Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wikipedia Blackout!



Over the years, I have gotten used to looking up things on Wikipedia.  Any time I do an online search, Wikipedia is always one of the first results that google provides.  You can find almost anything on there.  You can even find a 5,000 word biography on Victor Newman, a character from the soap opera, The Young and the Restless.  You can find the date "The Good Wife," one of my favorite television dramas, premiered in every country.  Anything you want to know, it's there.  Except for yesterday, that is!

Going about my normal routine yesterday, I stumbled to Wikipedia during one of my searches.  Come to find out, Wikipedia is blacked out for the day in protest of SOPA and PIPA.  According to Wikipedia, if the US government passes SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act), then they could have the power to shut down Wikipedia and other sites, even my blog!  So much for freedom of speech. You'd think the government would have it's hands full dealing with the economy, unemployment, huge deficit etc etc etc and leave my Wikipedia and blog alone!

But Wikipedia didn't want to make their site totally inaccessible during their blackout.  They made sure to mention you could access the site on mobile devices.  Well, that's all well and good, but what about those of us who don't have "smart phones," and only have "dumb computers?"  Don't worry, they thought of that problem and provided a solution. You simply have to disable the JavaScript in your browser. Okay, that sounds easy enough. Now, what the hell is a JavaScript and where's the off switch? I, for one, have no idea. And, I couldn't look it up on Wikipedia to find out!


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