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    SOPA/PIPA blackout: By the numbers

    The mass online blackout protest against the “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA) and the “PROTECT IP Act” (PIPA) is officially over. At this early stage, it’s nearly impossible to say whether or not the blackout can be considered a “success,” in any empirical terms — that will ultimately be decided by how Congress votes on these bills, and whether the vocal, widespread opposition to these pieces of legislation has any effects on how the entertainment industry pushes to curb piracy in the future. But a quick look at the facts and figures surrounding the January 18 blackout show an unprecedented picture of online activism in the US. Here, a by-the-numbers roundup of the day the Web went black.

    75,000: Approximate of websites that participated in the blackout, according to SOPAStrike.com, which helped organize the protest.

    25,000: Number of WordPress blogs that completely blacked out their sites to protest the bills

    12,500: Number of WordPress blogs that placed the “Stop Censorship” ribbon on their blogs

    162 million: Number of people who saw the Wikipedia blackout page

    4.5 million: Number of people who signed Google’s anti-SOPA petition on Wednesday

    1.458 million: Number of people who signed other similar anti-SOPA/PIPA petitions, according to activist websites Avaaz.org and Fight for the Future (FFTF)

    35,000: Approximate number of people who sent letters to their senators and representatives as a result of the blackout

    2 million: Number of emails sent through the Electronic Frontier Foundation, FFTF and Demand Progress

    2.4 million: Number of SOPA/PIPA-related tweets sent out on Wednesday, between 12am and 4pm, according to Twitter

    25: Number of senators who publicly opposed PIPA after the blackout went into effect

    13: Number of additional senators who are “leaning towards opposition,” according to OpenCongress

    33: Total number of senators who currently support PIPA

    36: Total number of senators who oppose, or are leaning in opposition of, PIPA

    16: Number of senators who remain undecided

    3: Number of representatives who came out against SOPA this week, including Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ), Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL)

    29: Number of representatives who remain on the list of SOPA sponsors and co-sponsors

    339: Total number of representatives who remain undecided on SOPA

    This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

    More from Digital Trends

    Sen. Marco Rubio drops support of PIPA, a bill he co-sponsored [Update: 2nd Sen. backs down]

    January 18 SOPA/PIPA blackout: A quick guide

    SOPA vs. soap: Twitter users get it wrong, make bad jokes

    SOPA lives: Rep. Lamar Smith to resume markup hearings in February

     

    50 comments

    • Rich  •  4 mths ago
      We want the list of Congress members that support SOPA, so we can vote those douches out.
      • Uhh 4 mths ago
        WAY ahead of you, I'm writing their names on Death Note™.
    • Big Tex  •  Dallas, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      Seeing how politicians vote on these bills will give the American people a better idea of who is corrupt (or just plain stupid) and who is genuinely interested in doing the right thing. R or D, whoever votes this down gains my support.
    • peace  •  4 mths ago
      7 million signed the Google Petition in ONE DAY!!!! Right on AMERICA!! ^5
      • Philip 4 mths ago
        we did the same thing to the banks when they wanted us to pay those ATM fees ,power to the people.
    • Garto  •  Arden, North Carolina  •  4 mths ago
      I was just on my senators official web page and saw a picture with a few corporate logos in the background. If those have copyrights, could those companies use SOPA to shut down senate.gov or all of .gov?
      • TimT 4 mths ago
        We all know the the government and politicians are above the laws they make.
    • Itsthetruth  •  Lake Worth, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      Of course if either of these evil bills ever were to pass, it would be our freedom that was blacked out permanently. DC - get the point - the people don't want this legislation - only those who bribe you want it.
    • David  •  4 mths ago
      It felt good send letters to all my state congressmen and representatives.
      • WR 4 mths ago
        More citizens should use the same format to communicate any request or gripe to their elected officials. It has worked for me.
      • TimT 4 mths ago
        First time, I've ever had the motivation to do it and it was very enlightening to get their responses, though I'm sure with some research I could have found their opinions online.
      • John 4 mths ago
        I made phone calls instead. It was the first time I had done either. I wish I had put something into writing and mailed it the slow way instead, as I doubt my message will be passed on to the actual representatives from my phone calls.
    • dont ask  •  Wichita, Kansas  •  4 mths ago
      S.o.p.a. is SOPathetic! Hey did you know that SOPA Spelled Backwards is a A.P.O.S.
      A Piece Of S&#@
    • Allison Bahr  •  4 mths ago
      SOPA can suck it... -.-
    • Reese272  •  Tyler, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      Please allow me to elucidate the feelings of the American public: its okay if you pass laws that totally strip the bill of rights and the practice of due process and deny a writ of Habeas Corpus. But start trying to change how we use the Internet and sites like YouTube and Facebook and we shall arise as a mass of angry protesters that would march into Washington DC and Reenact the burning of the capitol by the English Redcoats. Learn this lesson quickly and learn it well: Do NOT make me leave my seat in front of my computer to vocally oppose your tenure of elected service and put into practice the most massive recall vote of the offending House and Senate members in history. You Serve the Citizens of the United States of America, The Citizens DO NOT serve you ! I respectfully remind you that the Year of the Dragon is an Election Year...
      • VanH 4 mths ago
        NDAA was serectly passed....
    • Sam  •  4 mths ago
      Block out your Facebook photo with black!
    • Anonymous  •  4 mths ago
      Amazing to me the party that claims to be for smaller government is the party that is made these bills... oh the irony is stifling
    • Aliyah  •  Spotsylvania, Virginia  •  4 mths ago
      so i dont have to burn my ipod now?
    • Mura  •  Chula Vista, California  •  4 mths ago
      i think this is great wake up call to all american citizens, when the vast majority of the public oppose something and politicians still pass it, do we just sit here and complain about it? or do we actually go out and do something about it? this choice has always been available to us we just havent used it as much lately
    • TimT  •  Raleigh, North Carolina  •  4 mths ago
      Contacted my Representative and Senators for the first time ever. Rep. Brad Miller of NCs 13th district emailed me back(Probably en masse, but that all good) to state his solid opposition to this bill.

      NC Senator Kay Hagan emailed me back with a rather undecided view on the situation which seemed to border on acceptance of the bill. But that's just my opinion, I will post both letters here.
    • Waldo the King  •  Louisville, Kentucky  •  4 mths ago
      The RIAA is ran by the crook Chuck-u Dodd. HE says he will not give money to O'Bamma re-election campaign if O'Bamma officially opposes the bill. I would like to think that his comments are illegal. BUYING any politician (president) with large sums of money or threats of no money!!!!

      I would suggest NOT going to any movie theater for a few weeks, Not buying dvd's for a few weeks, not buying music for a few weeks will put Chuck-u Dodd in the unemployment line.

      Why is our gov't sooooo involved with the drugged out entertainment industry?
    • chaos  •  Doylestown, Pennsylvania  •  4 mths ago
      Sopa is down for the count!! But you better watch it. Theyl try other pathetic atempts through different names. Be on your gaurd americans we need to keep our country from falling to stupid laws like this. Just because we won this round doesnt neccisarly mean we have to stop being aware of what their next move is. However my hopes are that next time people will look at stuff like this and say get it out of my face this junk is luticris
    • Brandy  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  4 mths ago
      Do you no how many people wouldve lost there jobs if this bill was passed thank god its over
    • Casey  •  4 mths ago
      Watch out, PIPA can still be voted on. Jan 24th people.
    • Vic  •  4 mths ago
      SOPA is SOPAthetic
    • Leiah  •  Manila, Philippines  •  4 mths ago
      4.5 million people who signed Google's petition, this must be something !
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