google’s cache will work in a pinch? Yep, looks like Google cache works for Wiki pages. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/56 "2012-01-18T11:53:58Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Just turn off Javascript and it works fine. I don’t know why they didn’t really shut it down. 1. search engines 2. non-us visitors ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/57 "2012-01-18T11:55:00Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Yep, looks like Google cache works for Wiki pages. as has been mentioned, simply disable javascript ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/58 "2012-01-18T11:57:02Z")
Simple English version of Wiki still works: [http://simple.wikipedia.org](http://simple.wikipedia.org) [The Oatmeal](http://theoatmeal.com/) is blacked out, though. 🙂 “SOPA is like dealing with a lion that’s escaped from the zoo by blasting kittens with flamethrowers.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/59 "2012-01-18T12:11:57Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > That would be what the edit history is for, if one is so inclined. You do realize that any time something is added or deleted from a wiki article, the username or IP address of the user making the change is recorded? Besides, Brittanica articles aren’t bylined either, you’re trusting in the corporation to be neutral. No! Really? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765/60 "2012-01-18T13:37:51Z")
So let me get this straight…Wikipedia is protesting potential US government legislation that could potentially limit internet access to information by limiting access to internet information? As in, “Oooh, this is what it’ll be like if this bill passes, do you like it?”. Lame. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-shutting-down-for-24-hours-on-january-18/609765.md?page=4)