- Wikipedia shut down for 24 hours to protest SOPA/PIPA
Scholars have joined the fight against the outrageous SOPA/PIPA legislation currently being debated in Congress! Today, Wikipedia’s English site is unavailable, redirecting users and viewers to a blacked-out page which openly protests the SOPA/PIPA legislation. The site will be down for 24 hours, raising awareness and voicing objection to the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act. At speakingcode.com we have a clear and certain stance on Internet regulation and restriction: NO!
The Internet is a free and open communication channel which allows the public to share any type of information. Neither the government nor media companies nor copyright holders should have the authority to dictate the flow of this information on the Internet, whose ungoverned throughput is fundamental for any democratic society of worth.
Kudos to Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, and all others who have taken a strong stance against SOPA, PIPA, and any legislature which threatens the freedom and openness of the Internet!