byJon Kelly, BBC
Wikipedia last week pulled its English-language articles in protest against a US anti-piracy bill. Wikipedia blacked out its English-language site for 24 hours. So how will its regular readers get information? Work-averse students, corner-cutting journalists and people who simply enjoy wasting time online are in for a testing day. Wikipedia, the user-generated internet encyclopaedia, has taken part in a temporary “blackout” in protest against the proposed US anti-piracy laws known as Sopa and Pipa. Users attempting to access the site see a black screen and a political statement: “Imagine a world without free knowledge.” It might be an inconvenience for those who rely on it – although for those with the wherewithal to turn off Javascript or access the site via Google cache, there are still ways into Wikipedia. But the blackout still acts as a reminder that there are plenty of other places to look for information.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16601517
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