[Borek]

http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia_anti-SOPA_blackout

Also TUCOWS:

The proposed SOPA legislation is fundamentally flawed in how it works and the damage it is likely to do to the Internet, which has been the greatest platform for innovation the world has ever seen. For that reason Tucows will be joining the blackout organized by our friends at Reddit by blacking out the Tucows Software Download site on January 18th, 2012 from 8 AM to 8 PM EST (1300-0100 UTC).

During the 12-hour Blackout period, we will be displaying a full-screen overlay that will obscure the Download site pages and block access to them. This overlay will include information about why Tucows is participating in the Stop SOPA Blackout Day.

[Arkcon]

Interesting.  We'll have to see what sort of backlash this generates, pro and con.  Woulda been funny if you hadn't warned me Borek:, I check Wikipedia pretty much every day, usually late at night, when something comes on TV and I want to know, "What else has he been in?", "What other things has this director done?"

Still, while I recognize that the SOPA legislation is on some level, stiffing the ability to share information, under some sort of blanket cover of "protecting intellectual property", I wonder how it really affects the sort of thing on Wikipedia itself, not Wilkimedia Commons, or other parts, but the encyclopedia parts of Wikipedia -- the parts I use to find facts about a chemical that's mentioned here for example.  That seems not to be the sort of thing SOPA would be needed to protect.  Likewise some actor's next movie or the listing of his ex-wives.  Maybe by throwing a fit and blocking all that information in reaction to SOPA would seem like a childish fit and just be ignored.

Don't forget, the ultra-right ring groups in the US government are at times openly derisive of the internet.  They've formed a meme in their minds that its just unfairly hostile to the right wing and right wing interests.  They might not be frightened by the possibility of the brief loss of even a significant internet resource such as Wikipedia.

[Arkcon]

I was wondering if maybe Mitch: wanted to -gulp- do the same thing?  Replace chemicalforums with the same notice for a day?  Sometimes, the boards have been down for almost a day.  Maybe doing it, with a purpose, on the same day as TUCOWS and Wikipedia, might be something he'd want to do?  That would really cramp my day.  But if you guys really care about the issue ...

[Borek]

It can be blackout, it can be just a message displayed at the top of the page. But its is up to Mitch - to be honest with you, I don't know enough details about the situation (especially in the light of US law/legislature/whatever) to have a strong opinion.

[DrCMS]

As with most legislation on this issue the aims are laudable but the details are lacking meaning the interpretaion could be very broad and so could have a negative impact on many people who do not break the law.

[Honclbrif]

While the SOPA/PIPA thing is getting all the attention, the scientific literature is under attack by the Research Works Act.

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Research-Works-Act-Could-Challenge-Public-Access-to-Federally-Funded-Research-79994.asp

Surprised more people aren't talking about this as it seeks to basically kill PubMed Central and open source journals too. Furthermore, for non scientists in the U.S.A, it will put Federally funded research which you have already paid for with your taxes under the exclusive control of commercial publishing houses which makes you pay twice for scientific results if you want to read them.

P.S. Running the NoScript add on for Fire Fox I've had access to Wikipedia all day. I support the anti SOPA/PIPA stance (seriously trying to kill a fly with a howitzer), but Wikipedia could have executed the blackout more effectively than they did.

[Borek]

While the SOPA/PIPA thing is getting all the attention, the scientific literature is under attack by the Research Works Act.

Been there:

http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=55098.0

Running the NoScript add on for Fire Fox I've had access to Wikipedia all day. I support the anti SOPA/PIPA stance (seriously trying to kill a fly with a howitzer), but Wikipedia could have executed the blackout more effectively than they did.

This is tough - I guess completely blacking out they would risk shooting themselves in the foot. They even explained on their own page (Learn more link that most people probably ignored  ) that switching Java script off is enough to be able to read the content as usual.