Wikipedia Protest Noticed, but Some Yawn (original) (raw)

Media|Wikipedia Absence Is Noted, but as a Brief Inconvenience

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/business/media/wikipedia-protest-noticed-but-some-yawn.html

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Wikipedia Absence Is Noted, but as a Brief Inconvenience

Jan. 18, 2012

The day of protest at English Wikipedia brought measurable results, the site’s administrators reported: four million people used the tool Wikipedia had provided to find their member of Congress by entering their ZIP code; 90 million came to the site and learned about the antipiracy legislation that Wikipedia and other Web sites are protesting.

But a visit to the fourth floor of the Mid-Manhattan Library, where dozens of people were at computers or using the free Wi-Fi, was to witness the hurdle Wikipedia faces in trying to urge offline action.

Most people using the Internet there said they had not given much thought to Wikipedia or Internet regulation. Instead, they were writing e-mail, watching YouTube clips, poring over sports statistics.

Among the few who knew about the blackout was Tony Nilsson, 35, a student and dancer from Sweden who lives in Manhattan. “I chose to do reading today,” he said, putting off essay writing until tomorrow when he could use Wikipedia.

Similarly, a Brooklyn copy writer, Yasheve Miller, said he was able to put off using Wikipedia for a day. He said, “I’m not going to die in 24 hours; if it had been PayPal or Google. ...” And as a content creator who believes in a “free Internet,” he said he was not sure what he thought about the legislation, known as SOPA, for Stop Online Piracy Act.

Jimmy Wales, the public face of Wikipedia, addressed schoolchildren and students when he announced the blackout on Twitter: “Student warning! Do your homework early. Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday!”

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