---

Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director, Sue Gardner says:
In making this decision, Wikipedians will be criticized for seeming to abandon neutrality to take a political position. That’s a real, legitimate issue. We want people to trust Wikipedia, not worry that it is trying to propagandize them.

But although Wikipedia’s articles are neutral, its existence is not.

---

---

DoomUK said:
I can never agree with this method of protest, regardless of whether the cause is justified - which it IS in this case, don't get me wrong. It's rather like workers striking in retaliation to some injustice served upon them. There has to be better ways of making your point than cutting off the service you provide to people or halting the production of a product.

---

---

kristus said:
Such as? What do you actually have to say about it other than, I DISAPPROVE? Be as constructive as you ask others to be.

Also, striking is the one method that workers actually got that can make a difference for them in desparate cases. In a powerstruggle, you use what tools are available to you. Workers really only got that one tool, where they use their collective strength to force change. It's not about making a point, it's about raising awareness and as I said, forcing change when the powers that be is working against the publics interests.

---

---

DoomUK said:

You could raise awareness by spreading the word to every corner of the internet instead of spitefully retaliating to an even more spiteful bill which is being made up by people in the US Congress who probably don't even know what they're talking about. I honestly don't see how temporarily taking something away that's being threatened with closure on a permanent basis is anything except cattiness, or an act of desperation at best.

---

---

Quast said:
I think it's a great way to inform people, but at the same time it could be handled much better and to greater effect. Wikipedia blacks itself out for 24 hours, imagine if google did that instead of just putting a black bar over their logo. What if all of the sites that oppose SOPA did this in true solidarity? Wikipedia, google, youtube, facebook, reddit, twitter, ebay?

---

---

DoomUK said:
It's rather like workers striking in retaliation to some injustice served upon them. There has to be better ways of making your point than halting the production of a product or cutting off the service you provide to people.

---

---

DoomUK said:
You could raise awareness by spreading the word to every corner of the internet instead of spitefully retaliating...

---

---

fraggle said:
a historically effective method of protest

---

---

DoomUK said:
Threats and acts of violence over a hypothetical issue can also be an effective way of raising awareness and obtaining justice.

---

---

DoomUK said:
You could raise awareness by spreading the word to every corner of the internet instead of spitefully retaliating to an even more spiteful bill which is being made up by people in the US Congress who probably don't even know what they're talking about. I honestly don't see how temporarily taking something away that's being threatened with closure on a permanent basis is anything except cattiness, or an act of desperation at best.

---

---

kristus said:

How do you figure? All that is going to do is raise awareness of the impending threat of violence.

---

---

fraggle said:
I guess I just don't understand on a fundamental level why exactly you believe that this - or strikes - are somehow a bad thing.

---

---

fraggle said:
I guess I just don't understand on a fundamental level why exactly you believe that this - or strikes - are somehow a bad thing.

---

---

DoomUK said:

Not what I meant at all. But I do think you know what I meant and you're looking for something to pick a fight over.

---

---

Phml said:
Move to a big city in a socialist country. Get in a relationship. Have some kids. You'll understand soon enough.

---

---

DoomUK said:
There has to be better ways of making your point

---

---

fraggle said:
I find your point of view to be selfish

---

---

HavoX said:
I do believe the 24-hour blackouts are a great idea as it actually educates users about what MIGHT happen should this horribly flawed bill get passed.

---

---

DoomUK said:

I don't need to be enlightened by being thrown off a building by someone else to better understand what throwing myself off a building might feel like. My intellect is sufficiently developed to understand that it's a bad idea when it's explained to me.

---

---

K!r4 said:
It's only a 24 hour "strike", I don't get how this could be a kick in the face of the internet users while SOPA looks very ugly in the long-term.

---

---

DoomUK said:

I don't need to be enlightened by being thrown off a building by someone else to better understand what throwing myself off a building might feel like. My intellect is sufficiently developed to understand that it's a bad idea when it's explained to me.

---

---

DoomUK said:
Also, try striking when you're working in a minimum wage, unskilled job that serves as your livelihood all the same. You'd get told where to go and your position would be filled the next day.

---

---

DoomUK said:
You could raise awareness by spreading the word to every corner of the internet instead

---

---

DoomUK said:
people in the US Congress who probably don't even know what they're talking about.

---

---

Creaphis said:
Right. This was the status quo for virtually all jobs after the industrial revolution, which is why people started organizing unions so they could strike effectively, which ultimately improved conditions for everyone. This kind of protest is necessary and effective even if you're too hilariously ignorant to see why.

---

---

Gez said:
That's why PSAs showing horribly mutilated corpses and crippled people on wheelchairs have been a lot more effective than merely repeating over and over "don't drink and drive".

---