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    Wikipedia Going Dark Over SOPA: Most Impactful Moment in Internet History

    By L. Vincent Poupard | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Tue, Jan 17, 2012
    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
    Do you have a story to tell? Become a Yahoo! contributor

    COMMENTARY | Wikipedia will go dark on Wednesday in protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act, according to Fox News. As a political/business consultant, I see this as one of the most important actions in the history of the user-generated encyclopedia site. We will find out how important Wikipedia has become in our lives when it goes dark for 24 hours.

    Essentially, SOPA states sites such as Wikipedia would be required to ensure all content is not pirated and does not breach copyright laws. Sites that do not could be shut down and "blacklisted" by the federal government. Yahoo!, Google, eBay, Twitter, Facebook, AOL and Wikipedia are a handful of the Internet heavyweights that have spoken out against the bill calling it too restrictive and too much of a burden on the Internet as a whole.

    When the English pages of the online encyclopedia go dark Wednesday, tens of thousands of students will not be able to access their favored study aid. Millions of people who use the site to learn more about particular topics that are tickling their fancies will find they will either have to wait or will have to track down the information elsewhere. Researchers will find that instead of having all of the information links they need in one place, they have to take extra steps to acquire the knowledge they need.

    All the while, we will find out how important Wikipedia is when it goes dark. We will realize how the site has weaved itself into our daily lives. Sure, people can head to Yahoo! or Google to search for the topics they are working with, but search engines can take more time and lead you well away from your chosen topic. Wikipedia going dark will be one of the most impactful days in the history of the Internet. The inconvenience alone is enough to turn the masses against SOPA.

    In the world of business, this step is unprecedented. Can you imagine Coca-Cola not allowing its products to be sold for 24 hours in protest? Would McDonald's close the doors of all of the restaurants to prove a point? Granted, Wikipedia is not a profit-building company like these, but nonprofit companies are not going to close their doors to donations or giving help in protest either.

     

    1 comment

    • Carol
      Carol  •  4 mths ago
      They might find out something they'd rather not know. :)
     Post a comment
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