Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2012-01-23/In the news

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World watched as Wikipedia shut down for SOPA blackout

World watches as Wikipedia shuts down for SOPA blackout

This screenshot of the English Wikipedia landing page, as seen by millions during the blackout on January 18, 2012

Last week's 24 hour Wikipedia blackout protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act was heavily covered by the world's international media. A full page listing media covering of the blackout is on Meta-Wiki.

Before the protest started, Jimmy Wales gave interviews to CNN, and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live, and on BBC Two's Newsnight to debate Michael O'Leary, a representative of the Motion Picture Association of America. After the blackout concluded, the Bits blog of The New York Times interviewed Jimmy. Wikinews interviewed Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director Sue Gardner.

The blackout led Seth Borenstein at MSNBC to wonder what it would be like if the Internet went down. The article claims that for a day or so, there wouldn't be any major physical harm, but after a few days it would lead to economic crisis and mass unemployment. As a response to the blackout, The Guardian launched a blog feature called "Guardipedia", where bloggers responded to questions using printed copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica and Who's Who as an alternative to Wikipedia. The Signpost noted that the Britannica volumes were out-of-date, and were not much help in answering a question about South African history: "Apparently Nelson Mandela is still in jail? That's what the book says, anyway."

Twitterers gently mocked Wikipedia's absence with a hashtag called "#FactsWithoutWikipedia" where people made up outlandish claims. MSNBC reports on doug_gross' 'fact': "Marc Zuckerberg (real name, Horblatt Snarfleblurp) was an alien scout sent to Earth to ruin human productivity." Russia Today posted more tweets:

"Eminem had the same skin-whitening treatment as Michael Jackson, but it worked."
"The British version of Wikipedia is called Wikipaedia."
"France has lost its AAA rating. This means they are no longer allowed to sell small batteries."

The meme was also taken up by a number of other news sources: Now. Here. This., the blog of Time Out London, pulled some choice London facts like "Sophie Ellis-Bextor once ran for a Lib Dem councillor seat in West London" and "Ed Miliband is a London based Alt-Folk band". IrishCentral.com quoted tweets posted under the derived hashtag #irishFactsWithoutWikipedia including "The IRA was a splinter group of The Richard and Judy Book Club that just got a bit out of hand". SBNation.com quoted a variety of NASCAR-related phony facts.

There was a significant amount of post-blackout coverage, with one focus on US senators who changed their minds over SOPA, as well as how SOPA and PIPA would affect the Internet as we know it.

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Tell you what struck me - the comcom's phones started ringing on Tuesday morning, soon as the UK journalists got into work and saw the warning countdown banner up. Then the UK bunch had to do press for the US media (hence me on NPR) 'cos San Francisco wouldn't be awake at the time. (Though, of course, they were.) Journalists joked about students missing Wikipedia ... but if anyone's utterly dependent on Wikipedia, it's the journalists.

(Post-mortem here. Including "how to get roped in as a media volunteer", for those wondering. It can be six months between calls, but when we need you we need you.) - David Gerard (talk) 22:41, 26 January 2012 (UTC)[]

David, was it you who made the automobile analogy? If so, that's one of the most powerful sound bites I've heard in years. Viriditas (talk) 04:17, 27 January 2012 (UTC)[]

Bank robbers and cars? Yep :-) Nicked directly from Cory Doctorow. That soundbite played spectacularly well and defused a common objection out the gate. I expect Hollywood rhetoric to adapt quickly, though. Most brilliant soundbite of the blackout, "Imagine a world without free knowledge", was coined by SarahStierch just a few hours before blackout - David Gerard (talk) 08:13, 27 January 2012 (UTC)[]

I missed the NPR feed. I heard you as part of the lead story on the BBC Global News podcast, and it was perfect. Very impressive. Viriditas (talk) 10:01, 27 January 2012 (UTC)[]

Ah, the 18 Jan one here. That was Jimbo using the analogy, not me (though I did a few BBC radio slots). It seemed to work in other languages too - David Gerard (talk) 00:11, 28 January 2012 (UTC)[]

He did a great job. Viriditas (talk) 03:35, 28 January 2012 (UTC)[]

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