If you’ve gone through a whole school day using an actual encyclopedia, like a book from the library and stuff, just know that Wikipedia’s being down is no accident. The web giant chose to graciously go black for 24 hours in protest.
Wikipedia shut down its English-language site for a day because they’re angry about anti-piracy laws in America that have been proposed. Wiki, and other web giants like Google, Mozilla, Reddit, and WordPress, are worried that these laws will enforce senseless censorship on the internet.
The laws include the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), both being debated by the U.S. Congress. Both laws have platforms that revolve around stopping online piracy, making it impossible for internet users to download or stream music, film, TV shows, and eBooks online free of charge.
Wikipedia and other sites believe that these laws will put an extreme constraint on what they can and can’t put online. They also stress that the acts are too broad and could harm the technology and infringe on free-speech rights.
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, was quotes in the BBC saying: “The bill is so over broad…it’s going to impact all kinds of things that don’t have anything to do with stopping piracy.”
It’s been a long day without Wikipedia. But don’t worry, it’s still available to use on mobile phones… which, in reality, is where it’s used most. So if you’re in an everyday conversation and don’t have the answer to a generic question, you can still look up the answer on your smart phone. Thanks, Wikipedia! We’ll be seeing you tomorrow.