• 'Strongly Support' Per what everybody else already said. --71.119.52.50 (talk) 08:59, 15 December 2011 (UTC)
• 'Strongly Support' Most people who support this don't really understand what it means or who it could effect. Ordinary people believe it's effective in going after pirates only and "if you aren't doing anything wrong, it won't effect you." Doing a mock-up of what the implications would be if this were enacted would seriously drive the point home. Longobord (talk) 23:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• 'Strongly Support' As a native of the Midwest, I can guarantee this WILL GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION. Potentially more than anything else could. Kids use Wikipedia to do their homework, as do adults in Community colleges. Many homes are very isolated from the flow of information outside their TV channel of choice- not because they're stupid, but because many just have no clue how much is filtered thru biased sources. Please, please do this. Please. Thx!! (Ninavizz (talk) 14:31, 13 December 2011 (UTC))
• 'Strongly Support' I called congress, Oregon State Senators, posting EFF, Mozilla, Stop American Censorship and Wikipedia to all social media sites. (Teksquisite (talk) 13:59, 13 December 2011 (UTC))
• 'Strongly Support' SOPA is a violation of Freedom of Speech, plain and simple. Must take a stand against this or the Internet will turn into one run by large corporations only.
• Support The passage of this act brings us one step closer to silent forfeiture of our basic freedoms. I have already signed several petitions in opposition of the act. I think that any peaceful method that may stop the passage of this bill is worth giving a shot. Matttherecluse (talk) 20:45, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• 'Strongly Support' i already called my congress man about the same issue. I'd hate seeing Wikipedia along with other major sites being castrated by stupid laws like this. (ADude (talk) 20:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC))
• Firmly Support Javiercmh (talk) 20:33, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Far from being painful I am glad I got a chance to have something to say in this regard! Wikipedia exists with a neat compromise towards freedom. Collaborating with Wikipedia is an effort in favour of freedom so I see it, in the end, like a political manifesto: I support wikipedia, thus I support freedom! How the hell could I not take a stand on this issue? Let's go ahead!Carlos Linares (talk) 20:05, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Will be personally painful, but this is an extremely important issue. Digitante (talk) 19:24, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Eduararley (talk) 19:17, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• 'Strongly Support' a US blackout. It is vitally important that we take a stand, and raise awareness of this important issue. I am a frequent user of wikipedia who will be briefly inconvenienced, but acting now to defend online freedom is far, far more important. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.229.205.16 (talk) 19:10, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• 'Firmly Support' a US blackout. If we do this we should coordinate with other big websites (google, facebook, ect) if possible.--kevin (talk) 18:48, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support DO IT! Raise awareness to all the folks who use Wikipedia but may not understand the implications of this terrible law (and terrible government)! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pcgeek86 (talk • contribs) 18:29, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support 98.250.163.245 (talk) 18:26, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Support — Preceding unsigned comment added by 161.253.127.21 (talk) 18:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Fully Support: Wikipedia is a very influential site, one that many people take for granted. This could be a wake up call to many people who feel indifferent about these sorts of things. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.66.61.103 (talk) 17:40, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• You have my full support. We only really have one shot to stop this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.98.227.253 (talk) 17:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• YES. You have my full support. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.229.46.108 (talk) 17:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Fully support, with conditions: Reminder first, then article of one's choice (per issues raised at #Alternate "Blanking" Proposal). For what it's worth, I have firmly opposed the bill(s) almost from the moment I was first informed. --Slgrandson (How's my egg-throwing coleslaw?) 17:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Fully support - its a great idea and will show congress how important this issue is! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.115.153.171 (talk) 17:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• ""Fully Support""-- I'm not American, i'm mexican, but i recognize that this law will affects us all, i use wikipedia almost daily, and i think its important to let them know that we care enough. --Grillermo (talk) 17:04, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• ""Fully Support""-- The only way to get the attention of politicians is to clobber them over the head. Let's show them what a pay-per-censored byte Internet would look like and clog their phone lines with screaming constituents. I'd be interested to see if Google would be willing to join a Wikipedia outage with, say, a YouTube outage. Boodjaboodja (talk) 16:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support -- This would be a great way make the general public aware of the consequences of SOPA. This bill, if written into law will have drastic effects on American citizens. It will not stop piracy just as prohibition did not stop people from drinking alcohol. What it will do is cripple free speech, Internet security and kill jobs in one of the few sectors of the US economy that is flourishing. 167.236.220.52 (talk) 16:20, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• ""Support""-- It is amazing the amount of people who would be greatly affected by this bill and don't know about it. This would, at the very least increase awareness of it and at the most inspire a revolution that puts an end to this madness. It'd be nice to still be able to use wikipedia, although the point may be stronger if it becomes completely unavailable. I leave that to the discretion of those in charge. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.102.147.253 (talk) 16:12, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support--81.3.117.79 (talk) 16:03, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support -- The average American who knows nothing about SOPA is still likely to use Wikipedia pretty frequently-- I think it's a fantastic way to raise awareness about this ridiculous censorship bill. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 142.167.160.95 (talk) 15:05, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support -- The US government has no right to interfere with the internet, I see it as a direct attack on the constitution. What's next? Build the Great Firewall of America? Icefyre127 (talk) 14:57, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support -- The strike wouldn't be a political agenda, other than defending Wikipedia's need for neutrality - Internet need for neutrality. DoctorDri. 13 December 2011. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Doctordri (talk • contribs) 14:05, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support -- The Internet as we know it would cease to exist if this bill is passed, and the ramifications it would have on Everyone is just unbelievable. I find it hard to understand how anyone would allow the entertainment lobby to govern the Internet. Who's next? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.246.93.130 (talk) 13:58, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support I have explained the ramifications of this bill to just about everyone I know. Nobody seems to care. WE all know what SOPA bides for the future, but for the average Joe it is going to take some drastic measures to raise awareness. You are in a position to do this, and should. I'm sure the long-term effects from SOPA will be worse than a few day's downtime. 198.64.4.5 (talk) 13:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose --mirko (talk) 13:47, 13 December 2011 (CET). Blank it for the anonymous, but at least not for the user as I *need* it on a daily basis for my work (BTW: yes, I give yearly to the Foundation). I'd support this initiative only if Wikipedia was named as a direct target of the SOPA, if not, then it is not directly our problem.
• Firmly Support -- This must be a public campaign to be successful. kgrindal 7:48, 13 December 2011 (EST)
• Firmly Support --Rusenski (talk) 12:25, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Wikipedia as a platform is allowed to be opinionated in its own affairs. WMF has objectives (e.g. disseminating knowledge and universal availability), and this act would support and protect WP as an agent in this effort. Geoff (talk) 11:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support SOPA will have a big knock-on international effect. We should stop it now if possible. Geekdog (talk) 11:41, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Nothing to add to what others have said except my support. Steve Merrick. 13th December 2001.
• Firmly Support SOPA directly affects the survivability of Wikipedia, so it's not political, it runs in the same vein as requesting donations.192.17.179.116 (talk) 11:02, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support As i understand it, congress and the senate BOTH use Wikipedia quite often. This seems like a reasonable way to get some more attention on the issue.50.81.156.97 (talk) 10:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support This action would gain a great deal of publicity,. While causing only minor inconvenience, people in who require specialized knowledge have alternative sources, by its nature Wikipedia is a gloss for those who do not need those specialized sources, no one is going to fail their finals because they had no access to an explanation of Maslow's hierarchy of need but every one who has a casual encounter with thew term and wants to learn more will be confronted with the danger of SOPA. — Preceding unsigned comment added by SimonW11 (talk • contribs) 09:04, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support They are not going to listen until the true effects of such legislature are demonstrated to them. I am sorry it has come to this but we must do what we have done for many years; teach about the net and what it is, means and can be. -Miso Susanowa 72.49.107.90 (talk) 07:43, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Follow the Italian precedent. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Davedx (talk • contribs) 07:15, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support SOPA and Protect IP are terrible bills that pose a real threat to Wikipedia and the overall health of the internet. This plan would draw attention to the seriousness of the issue. Kevin Renfrow (talk) 07:09, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support SOPA is an existential threat to Wikipedia, not a political one. Would we warn people of a server outage because we can't pay the bills, or do we not get involved in economic issues either? Libertarian23423 (talk) 07:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support SOPA represents a real threat to Wikipedia's existence, and I think we have a duty to warn our readers that it is a real problem. Modrobene (talk) 06:33, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Weak Oppose A compromise: Add big SOPA warning headers to every article and shift the article content "below the fold" of the page. Please DO NOT block access to Wikipedia's content. Runtime (talk) 06:25, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Think of all the people in school and academics who use Wikipedia. A good portion of them probably have no clue about SOPA. It would obviously be a good wake up call if they go to research something and a black page was their result. It will open so many more eyes to this issue, an issue that mainstream media is not covering like it should.
• Firmly Support SOPA has not received enough attention in the popular media and most people (Americans) do not even know what it is. A black-out would raise awareness and force Congress to acknowledge that SOPA is, at best, a very questionable bill with harmful side-effects. 99.50.225.62 (talk) 05:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Wikipedia is known for neutrality, strong rules about editorializing, and a firmly encyclopedic approach. It is tottally understandable that some would ask "why not support other political actions" and oppose this. However SOPA would affect Wikipedia, and is firmly in opposition to everything the Wikimedia foundation stands for. This is not a time to blindly follow the principle of neutrality. We must accept that Wikipedia has grown to such a size and degree of influence that it cannot ignore threats such as this. --75.13.128.92 (talk) 05:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support SOPA is the Great Firewall of the US
• Firmly Support If you believe that there is no original thought but only a synthesis of thoughts based on the thoughts that precede them, then one can begin to realize that the corporate oligarchs are simply trying to control all our thoughts. Fight the power.Danthemaniam (talk) 05:25, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Living in China makes it clear why SOPA's such a bad thing. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.111.137.20 (talk) 05:12, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support This is something that could affect everybody, not just Americans. It could pretty much shut down American sites like Youtube, Faceboook, and Wikipedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.205.232.209 (talk) 05:07, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support This isn't about neutrality, it's about survival. The other side is well connected, well funded, and will never give up. The time to be political is when your own existence is threatened. narf (talk) 04:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose this parochial protest

We in the rest of the world are supposed to care about legistlation in ONE country of declining importance ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.161.138.113 (talk) 04:15, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Awareness is not being raised by conventional means. Wikipedia may not be a political entity but when misguided laws threaten the viability of the site, something must be done. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.11.168.150 (talk) 03:21, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support This is too important not to do. Total blackout please. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 27.50.50.157 (talk) 04:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support More specifically firmly support a US wide block. Just because Wikipedia is content neutral does not preclude it from having opinions on the laws that will effect it's governance. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.46.0.240 (talk) 04:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Oppose SOPA bad. Wikipedia good. Don't go down the political path. It is a slippery slope. Once you start it is hard to stop. What will be the next political hot topic Wikipedia steps in on? One of the five pillars of Wikipedia is to stay neutral. Be strong, stay the way you are.

Wikipedia may wish to be silent on politics, but the feeling is not mutual. It WILL adversely affect the site75.62.105.81 (talk) 05:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support It's a terrible law. This could change that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.218.196.149 (talk) 03:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Mightythorton (talk • contribs) 03:03, 13 December 2011 (UTC) 

• Firmly Support. The communicative power of a wikipedia blackout would be enourmous. People won't stand for SOPA id they know of it and understand its implications. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.113.246.169 (talk) 02:57, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support. Pulling Wikipedia would have a profound effect and if websites such as Youtube join in SOPA will most likely be dead in its tracks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.39.103.27 (talk) 02:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Yes, sounds like a powerful message. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.254.170.49 (talk) 02:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

""Firmly Support"" Tumblr had pretty neat success and Wikipedia has a real impact on people, it will get attention!

• Support. Here is what I recommend: Facebook, google, youtube and wikipedia should take down their sites and replace them with a message about SOPA all on the same day. But it shouldn't end there. They should also personally attack each of the original progenators in the Senate/House of the bill. Their political careers need to end that day. It's not enough to simply stop this bill. If they do, another will be enacted pretty soon with pretty much the same problems. Politicians need to understand that if they take on the internet and choose record labels over their own constituents they cannot expect support from their own political base. Karlzt (talk) 02:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose. Only result will be ISYFM. Full stop. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.76.208.232 (talk) 02:17, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support As an Aussie, we are locked into Free Trade agreements with the US. If this bill passes, it will absolutely be ratified into Australian legislation too. There is nothing good that can come from SOPA, and if the biggest sites 'strike' in protest, the entire world can see the damage it will cause to the Internet as we know it. 121.209.32.154 (talk) 02:10, 13 December 2011 (UTC) (formerly 219.90.192.25)
• Firmly Support From an occasional editor, frequent user and old man in awe of the energy needed to run Wikipedia, I say go large:
  minimum 12-16 hour blackout to make a real impact proportionate to Wikipedia's contributions, presenting objections to censorship and a presentation of the Open Source organizations also fighting for freedom. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.54.7.152 (talk) 02:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support This bill has far-reaching implications, to the point of potentially adversely affecting the existence of Wikipedia itself. This isn't just about politics, this is about preserving the existence of an internet that has allowed for Wikipedia to exist in the form it does now. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.0.102.200 (talk) 01:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support I understand the arguments made against a strike, but since SOPA could hurt/threaten Wikipedia itself, I think powerful action is warranted. Joetainment (talk) 07:32, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• "'Firmly Support'" From a frequent user and college student. SOPA needs to be preempted, and only dire action will have success. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.140.149.197 (talk) 01:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support From an occasional editor and very frequent user. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.204.40.125 (talk) 01:22, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support SOPA opposes pretty much everything Wikipedia stands for. Now is an excellent time to make a stand. Jason Grossman (talk) 01:10, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support SOPA must be stopped. A short term blackout of Wikipedia is a great idea that I fully support as a long time user, writer, editor and donor, and generally as a supporter of freedom, technology and the internet. -M.Sc., M.D. candidate Lenrodman (talk) 01:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support This bill is a threat to the internet, and must be stopped. More discussion is needed however to decide how to implement this effectively. Dubk (talk) 00:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came%E2%80%A6 Vecter (talk) 00:25, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support A site like Wikipedia will become unmaintanable should a law like SOPA be enacted. Imagine a rogue party trying to deliberately create difficulties for Wikipedia or block some content by sharing links to copyrighted material in the article edits. Wikipedia may wish to be silent on politics, but the feeling is not mutual.99.127.229.172 (talk) 23:46, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support talking about this in more detail, and likely support the actual strike, but that hinges more on details about how it will be executed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Stevearm (talk • contribs) 23:34, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Normally Wikipedia should stay out of politics, but this law threatens Wikipedia's basic premise. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.241.126.114 (talk) 23:17, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support This needs stoped, thank god we have such a big power as wikipedia to help do so — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.16.67.78 (talk) 23:12, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support This issue matters a great deal to Wikipedia. AaronSw (talk) 22:54, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Striking WP would be a very effective media stunt to bring the issue of the SOPA to the attention of the general public and not just the tech community. Plazmatyk (talk) 22:33, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose. Stay out of politics. Advocacy by WMF on issues that matter to wikipedia is fine; using wikipedia to do it isn't. If Congress feels like passing this law on behalf of the American people, that's its prerogative. Politicising wikipedia damages its reputation. --Mkativerata (talk) 07:58, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Support-- Many people don't understand how terrible this legislation is. Wikipedia is based on openness just like he web ... and using it as a platform to oppose SOPA and PIPA is a great idea. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.155.76.35 (talk) 00:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Note This would not be advocacy by the WMF. In the Italian case, the WMF was not even aware of it until very shortly before it began. It was implemented by the community.--Jimbo Wales (talk) 08:05, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

And for precisely that reason, it's a bad idea. I don't have a problem with you going to the White House and giving Mr O a piece of your mind. But we have to draw a line between the organisational advocacy of the WMF and inappropriate advocacy by the "community" which would impair the encylopaedia. What about members of the community who happen to agree with the bill? --Mkativerata (talk) 08:53, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

The encyclopedia will be impaired by the bill! (unbeknownst to the oblivious users). US-only Block is a good way to inform them. Schalice (talk) 21:51, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support My understanding is that SOPA, while not directly threatening the legality of Wikipedia would be seriously detrimental to the everyday operations of the site. Wikipedia is based in the USA and US citizens account for a large percentage of contributions. With this in mind I also believe any action (if deemed necessary) should be at least English language wide, the proposed law would have an impact reaching far beyond US borders (even without taking into account the likely influence this would have on other western governments) and the response should be equally far reaching. —Flooq (Talk) at 00:09, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia may wish to be silent on politics, but the feeling is not mutual. The bill would materially affect operations of the site!99.127.229.172 (talk) 23:51, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - and note that, aside from corporate fatcats who have never heard of the concept of revolution, the American people don't want anything Congress is cranking out (they are approaching an approval rating of 0%). —Jeremy v^_^v ^{Components:V S M} 08:04, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose Duh WP:NOTADVOCACY. Y u no be Russavia ^{ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)} 08:07, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support in principle, though not sure exactly what it is we'd be planning to do. But this bill has the possibility to have a significantly damaging effect not just on Wikipedia but on the free and open Internet as a whole. I normally would never be in favor of Wikipedia taking a position as political issues go, but I've got to agree with the Italians here—this one's a special case because it's a direct threat. Seraphimblade ^{Talk to me} 08:16, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Confused - what are we supposed to be polling over? The acceptance of the bill, or the striking of WP because of the bill? If it's the acceptance then Strongly Oppose, and if it's the striking of WP, then again Strongly Oppose as per WP:SOAP but also Support for the following reason: Think of it like this: The internet is a medium, as is a book. If an encyclopaedia can be written in a book, then why can't it be written on the internet? The law is not clear cut on these things at all. Just my 2 cents. Osarius : T : C : Been CSD'd? 08:23, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose The issue has not been well stated, the community has not been well informed, and if I am going to pick up pitchfork and torch, I'm going to pick the issue to do it on. Sorry.--Wehwalt (talk) 08:58, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support iff it eliminates the safe harbor provision of the DMCA, or sufficiently compromises it to jeopardize the Wikimedia mission of collecting and disseminating free information. This isn't about advocacy, but about us being free to act as the largest repository of written information ever assembled. I feel that SOAP is fine for individual articles or policies, but when we're advocating for our right to exist, well we all want to be able continuing to improve the encyclopedia don't we? Crazynas ^t 09:04, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Uneasy support if it drastically impacts the core mission or distrupt majorly wiki*dia operations then sure, some form of action might be reasonable. However I believe it's very important to use this only as a last resort, only if it's really needed. It's a powerful weapon, not to be wasted if it can be avoided. Also, it's a very polarizing issue, as we've seen with the itwiki, while the Italian community had a wide consensus, I've seen many others especially from this wikipedia be fiercely against it. I think thinks kind of action should be discussed on some kind of specific page on meta, to allow for input from all the diverse wikimedia projects. Obviously an enwiki strike would have to be discussed and decided on this project, but if the interest is in global actions or actions like this in general, it would be interesting to have input from other projects as well. An enwiki strike is very different, in my opinion, from an itwiki or any other project (except maybe for a commons strike that would disable image loading to the rest of the wikis), by its very nature, Enwiki is the showcase for the entire family, and is used in all countries, unlike a country specific issue, so if it would be an issue only affecting US, EU, Italian or Chinese editors, I would probably object to a strike here. However, if it would drastically affect the project itself, then some kind of action might be justified. However it's really important that it be a community driven initiative, not a wmf-driven one. I really think if the initiative would come from the wmf it might split the community, I fear. Snowolf ^{How can I help?} 09:42, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

  And it would need to have very, very broad consensus. Snowolf ^{How can I help?} 09:44, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support; however SOPA has holds in the Senate, so why not strike for public campaign finance instead? That would remove the opposition to (1) reinstitution of the Glass-Steagall Act, (2) fossil fuel and renewable energy subsidy reform, (3) return to the marginal tax rates of e.g. the 1950s when we paid down the debt from WWII (four times as large as a proportion of GDP than today's) without surpluses because the greater income equality caused the economy to grow much faster, (4) universal health care, (5) sentencing reform, against the prison guards' unions, (6) patent and copyright duration reform, and many other beneficial reforms currently stalled by special interest campaign donations. Overturning Citizens United as several recently introduced constitutional amendments would do is not enough. We must not simply enable public campaign finance, we must institute it. 67.6.163.68 (talk) 10:07, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

  The problem with all those other causes is that they are US only and not immediately related to Wikipedia. Take me for example. As a German living in Austria and with much stronger ties to the UK than the US, I think all the other causes you mention are worthy, but it's not appropriate for a world-wide, community driven project to take a stand on them excep twhere they touch the core of the project's purpose. This is the case only for SOPA. Hans Adler 10:31, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

  Wikipedia is hosted and the Foundation is located in the US. All project editors are directly affected by the length of US copyright terms which have been repeatedly lengthened by special interest lobbying money in the US, and you might have noticed over the past three years that your economy is somewhat dependent on the US economy, too. But Jimbo already mentioned that this might likely be geo-specific if it happens. I just hope we make the most of it. 67.6.163.68 (talk) 10:44, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support some form of dramatic protest, maybe something like the itwiki one, against SOPA and Protect IP. These bills make it possible for anyone who merely alleges copyright infringement to get a site shut down, pulled from search listings, DNS blacklisted, and its sources of funding cut off. Wikipedia has many enemies who would seek to exploit such a mechanism - besides the fact that the copyright infringement need not be proven, it is trivial to plant an infringement on Wikipedia that we cannot possibly detect (Alice writes article content in Word, sends it to Bob; Bob edits and adds it in). Moreover, Wikipedia may be required to remove links to accused sites, even if the sites did nothing wrong and such links are important for educational purposes. I would really appreciate Jimbo clarifying the actions under consideration however. Dcoetzee 10:12, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
  • Note: I was talking with some other users who suggested that we get a professional like Geoff Brigham to write a brief on the legal dangers SOPA/Protect IP pose to the project. His informed opinion would carry far more weight than armchair lawyers like myself. Dcoetzee 10:59, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
    • Update: Per Geoff's post on the most recent version of the bill, which no longer plausibly threatens to shut down Wikipedia, I withdraw support for a dramatic "hardlock" that makes Wikipedia inaccessible, in favor of a less dramatic mechanism such as displaying a message before continuing to the article. While the educational danger of being forced to remove links to legitimate foreign sites who are falsely accused of infringement (or for whom only a small subset of content is infringing) is a serious problem, it does not merit the same form of protest. Dcoetzee 08:09, 14 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. I guess the practical implementation could be roughly as follows: (1) Gain a strong community-wide consensus that this is what we want to do, regardless of what the Foundation may say. (2) Create a template that explains the situation, to replace articles. (3) Make sure that no active anti-vandalism bot will revert edits that replace a page by this template. (4) On the correct date, run bots that replace articles with the template. (5) Based on the consensus, the community will handle premature restorations of articles in the same way that it usually deals with vandalism. Hans Adler 10:24, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support WP:ADVOCACY is not relevant - except to reaffirm our dedication to the goals of the project. Goals which SOPA seems to threaten to put at risk. un☯mi 10:29, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support NOTADVOCACY isn't relevant here - we're not proposing to change our article content to advocate a point of view, it's entirely sensible to use Wikipedia to try to influence something of such huge importance to Wikipedia, and our normal article content policies aren't written with something like this in mind. Hut 8.5 11:34, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. It will add to our costs, and make us vulnerable to summary sanctions. All bad. --Anthonyhcole (talk) 12:42, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, but I think there would need to be a proposal and discussion regarding the exact mechanics. --FormerIP (talk) 13:36, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support only as last resort. Such kind of action works best only if exceptional, and thus should be implemented only in exceptional circumstances, that is, when the proposed law would greatly hamper the operations of Wikimedia projects (e.g. a US law removing the safe harbor status of hosting providers, and thus making the Foundation legally liable for any problem in Wikipedia content). David.Monniaux (talk) 14:47, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support legal action. On the plus side, America has a constitution to stop things like this - on the minus, our politicians never back down from a dumb idea because of protests. If (when) this thing is passed there will be a lawsuit - WMF, please join it as a plaintiff. I don't support a site-wide blackout, but a teach-in may be useful. Wnt (talk) 14:51, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. A protest like this would be huge (many, many magnitudes larger than the it.wiki protest) and would surely get people to talk about the law, which I consider a good thing. --Conti|✉ 14:57, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support; this law is destructive, and the general population isn't aware of how damaging it will be (the fact that it has been wilfully misnamed, and that public discussion of it is covered in lies and mischaracterisations does not help). Anything we can do to raise awareness of that law is a good thing, and even a brief "blackout" of the English Wikipedia is going to not only be directly noticeable, but is going to bring much-needed press attention to the issue. — Coren ^(talk) 15:46, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, but ideally keep it a US-based block. No need to block the rest of the world. The Cavalry (Message me) 15:59, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Fuck knows How are people around the world expected to know the details of a parochial piece of US legislation? That said, there are relatively few resources on Wikipedia dedicated to fixing copyvios and those who are involved are relatively unsupported. [1] shows a POV-pusher being able to run a long-term programme of harassment against the COPYVIO project. Then User:Cptnono is able to engage in part of his own harassment programme against the blocking admin who soon after hands in the broom. So, Jimmy, let's see you get your act together and engage in a proper effort to support those engaged in fixing copyvios and managing persistent violators before you complain about how unfair the law is.--Peter cohen (talk) 16:33, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongest Possible Oppose. Although I oppose the legislation, this is the start of a slippery slope. If we allow Wikipedia to be used openly as a tool for promoting a specific political agenda, we're basically saying goodbye for WP:NPOV and WP:NOTADVOCACY for good. Let's be clear what it would mean if we did this: any user who wants to use Wikipedia for their own political advocacy would be entitled to do so as long as they could get a local consensus to support them. What would be able to say to stop them doing so? Yes, the law is dangerous and a bad idea; but please Jimbo, don't destroy Wikipedia for the sake of a single act of protest. Robofish (talk) 16:40, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

• I am not sure why you would think that. Both NPOV and NOTADVOCACY deal with article contents - what we are talking about here is completely separate from article content. un☯mi 16:54, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

• While it's not clear how this 'strike' would be effected, it would presumably involve either blanking Wikipedia articles temporarily and replacing them with, or adding to them, a large notice informing users of the strike. That is, by definition, changing Wikipedia's content. Now, technically speaking the strike might not take place in the article namespace, but how many of our users can make that distinction? What they will find is that every Wikipedia article contains or has been replaced by a piece of political advocacy.

Wikipedia's greatest strength, along with the anyone-can-edit ethos, is its neutrality. This proposal would directly and completely undermine that. If it happens, I hope no one who supports it will complain when I tag WP:Neutral point of view with ((historical)). Robofish (talk) 17:04, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

NPOV applies to articles, not this. There are many valid arguments to be made against community action on SOPA; I see no need to push a false claim that this is covered by NPOV. --JaGa^talk 20:28, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

I think the point actually being made is not article POV, but public perception that as we support certain political causes (as some would have us do), we are biased on those issues, and possibly others. I am not an antique expert, but I now and then like to wander around antique fairs. If at a dealer's booth I spot one item of repro, I immediately stop shopping there. If he is selling one reproduced item, I really can't trust anything else he's selling.--Wehwalt (talk) 20:33, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

Maybe, but a "strongest possible oppose" beginning with a "slippery slope" argument is not very convincing. Furthermore, as I note below, this confuses neutrality and NPOV. The very idea of Wikipedia is inherently political and not at all neutral. NPOV is a rather radical point of view, grounded in the principle that it is better to be informed and aware of all significant views on a topic than to suppress or ignore views which are not compatible with our own or some prevailing dogma. Where else but on Wikipedia is "writing for the enemy" encouraged?

Wikipedia has a political agenda, and one that needs to be promoted and defended. That is completely different from using Wikipedia as a political platform to support other political agendas, and is not a slippery slope at all. NPOV is biassed towards no other viewpoint than NPOV itself. Geometry guy 22:06, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support A political move that affects Wikipedia should be liable to action by Wikipedia. Consider the case with takedown notices. Wikipedia gets one, complies. Therefore it is abiding the law. People want more power to delete articles they don't like, and now the law allows them to do so in higher frequencies. Therefore, Wikipedia loses articles. So, Wikipedia abides by law and law is about to hurt Wikipedia. Wikipedia should try to at least maintain its current status.93.109.129.169 (talk) 06:32, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support Wikipedia is not Switzerland, I don't see any point in staying neutral if it is going to materially affect Wikipedia. -Kai445 (talk) 17:10, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Weak support (only as last resort) It will be a good chance to let the US people aware of SOPA and also to make everyone remember why they need us. It should very clear that this is community driven rather than WMF decision. But this powerful tool, should only be used once, only if Wikipedia is in danger. This maybe too much, too soon. I think something like changing the Wikipedia logo for something else with a link to a statement is more appropriate.--Neo139 (talk) 18:54, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support This bill would likely be the death of Wikipedia, as well as much of the rest of the Internet that is actually useful. I also agree with Seraphimblade's comment below that it would be even better if this could be coordinated with other major websites that would be affected by this. Anomie⚔ 19:24, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support If SOPA passes, our ability to write an online encyclopedia could be greatly damaged, both short-term and long-term. --Enric Naval (talk) 19:34, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• I'm far from convinced the bill is going to have any significant effect on wikipedia even if it passes, despite the servers being located in the US as we already go to lengths to avoid contributory infrigement. While technically the bill could be intepreted as requiring us to avoid linking to sites like piratebay etc at all, I find it hard to believe that will survive on first amendment grounds. Therefore given that this isn't something that's we have any real reason to believe is going to affect all people visiting wikipedia, I would oppose if it's not effectively geotargeted. I'm Neutral if it is. Since as I'm not an American, I don't consider it my business what they do in cases like this. (I'm opposed to the bill BTW.) Nil Einne (talk) 19:39, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose Copyright violation is not what we do. I don't see how this would affect us in any substantial way. User:Fred Bauder Talk 20:13, 10 December 2011 (UTC)

• You are aware that if the safe harbor provision is eliminated from the DMCA it would open WMF to possibly frivolous, but still finically crippling litigation? Crazynas ^t 00:31, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support if we make it clear when blanking why and when it'll be over.∞陣内Jinnai 20:49, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support I think it's like spitting into the wind, but this does seem likely to be a potentially nasty swipe at crowd-sourced work. So much so that it's possible Wikipedia would be unable to continue in its current form. There are copyright problems here, and yes, they do get fixed (generally quite quickly) but the law might force us into pending revisions or something similar just so we are taking every step possible to avoid copyright violations. Hobit (talk) 21:08, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
  • I do think this should be US-only. Hobit (talk) 22:05, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - The proposed law is yet another step down the slippery slope towards political censorship. If the WP community wants to make a statement, they should use whatever tools they have available. A strike is a good tool. --Noleander (talk) 21:16, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Extremely Tentative Support 1. If it could be clearly demonstrated how the law would affect Wikipedia, and 2. if that were to be stated on the blanked pages. Then it could be an effective protest, and appropriate. First Light (talk) 21:24, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. While I'd never condone copyright infringement, or piracy .. A government that tries to take power away from the people, and give it to themselves is a very frightening thing. There are already mechanisms in place to deal with these issues. — Ched :  ?  21:34, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Tentative support. Promoting and defending the neutral point of view, and our goal to make the sum of all human knowledge freely available, is central to what we do here — as I have noted below. However, the case needs to made more clearly that SOPA threatens Wikipedia and our ability to do this before we consider taking action and/or what action to take. Geometry guy 21:40, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Full Support - I was right behind it.wp when they held their strike, and I fully support en.wp doing precisely the same. It's a matter of principal to me, that governments should not interfere with peoples interests in a democracy - taking the power away from the people, and giving themselves more. It's nothing short of crazy. Go Wikipedia.  BarkingFish  21:49, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Comment. To convey what I think, I'm afraid that I need to say this in a nuanced way, rather than saying support or oppose, because I'm actually somewhere in between. I very much support working to prevent the passage of any legislation that would hurt Wikipedia's mission. Therefore, I strongly support Jimbo speaking, with the backing of our community, against the legislation at the White House. Indeed, I think that a statement that a strike might occur will get attention in much the way (qualitatively, not quantitatively, in terms of the number of people reached) as would a strike itself. I would even support a press release from Jimbo and/or the WMF saying that a strike might occur. And I would strongly support WMF engaging as a legal party in litigation. But, on the other hand, I would oppose actually having such a strike. Our mission is to provide this encyclopedia, not to provide it only when we choose to. I agree with some of the editors above that this action could set a precedent in which editors might strike for reasons that become more partisan, and degrade Wikipedia's prestige. I would like our focus to be on fixing the legislation before it passes, rather than on reacting to it after. --Tryptofish (talk) 22:04, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• (edit conflict × 2) Strong support If this is what we need to do to convince the public of the possibly drastic effects of SOPA, then so be it. I am all for this. Logan _Talk ^{Contributions} 22:05, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support developing options for en. domains. The anglosphere forms a cohesive political-economic unit, and regularly trial policies in one area for export to another cf the New Zealand experiment. About the only power which it is legitimate for the en wikipedia to use collectively, is to strike against attacks on the encyclopaedic process by outside forces. I'm not in favour of symbolic striking—the point is to disrupt the circulation of capital in a domain—if we strike, it has to be either for a set period (rolling set periods?) or indefinitely. One slightly more strategic plan would be to blank all US categories. Fifelfoo (talk) 22:32, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support. Factual information should be free to access and learn from. Anything which eradicates access to knowledge is an abomination. SOPA goes well beyond its target of combating internet piracy; when it turns to shutting down or criminalizing what is currently free, legal access to knowledge, as is present on Wikipedia, it goes much too far. Melicans (talk, contributions) 22:45, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support right now corporate complaints about wikipedia content do not have the capacity to strongly influence the site as a whole. We earned this independence through years of steadfast commitment to our principles and refusal to accept advertisements. All of that can (and will) be swept away by SOPA. The intent of the law may cover filesharing and other activities unrelated to wikipedia's focus but the letter will undoubtedly be used to demand the removal of critical material or documents (even where those documents are in the public domain or otherwise freely licensed). Imagine the Rorschach Cheat Sheet scandal where SOPA was in place. The APA or the International Society of the Rorschach and Projective Methods could have easily filed a SOPA request (even a trivially false request) and attacked our fundraising sources and DNS routing. We see fraudulent DMCA takedown requests on youtube all the time so the paper penalties for lying on a SOPA request are likely to have the same deterrent effect (read: 0). We need to commit to the open web and explain to our readers that the english wikipedia is in danger should congress pass this bill. Protonk (talk) 23:16, 10 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - A few days without the sum of all human knowledge is worth it to send a message to keep the Internet safe. ZamorakO o (talk) 00:31, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. I'm not interested in involving Wikipedia in politics, but as Trotsky said about the dialectic, politics is very interested in us. --Gwern (contribs) 02:13 13 December 2011 (GMT)
• Support. Wikipedia is a marvellous resource that must be maintained at all cost, not marred by the foolish design of a couple of useless politicians.
• Oppose, really bad idea. Blanking the site for a political purpose, even one that helps Wiki, is using power over content for advocacy. It's in the same class as deleting an article that might help a candidate or cause some subset of us don't like. Yes, not as egrigious...but in the same class. (And there will be some subset of Wikipedians that support SOPA. Heck, I hear they even let Republicans edit this site, occasionally.)
• Strong Support The block should only apply to the US. AlexTingle (talk) 23:28, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Very strong support I urge those who oppose to read up more on SOPA. If enforced it will change the internet as we know it and yes this will probably include wikipedia. Imagine specific articles being censored because someone influential doesn't like what they say. I know it is not polite or within wikipedia's usual MO to do something like this, but those who are seeking to force this bill upon the world are against everything wikipedia stands for and must be stopped. This is a serious issue. --99.150.241.219 (talk) 19:46, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

For that matter, I don't know the details of the law and many here don't (I expect, sure some do, but I'm not the only one, I bet). I'm not sure that the benefits from Wiki keeping it's legal fiction outweigh the benefits of stopping privacy. (And let's be real...it is big time fiction. This is an encyclopedia, not an ISP, not even a chat site.)

Lastly, I don't like being polled on this without more work and presentation by the RFC submitter and the argument by Jimbo with first person not giving him the answer he wanted seemed both weak in sophistication and annoying in the manner of hassling an RFA opposer. It's also really bad form to be posting this on your user talk page, which has some tendancy to be populated by sycophants. It would show more respect to the group to have posted this on Village Pump or some central notice board. TCO (talk) 00:45, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

P.s. That was the moral argument against (and I mean it). That said, if you just want to win a political battle, by all means use every weapon at your command (underhanded or not). And this is probably an excellent weapon in efficacy. I just hope you let me get my content off the site before downing it. (But in terms of efficacy, the shock tactic would be better.) Might even be good for keeping me away from this place (good for you and me). -TCO

Comment. Since we created the content, why should we not use our power over it for advocacy or any other purpose if we decide to? --FormerIP (talk) 00:55, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Because of that little message below the editing window, the part about " you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the CC-BY-SA 3.0 License and the GFDL". It is not ours anymore. We deny access only to the site (or rather, we make the site effectively a single page advocacy message). The information's out there on mirror sites. Which do you think more likely, Google will support us on a matter of principle, or they will anticipate customer needs by substituting into the first page of search results a mirror site?--Wehwalt (talk) 01:03, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Google's so far up our arse we can see them in our bathroom mirror. They are not suddenly going to start preferring mirror sites because we take a position they undoubtedly agree with. Plus, that doesn't address my point. It's our content, we are free to do as we choose with it. We are also free to make a really bad choice in terms of search engine visibility, if we want to. --FormerIP (talk) 01:19, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Reply. We produced the content and donated it to a site that had 5 Principles, one of which was NPOV. Now we would be blowing that. Furthermore, it would become consensus on when we "strike", so that is one step to legitimizing consensus for which candidate we support or how we want to slant articles to win political battles. (I might be being dense and this was entirely your point?)TCO (talk) 01:12, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

FormerIP, I ran a google search for the subject of one of the articles I've helped out on, Murray Chotiner. We were the first site linked too, unsurprisingly. Then I ran the search [Murray Chotiner -wikipedia] which exluded pages with the word "Wikipedia" on it. A mirror site with our content was #8. So we can't deny access to the information.--Wehwalt (talk) 02:13, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

OK, so? I think you are misunderstanding the purpose of a strike. --FormerIP (talk) 02:30, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Educate me.--Wehwalt (talk) 02:33, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

It's to bring to people's attention why you should be valued and what they will be missing. If they still have mirror sites, then they still have mirror sites. But I doubt many people will think: "Who cares? We've still got mirror sites". If an airline goes on strike, then of course there are other airlines. But that doesn't mean there is no point to the airline staff striking. --FormerIP (talk) 03:35, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Yes, because they are generally striking about pay and conditions of employment, a dispute between them and the airline. Loss of business is a factor that both sides no doubt consider. However, here you would be striking for an external issue not within Wikipedia's control.--Wehwalt (talk) 13:21, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Moral support Since politicians aren't likely to listen to us, I'm not sure what this will do other than raise general awareness of an issue. But it is an issue that directly affects us in a negative way, and one that (IMO) needs greater public awareness. This being said, I'm a tad hesitant to get Wikipedia directly involved with any political issue, which may lead to accusations of bias. ThemFromSpace 01:11, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• A "what the fuck?!?" Oppose. We're an ENCYCLOPEDIA. Did somebody forget this? The purpose of an Encyclopedia is to collect knowledge, not some kind of a means towards political advocacy. We are not a Political action committee and honestly, this whole proposal just illustrates how out of touch with the fundamental purpose of Wikipedia - to build an encyclopedia - a lot of editors here are, including apparently Jimbo himself. Of course anyone is free to support whatever kind of measures they wish on an individual level. So go strike yourself. Put up some infoboxes on your user pages. Stop editing for a month or two. But this whole proposal is just so fundamentally at odds of what this project is about that it's actually mind blowing that this is being proposed with a straight face. Wikipedia is NOT facebook. It is NOT a blog. It is NOT a crusading newspaper. It is NOT a lobbying organization. It is an encyclopedia. How about we go and at least try to get the "encyclopedia: a collection of knowledge" part right first (which, given the low quality of a lot of our content has some ways to go) and then maybe after we manage to get that part right we can give ourselves the latitude to go off on off-topic crusades. Stop trying to be cute, write or improve some articles first. That's what we're here for.

And oh yeah. Why this particular cause and not some other? Volunteer Marek  01:09, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Because it is said that it threatens wikipedia's existence. That's why "this cause". Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 01:18, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

It had to be said: ^{[citation needed]}--Wehwalt (talk) 01:21, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

LOL. Thus my wording "it is said"; go ahead and accuse me of missing inline-citations, since the links are in the discussion below ;) Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 01:23, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

You'd fail at FAC, those links are hardly a comprehensive survey of the field. Might not even get to B class.:)--Wehwalt (talk) 01:30, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Marek, that's the most clearheaded thing I've read all afternoon. I've been sitting here watching arbs and people for whom my respect is slightly shaken support this thing and I was wondering if I've been ported into an alternate universe or something.--Wehwalt (talk) 01:30, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia IS an alternate universe (Ron Paul 2012, Ron Paul 2012, Ron Paul 2012).--Filterbypass (talk) 22:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Whether one supports or not, saying that this is "fundamentally at odds of what this project is about" is not clear-headed, but confused. Suppose the law was instead to ban the collection of knowledge? Would that have nothing to do with the "purpose of an encyclopedia"? Geometry guy 12:52, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Oops. I just read TCO's first post. It's a tie.--Wehwalt (talk) 01:32, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

I second Wehwalt -- this is just crazy, and it's horrifying to me how many wikipedians are on board with this... I know I'm a wikipedia nobody, but I guess I just trusted that the community would ensure that it sticks to its ideals. I actually had just started preparing a few articles to replace some of the really bad ones in nephrology to give back to something I've used for years and years, but now I honestly really just not sure it's a good use of my time, and I can't help but believe that a whole lot of folks think the same thing. Karthik Sarma (talk) 00:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Sticking to ideals sometimes means defending them. That is a much more tricky proposition, as you have to understand what the ideals are, why they need to be defended, and how best to defend them. Geometry guy 03:26, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

And more: seeing as we actually have an article on Stop_Online_Piracy_Act, engaging in this kind of action would very obviously violate our core policies such as NPOV, not to mention guidelines like WP:COI (maybe someone could argue that it's okay to violate NPOV with regards to this subject in a "meta" kind of way while hypocritically making a pretense of observing "neutrality" on the actual article itself - but that shouldn't fly). We still have these "fundamental pillars" and this is still one of them, right? If so, why is this proposal even being taken seriously? Go away people. Find something better to do and stop trying to kiss Jimbo's (and at the end of the day he's just another editor just like me and he can make wrong headed proposals just as anyone else - but they're still wrong headed proposals) ass. And call me crazy but I happen to think that our core pillars take precedence over the "cause du jour", even if it is being pushed by the man himself.

And in response to some of the more reasonable editors whom I respect who - in my opinion - jumped on this bandwagon for the wrong reasons: look, I think it's a stupid law myself. But it's not our job to fight it. Next time around, it's gonna be some different piece of political phenomenon, and one in which your personal opinion might agree with it. If this precedent - of Wikipedia getting into politics with both feet - gets set, then next time around you might find yourself at the losing end of community/Jimbo's proposals for political advocacy. Take a long term view and don't try to win a battle when you might lose a war. Volunteer Marek  01:38, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

As above, this confuses NPOV with neutrality.[2] If you think Wikipedia is "neutral", think again about the radical nature of its mission, and how unacceptable it is to some people, some societies, and some cultures to present viewpoints contrary to some prevailing dogma. Geometry guy 12:52, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

It really doesn't -- and you keep spouting the same thing over and over again without any real explanation. Sure, it's true that NPOV is not the same as neutrality. But in this case, wikipedia is taking a POV on an issue, and there's really just no way around that. The only difference, in my mind, between some sort of holocaust denier blanking all the WP pages in protest of wikipedia's affirmation of the holocaust and this proposed action is that most wikipedians seem to think *this* cause is right -- we don't get to make that choice! Karthik Sarma (talk) 00:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

I do not spout: I express my views clearly, and based on principles, and I have a long-standing reputation for doing so. You assert instead that "wikipedia is taking a POV on an issue" without explaining what you mean by "wikipedia", or what you mean by "POV". Have you not yet understood that NPOV is a point of view? Geometry guy 01:37, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Fair point -- I should have said 'wikipedia would be taking a POV on an issue if this proposal were to be enacted.' The issue is SOPA, the POV is 'SOPA is bad,' and 'wikipedia' would be whoever would enact the proposal (likely the community itself). NPOV is a protocol. If you mean that whether or not something is NPOV requires taking a POV, then sure, you're right. My POV is that a blackout due to the current wording of SOPA is a POV and constitutes a violation of NPOV ;) Karthik Sarma (talk) 01:45, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Thanks. I am also concerned that action might compromise our principles: however I think our principle to make knowledge freely available is more of an issue here than NPOV. When discussing politics it is all too easy to be naive. Politics has a bad name: our main exposure to it is through political corruption and career politicians. However, any activity involving more than two or three people is inherently political. This discussion is political and anyone contributing to it is engaging in politics. Wikipedia is political. Even the view that Wikipedia should seek to maintain its neutrality, as seen by the outside world, is political. The goal to make the sum of human knowledge freely available is political. NPOV itself is political. Wikipedia has values and principles which are political. The discussion here concerns the extent to which SOPA may or may not compromise or harm those principles. There are no easy answers, but pretending that this has nothing to do with us because "Wikipedia is neutral" completely misses the point. Geometry guy 02:11, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

In the spirit of fairness, I'll point out that I never said it has nothing to do with us -- I only said that the option presented here is not one that we should take. There are other options open to the community and to use as individuals. I won't claim to understand politics (since nobody truly can), but I am rather literate in the arena and I have been pursuing the problems with the current SOPA draft through the usual channels, and I have not yet seen any evidence that this approach will fail. Wikipedia is just not the right place to be staging a protest or a forced strike or whatever you want to call it... if individual wikipedians want to go on strike, that's fine. To black out everything is, however, simply too much a violation of the WP spirit. Karthik Sarma (talk) 03:13, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

We are neither yet at that point, nor does the hat-text of this poll say that we are. Geometry guy 03:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Erm -- that's *literally* what it says - a general strike a la it.wp Karthik Sarma (talk) 05:27, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia having principles ≠ NPOV violations. By Wikipedia's existence, there is an implicit NPOV violation in preferring copyleft to copyright, in preferring sharing to selfishness, in preferring free access to knowledge for all over limited access for some, in preferring deliberation to voting (at least in limited circumstances). This does not mean that there is an NPOV issue regarding the articles on copyright, Creative Commons, free culture, neutrality, knowledge, Wikipedia (or indeed criticism of Wikipedia), democracy or much else besides. To give a reductio ad absurdum, if someone were to turn up at the Wikimedia Foundation's offices in San Francisco and start torturing kittens for fun, the Foundation staff would be more than justified in calling the cops and escorting said kitten torturer from the building without accusations that they are somehow violating NPOV by taking a stand against all those people who think animal torture is just fine. The community and the Foundation doing whatever is necessary to ensure the continued availability and success of the project as a whole is not an NPOV violation; to steal a phrase from Robert H. Jackson, NPOV is not a suicide pact. —Tom Morris (talk) 14:32, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• After hours of thinking: Support something, pending specifics about the form the protest will take. Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 01:16, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
  • Update: the new version doesn't seem to target wikipedia directly; I still "support something" but now oppose drastic measures such as blanking. Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 08:17, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

  (EC) To be perfectly honest I'm having trouble discerning the sarcastic from the fanatic comments at this point. Which actually says something about the proposal itself and the level of consideration. So I'll just leave that there. Volunteer Marek  01:38, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support If necessary at a critical moment when it may actually help prevent legislation that would threaten this encyclopedia's future. Our policy against advocacy is not a suicide pact, and one legitimate exception, in my opinion, is to advocate for our continued existence. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 02:03, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose Wikipedia or the Commons actually being shut down by the government for alleged corporate copyright violations would bring down a hellstorm of public protest, far beyond what any local staged protest might do. We'd be back in a day or less, the feds would be backpedaling, and the corporation calling for the shutdown would be covering their asses at the speed of light. Such an event might very well lead to eventual repeal of the stupid law, and a career-ending calling out of every politician who voted for it.

  Also the whole thing is a very good reason for the world needing a "backup root DNS" that is not based in the USA, and which therefore is not under direct political control by the US government. DMahalko (talk) 02:24, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• What the hell am I supporting? Are we going to wipe the servers for a week or something? If so, don't be so bloody stupid. — Joseph Fox 02:33, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

The Italian Wikipedia changed every page to edit as only "View source" for a few seconds before redirecting the page to a rant about why the website was blocking access to every page. Page source markup could only be copied by stopping the browser at "View source" and then just edit the text offline, until the Italian WP resumed access 3 days later. It was very frustrating, and pageview counts of most pages plummeted when people realized they would no longer see articles. -Wikid77 07:30, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support SOPA isn't the only act (of war) being taken against open and free dissemination of information online, though. It'd be good to attack the issues in other countries also. ˜danjel [ talk | contribs ] 02:36, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support If Wikipedia sleeps on this and it passes, it will irrepairably destroy what we are doing here and we'll not have a chance to have a voice then. In this case, sticking to WP:NOTADVOCACY is damaging to the 'pedia. This would be the only case I would support this sort of advocacy though.--v/r - TP 03:45, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose We seem to be putting the cart before the horse. Strikes are what you do when all else has failed and there are no other options. Even if (hypothetically) a strike was a good choice it wouldn't be a good first choice. Cloveapple (talk) 04:14, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose I oppose the legislation, but that's a political view. I don't ever want Wikipedia to take a political view, no matter how much I agree with it. Ntsimp (talk) 05:22, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Brad (talk) 05:38, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support This is one of those cases where it's for Wikipedia's own survival. There is no slippery slope to boycotting for gay marriage or other things. Those things don't stop WikiMedia from hosting pictures of Eric Cartman with gray sideburns at a blackboard in the Dances with Smurfs article. SOPA jeopardizes all of our photographic and audio database because a few things are considered copyright by some company while we consider we have WP:Fairuse. Those things don't open up Wikipedia to blackmail by industries who have their employees non-stop post copyright material here and then threaten Wikimedia Foundation with a shut down if Wikimedia doesn't open up it's top banner to advertising. You believe that some business won't play underhanded? Just wait... SOPA will be the law that at best opens up the top banner to advertising to get concessions from the Wikimedia Foundation to keep it's doors open from non-stop litigation. Alatari (talk) 05:47, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Lobbyists and their politicians always overreach and try to do too much, and it falls upon those that would be affected to clearly draw attention to the problems in advance. Editing some article does not cut it, while blanking Wikipedia would focus the minds of a large proportion of those who use the Internet. The outcomes of a bill like this are hard to predict, but the bill is intended to put the onus on websites to react to every kite-flying exercise and is not compatible with Wikipedia as it exists. Johnuniq (talk) 06:33, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support: SOPA would cripple Wikipedia's ability to function. --Carnildo (talk) 06:36, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - Koko90 (talk) 10:33, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Poll continued (break one)

• Strongly support. Raising awareness about SOPA is critical before it's too late. As an internet-based tool, Wikipedia has a vested interest in fighting SOPA. Furthermore, the citizens that compose Wikipedia have a duty as citizens to prevent it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.215.117.42 (talk) 06:32, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Weak oppose. I thing that SOPA is really horrible, but I do not believe that it would be that disastrous for Wikipedia; the worst thing would be to filter our external links for copyright-infringing websites (aren't they already against out policies?). If you do this, please at least make it much softer, maybe do just a warning instead of total boycott like it.wp did. vvv^t 08:42, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose The sense of entitlement reflected in this proposal is Occupy-grade obnoxious. If Wikipedia is really going to be this frightened by lawmakers' legitimate concerns about intellectual property rights, Wikipedia may as well put a big sign on the front door announcing it knows it will never be able to effectively police copyright, and it doesn't care. Townlake (talk) 08:50, 11 December 2011 (UTC) Change to Support. This will awaken the world to the heretofore little-known reality that Wikipedia is riddled with copyright violations. I'd be fascinated to see how publicly announcing this plays out. Townlake (talk) 04:42, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose this has nothing to do with Wikipedia - the US government is not going to shut down this project regardless of legislation - and to remain neutral we must avoid taking political stances.
• If you feel really strongly about this go and protest in your own time. -- Eraserhead1 <talk> 08:59, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

  There appears to be disagreement as to whether this has something to do with Wikipedia. Whatever your view, however, please don't confuse NPOV with neutrality.[3] Wikipedia is not neutral at all, but promotes a rather radical agenda to make the sum of human knowledge freely available to all. NPOV itself is far from neutral: many would regard it as harmful to present all significant views fairly and without bias. Geometry guy 12:52, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

  • The appearance of neutrality is why we don't include ads - that appearance includes not making overt political stances on things which aren't obviously directly relevant to the project (e.g. the Italian thing) - this bill may be bad, but that's the job of American citizens to sort out - go and protest about it. -- Eraserhead1 <talk> 14:17, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

    Some people think it is directly relevant, as, for example, it might force Wikipedia to check all contributions for copyvios before they are posted, thus compromising the principle that anyone can edit (as well as being completely impractical). Geometry guy 15:39, 11 December 2011 (UTC) PS. There are many reasons Wikipedia does not have ads (freedom, for example) - that's not the basis of an argument.

  Of course I support NPOV. But the very idea of Wikipedia is not neutral: Wikipedia is an incredibly subversive idea when viewed in the context of human history. The fact that you might think that Wikipedia's mission could in any way be considered neutral shows what a wondrously privileged position you're able to speak from. Through most of human history— and in large parts of the world today— knowledge has been tightly regulated for a multitude of political, social, and economic purposes. In some circles, the very concept of NPOV is incredibly controversial, even sacrilegious. The basic fact is that neutrality is not neutral.

  This is also all very much a real and direct issue for us in many ways. Consider: one of our other tenets is verifiability—but how can we uphold verifiability if truthful information can be suppressed elsewhere without even a reasonable lawful process? As I say in my support, if you erase something everywhere else, you erase it on Wikipedia too. Of course people can dodge the law, but underground sites don't make for good citations. We depend on the freedom of others even more than we depend on our own. We're able to adopt a very narrow copyright policy and maximize the freeness of our works precisely because there are other people to distribute the questionable stuff. It may be the case that "the US government is not going to shut down this project regardless of legislation", but that privilege means that the free speech of an entire nation would be our moral burden. Taking a stand here and now will simply be less costly than dealing with the consequences of not doing so. --Gmaxwell (talk) 02:55, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support I would have suggested a site-wide blanking of content like the Italian Wikipedia back in November had I not look like the lone crazy suggesting it. I withheld my opinion because I thought the U.S. government was smart enough to shoot this proposed bill down, but obviously I was wrong. This bill would subject websites to censorship akin to The People's Republic of China, Iran and North Korea, and it would not only have an effect in the United States, but globally. It effects Wikipedia, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, and any other website which a corporation or the government itself felt the need to have information purged from it and blacklisted to prohibit copyright infringement. This isn't just for what's good for Wikipedia, this is for the good of the internet, because this bill will make it unable for us to keep it the way it is. A temporary redirect can always be taken off and reverted back once it's over. Allowing the government to blacklist and change our content because they want to protect copyright, is not fixable and shouldn't be allowable. — Moe ε 09:43, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongest support in the world This is a direct threat to Wikipedia's mission, to provide the best knowledge to anyone free of charge. PaoloNapolitano 11:02, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• LOL How about instead, the WMF puts some of its skyrocketing budget into paying some professionals to make sure that Commons and WP don't contain any material that could be interpreted as violating copyright? Then you wouldn't need to worry about this bill. If WP has its house in order, you don't have to worry about the lawman. Cla68 (talk) 11:20, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose; until such a time as someone with proper legal training can explain, cogently, whether and to what extent this will affect Wikipedia in a material way. --Errant ^(chat!) 11:32, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Errant, don't have legal training but I've researched this. The primary concern for Wikipedia is: a number of legal commentators say it would make sites whose users post content research their posts to make sure that they do not infringe copyright. Under current law, the safe harbor provisions of DMCA say that if someone posts copyrighted material Wikipedia must take it down as soon as it is notified of the violation, but so long as it does do that, it cannot be sued for a copyright violation. There's much more, but that is the part most pertinent to Wikipedia vs anyone else. It mandates high-stakes user moderation, on steroids. Elinruby (talk) 14:16, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Comment - ErrantX, maybe it would be a good idea to ask Geoff (WMF Counsel) to study the text of the bill, and get a clear explanation from him as to the effects that SOPA would have on Wikipedia. Any thoughts from others?  BarkingFish  19:30, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Oppose: as a citizen of another country. This is a international site (.org, .com), not a United States site (.us). ~~Ebe123~~ → report on my contribs. 12:55, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Comment The unfortunate reality is that US governmental actions affect us all. My country (Australia) follows the US slavishly, particularly in regards to IP legislation and I don't doubt that we'll follow along this time as well. ˜danjel [ talk | contribs ] 13:13, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

I would not advise you to tell your MHR and your state's senators (or territory's) that they are slaves to the United States. Certainly not in person, from my studies of Whitlam, I understand Aussie politicians are pretty feisty.--Wehwalt (talk) 13:16, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

I like the Aussies--they come to all our wars.

Whitlam is a completely different species of politician against the gang we have in power at the moment. On one side of politics we have the "Liberals" (capital-L liberals) who are exploring new territory on the conservative/right side of politics. On the other, we have the ALP who, for the most part, are pretending to be Liberals. Seriously. We practically have a one-party system, and they're both in a completely sychopantic relationship with the US. ˜danjel [ talk | contribs ] 14:25, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Ebe123 — .com, .org, and .net are U.S. domains. Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 14:01, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Comment This argument is completely invalid due to the fact that Verisign controls the com, net, and org registries. The US gov't considers these domains to be under their control no matter which registrar they are purchased through, and no matter where the registrant is located. Jasonid (talk) 00:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support as a British Wikipedian: that it's only a US bill is irrelevant, as it will have measurable repurcussions on the rest of the world. And "only wrongdoers have to be concerned" is a shitty reason that has historically being used by authoritarian governments to roll back civil liberties. The fact of the matter is, it'll only be copyright problems at first that'll be blocked, then anything else The Powers That Be dislike that'll be blocked next. As much as I risk pulling a Godwin, first they came for the communists... this bill threatens the entire project, and the entire internet. Sceptre ^(talk) 13:52, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
  • Then go and protest about it in your own time. -- Eraserhead1 <talk> 14:17, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

    By posting a support comment here, at the weekend, that is almost certainly what Sceptre is doing! :) Geometry guy 15:44, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

    • My MP (for the past year and a bit) is anti-FOI, pro-control order, so I don't think writing him would do any good... although I remain a member of the party that is using some clout to loosen up copyright legislation wrt: fair use. Sceptre ^(talk) 16:24, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, although if there comes to be a poll on striking I would like the implications of the bill for Wikipedia to be made clear to everyone who is voting. It Is Me Here ^{t / c} 14:04, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Scratch the future tense:

• CarrierIQ Nov 2011
• Cryptome Feb 2010
• Black Box Voting 2003

Elinruby (talk) 14:16, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

• Oppose, per ErrantX: I have not yet seen a clear explanation, by a competent lawyer, of how exactly this bill would impair the operation of Wikipedia. If there is a convincing case that it would, I would support some form of protest.  Sandstein  14:39, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• LOL per Cla68. Watch out for that boomerang. --SB_Johnny | ^talk 14:42, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, this threatens the very existence and survival of Wikipedia. One day is more than enough to get the message across then to spend several months teaching users how to get around US's version of Great Firewall of China. - Mailer Diablo 14:47, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support, because desperate times call for desperate measures, and hurts the entire internet community even if wikipedia comes out unscathed. In addition, Wikimedia and wikipedia are community organizations, however they are allowed to have an agenda. When that agenda is the freedom of information and citizens, why stop them from pursuing it? I fully support it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.160.27.174 (talk) 22:42, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Conditional Oppose If I saw a clear explanation by wikimedia counsel or a group of legally qualified wikipedians that this law would harm the legitimate operation of wikipedia, then I would change my view to supporting any and all measures to oppose the bill. However, like several others above I have not seen that at the moment. From the very limited amount I have read on SOPA, although I consider it an odious piece of legislation, I have not seen anything that indicates it would harm wikipedia. Ajbp (talk) 15:27, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose: As what I consider myself to be a netizen first and a US citizen second, I consider having sites that have committed to me (the average user) of being up and not being hijacked for every single political movement or money grab that comes across the owner's plate. Has the leadership or the Foundation considered the negative effects of the en community organizing a "Taking our toys and going home" temper tantrum on the largest wiki, one of the top informative repositories of data, and the reputation hit to the "Encyclopedia that anybody can edit" if we go through this? What about the editors in other regions of the world that use the EN wikipedia? If, next month Australia or New Zealand start the process that would put a great firewall in place will we issue another general strike? I'm sorry, but between this idea and the "Game Theory" research survey I ponder the need for a EN steering committee for the purposes of vetting proposed ideas that will effect the entire community. Hasteur (talk) 16:58, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Alternative Wikipedia's job is to explain SOPA (and the Senate's PIPA) so people can make up their own minds. Instead of a strike, which would remove all information, we should be focusing on providing as much information about these bills as possible - for, against, and otherwise. Going on strike would be cutting off our nose to spite our face. It would be an own goal. Currently, the article has three very limited External links. Not even the Official THOMAS site is included. I would include in-depth reports such as ABC News. I'm also confused by why PIPA has the Network Neutrality template, but SOPA does not. I suggest we get our own house in order rather than strike. 75.59.206.69 (talk) 17:39, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Comment —There are conflicting goals here. The side of opposition to this proposal is that our goals of neutrality and encyclopedism should not be compromised. The side of support is that SOPA's implementation could cause dramatic harm to the function or even existence of the Wikimedia projects. These are both reasonable points that I think can be broadly agreed upon. Where people disagree is in how we may go about minimizing the risk. Our position as a provider of neutral information precludes us from generally taking advocative positions: Wikipedia isn't a soapbox. However, I do think it's reasonable to advocate on issues that affect the project: if SOPA is implemented, Wikimedia might face trouble—so we can justify advocacy on the principle of the preservation and advancement of Wikimedia, rather than merely using our prominence to advocate unrelated changes. On the other hand, the proposed method of advocacy—effectively shutting down Wikipedia for some length of time—seems to go too far. It directly compromises our goal of encyclopedism: while the advocacy is in effect, we would be completely failing our goals. To be sure, it is a highly effective means of protest; but it is not justified when there are lesser methods that could provide nearly as much visibility for our issue without compromising other goals. For example, has anyone considered a simple click-through rather than an outright blackout? Has anyone considered US-geolocated banners in the style of the fundraiser banners, urging people to contact their local political representatives in opposition to the bill? There are partway measures that can be taken before the need for Italian-style drama. We should save that method for a case where we are more directly threatened: Wikipedia would fare comparatively better than many other social-media sites under SOPA because we already do extensive monitoring for and removal of illegitimately used content. While SOPA is still definitely to be strongly opposed (I personally think it's idiotic in many ways), it doesn't directly threaten us, as far as I can tell (I'm not a lawyer). Save the big guns for the really scary cases. :P ((Nihiltres|talk|edits|⚡)) 18:05, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

  Thanks for writing a comment that is worthy of attention from all points of view. Geometry guy 23:45, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support --Guerillero | My Talk 18:07, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support do what you think is best. Gerardw (talk) 19:31, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• The WMF doesn't give a shit about all the copyright violations sitting on its servers. We can go on strike after the WMF takes immediate action regarding the thousands of copyvios on Commons and the two-year backlog at WP:CCI. That this is even being proposed is completely hypocritical and disgusting. Why the hell are we protesting anti-piracy legislation when we're hosting illegal content on our own site??? /ƒETCHCOMMS/ 20:06, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

I've got nothing but scorn and crocodile tears for CCI for running Richard Norton through a multi-week long proctologists exam. Seriously, CCI has nothing to do with anything in this department... Their purported "2 year backlog" is a product of their own making. And those people secretly love it. Carrite (talk) 02:54, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

CCI is irrelevant. The fact is that the WMF is not actively or aggressively taking steps to address the numerous copyright violations it is hosting. It was at one point unwilling to even add a "not sure" license option to Commons' UploadWizard, because immediately putting a speedy deletion notice on copyright violations was too unfriendly to new users. /ƒETCHCOMMS/ 03:07, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

As one of the old-hand proponents of strict and narrow lawful behavior WRT copyright I find your position perplexing. The Wikimedia sites have the strongest free content requirements of any popular community contributed content site that I'm aware of by a long shot. Everywhere else makes you use a DMCA takedown to get rid of even the most obvious copyright violations. It was always my position that the fact that there were other sites that were willing to host the questionable stuff was a big reason that we could get away with being as strict as we are, otherwise our refusals to host things we weren't sure were free would intellectually impoverish mankind. Think of how much harder removing non-free content will be if Wikipedia is one of the few sites that can get away with hosting it? --Gmaxwell (talk) 03:04, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support a US-only block, but oppose blocking access to the rest of the world, since it's a US-specific issue.—S Marshall T/C 20:49, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. Oh I love this idea. SOPA goes against Wikipedia ideals. Blanking would be a stunning event. Artem Karimov (talk) 21:10, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, I think I don't have to repeat the reasoning for it, but I'd even make it world-wide, because the US position matters for many other nations in the world. People should be seeing that the passing of the bill has consequences around the whole globe. --The Evil IP address (talk) 21:46, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose. While I can see why many people would want to do this, I'd like to remind everyone of the consequences of both types of actions. If we go ahead and blank the site temporarily in an act of protest, we lose our standing in the eyes of many as a neutral encyclopedia, and become closer and closer to a POV-pushing PAC. As some might remember, one of the reasons for the Spanish Wikipedia split was because of the possibility of ads coming, and many felt betrayed at writing content that they thought was for non-commercial purposes, only to have their trust seemingly betrayed. If we want to risk editors fleeing Wikipedia because they thought they were contributing to a nonpartisan encyclopedia, then go right ahead- but we'll be making a huge mistake. Also, I don't see how such an action on our part is even necessary. Does anyone here honestly think that the US government will be able to pummel us out of existence with lawsuits? The public outrage on any serious attack on Wikipedia by the government would be enough to make every legislator deeply worried about his reelection chances. Unless someone can tell me, with absolute honesty and certainty, that SOPA will destroy Wikipedia and that any inaction on our part will lead to certain doom, I will remain in strong opposition to this proposal.--Slon02 (talk) 21:48, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose – As he has stated above, Jimbo already has enough influence to visit the White House. He doesn't need the the strike in order to speak to politicians, advisers, and the media. I'm not convinced that a strike would be the best way to attract the attention of the media and politicians. The Italian Wikipedia situation is different since they didn't have an Italian version of Jimbo to speak for them. --Michaeldsuarez (talk) 22:27, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
  • Strongly support. Media and politicians aren't the primary target; this is about Wikipedia's ten million daily visitors. We need a groundswell of opposition to shout down these noxious bills, and it's damn hard to make the average person care about some blandly titled legislation having something to do with "rogue websites". Slapping ten million people in the face with a warning just might turn the popular conversation around to what those in power are about to get away with. 134.117.137.79 (talk) 11:29, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Comment I would like to better understand how this bill would affect us, specifically. I know that the DMCA grants us "safe harbor" against copyvio infringement lawsuits - that is, as long as we are reasonably vigilant about removing copyvio content upon discovery, we're safe from being sued by copyright holders. Fine and good. From what I've been reading, I gather that the SOPA legislation removes that safe harbor, and puts the onus of copyvio policing onto the content providers. So I wonder, could we continue to operate as we do in this brave new SOPA world? Or would we be required to fundamentally change our operating model? Would a level 2 across-the-board pending changes implementation do the trick, or would even more stringent controls be necessary? I don't know. I would love to hear some specifics from our resident copyright law experts, or WMF legal counsel. --JaGa^talk 23:00, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support SOPA could very well have horrible consequences for Wikipedia, possibly because some Government official feels threatened by our commitment to free access of information. Access to potentially damaging information about persons in Government, as well as information about Radical political theory, could be blocked as subversive under the guise of protecting copyright. I could see it getting very messy for Wikipedia, and I believe we should take a stand. Wikipedia has been successful due to the web's open interface; anything attempting to impede the free-flow of information is inherently against Wikipedia's ideals. Perhaps we could institute a day of protest, where Wikipedia is inaccessible and instead replaced with information about SOPA? 68.195.21.220 (talk) 23:08, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support I'd like more attention on this issue, especially because, as a Canadian citizen, I have no way of expressing my discontent to any political leaders in the U.S. Wikipedia taking a stand on a bill this Draconian is only fair if said bill could cripple us. m.o.p 23:43, 11 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. Assume what I've seen of the bill is accurate, it would allow others to shut down (or ban from US-based DNS tables) Wikipedia entirely. It is something the community should take a stand on. (Wikimedia might take a stand on it, as well, but that's their decision. This is ours, as the community.) — Arthur Rubin (talk) 02:03, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Technical Neutral Not an oppose because I don't want to stand in the way if this is what the majority want however moving this direction from encyclopedia to political advocacy will affect my personal enthusiasm for the project.--Cube lurker (talk) 02:20, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose - No sense getting worked up over every crap election-year proposal. Carrite (talk) 02:30, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose. We're a public charity and aren't allowed to engage in political advocacy. This would be a good way to endanger our status as a charity, I think. And I'm skeptical that the United States government would pass a law that shuts down the Wikipedia. They're not fools. And if they did pass such a law, it'd probably be corrected quickly enough. And if it wasn't corrected quickly, that would mean the United States government is willing to accept the loss of the Wikipedia as collateral damage. And if they're willing to accept the loss of the Wikipedia, then going on strike is not going to change their minds about anything. --Herostratus (talk) 03:21, 12 December 2011 (UTC) After looking into this law some more, I now support any reasonable action including a strike or blanking, if this will help. This really is a pretty problematical law, and if I understand aright it really will likely cause the Wikipedia to be shut down pretty quickly. I'm still somewhat confident that this would be corrected, but my confidence is shaken somewhat, and even if corrected this might take too long. So it's a question of blanking now as a protest, or blanking later under duress for a long time if not forever. I'd prefer the former. I still think this could possibly cause problems for our status as a charity, but this would be preferable to not existing at all, I would say. Herostratus (talk) 05:19, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Oppose. Wikipedia is not a WP:CRYSTALball and cannot post WP:OR original-research statements, including hypothetical-danger comments to defend a strike. WP does not allow gossip or pet theories to even flood talk-pages. Plus, the proposed SOPA law does NOT seem to apply to Wikipedia file servers within the U.S. and so move or keep WP file-servers within U.S. borders, where the article "Stop Online Piracy Act" emphasizes the intent of the proposed law is to allow the U.S. Feds to prosecute violations of U.S. intellectual-property rights when violated by other nations, as if being violations of U.S. organizations. -Wikid77 (talk) 06:51, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
  • That really doesn't make sense. The rules you cite apply to articles. Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 06:58, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

The rules for WP:CRYSTAL and WP:OR also apply to talk-pages, where editors should not post unverifiable predictions (or product claims, "I bought one and it even ran 100 times better") on the talk-pages, so that covers most pages in Wikipedia (plus WP should not rely on argument to authority with claims that some dire event will happen, but instead have corroborating evidence as verifiable for the claim). As for the implementation of U.S. laws, there is usually a long delay between the passing of a law and the effective date, which allows time to restructure to avoid many problems. I hope that clarifies the issues. -Wikid77 08:11, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

If WP:CRYSTAL and WP:OR apply to talk pages, then please provide a citation for that assertion to a reliable secondary source. Geometry guy 21:57, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support. Temporary whiteout now is better then permanent struggle in future. — Dmitrij D. Czarkoff (talk) 07:26, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose Wikipedia is a "free encyclopedia", not a lobbying tool. Incidentally, if we really want to use it for lobbying, there are countries where freedom on internet is seriously more threatened than in the USA or in Italy. French Tourist (talk) 08:21, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Oppose. Do we really need to fork Wikipedia to ensure we keep a free encyclopedia available to anyone that cannot be used for lobbying? — Arkanosis ^✉ 09:55, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong oppose - I'm all for WMF or individual editors advocating free speech, but this should not be done in the name of the encyclopedia or its entire community, or at the expense of every reader and editor. We serve our readers by providing content, not by advocacy. wctaiwan (talk) 10:19, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - Though the extent of my support may just be me complaining loudly on Facebook. Marcus Qwertyus 11:12, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - PatternSpider (talk) 12:05, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Uncertain I may be wrong, but I do not think this law would harm any of our five pilars. In fact, it would only cause a reinforcement of the third pillar : Wikipedia shall become a completely free encyclopedia without any copyrighted content (no fair use…). Yet, I remain puzzled by the radical provisions implied : a single misunderstanding on copyright issues would be enough to bring the encyclopedia into serious troubles. Alexander Doria (talk) 13:39, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. SOPA would almost certainly cause problems for Wikipedia now. What's more, it probably would have killed Wikipedia and its open model at the beginning, before it had the clout it has now. A reasonably open and free internet is the environment projects like Wikipedia need to develop and flourish. This is not a generic lobbying attempt against a generic law - it's a limited action intended to draw attention to the fact that this law, as it is, threatens free content creation, free and open websites, and hence the free exchange of information. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 15:21, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose. While I agree that this legislation would negatively impact Wikipedia and should be opposed, I am not convinced that a drastic step like blanking the site is the correct way to proceed. It could very well backfire. I agree with those who say that the mission of the site is to educate, so let's educate people about the legislation, and have a protest against it on the site, but not instead of the site. Neutron (talk) 15:39, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. Blank the pages. We live in a world of rules and governments on power trips. Don't let them have ours. Mrlittleirish 16:26, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - SOPA gives the corporate world legal leverage to impinge the free flow of information on the web. WP is all about the making knowledge easily accessible to all. As such, the act runs counter to WP's "raison d'etre". Even without being well versed as to the details of this bill, it's pretty evident that WP has more to lose than gain with its passage. NickCT (talk) 16:51, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Comment. For info only, I count 63 in support and 28 opposing to this point. I did it on my fingers, though and I only have ten, so please feel free to check, anyone. --FormerIP (talk) 17:03, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

I had 61-29, but it may be hard to get an exact count because many of the supports and opposes are very nuanced.--Wehwalt (talk) 17:26, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• I really, really, really hate to support bold and aggressive action here. That said, whatever happens, happens, and if Congress passes SOPA as law, and BHO doesn't veto, I oppose any subsequent civil disobedience. CharlieEchoTango (contact) 17:52, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - SOPA and similar legislation will be the end of the internet and as far as i am concerned the end of the internet at this point is the end of the world as we know it. Do WHATEVER will help stop it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Shinigamidono (talk • contribs) 21:39, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support, even as a non-US user. SOPA is a threat to the very existence of wikipedia and similar websites. It would be naive to think that not taking real and direct action will somehow convince congress to drop the bill in the face of all the corporate lobbying. The US already tries to control what should be the nation-blind internet. Fight SOPA, fight for internet freedom. --AndrewTindall (talk) 21:46, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support. As many users have pointed out, Wikipedia is not a political tool. But if the people supporting Wikipedia (all those who have said support), those same people who stand against SOPA, want to express their voice in some way; why lot let them do so. Pjrobertson (talk) 21:49, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose This is not what Wikipedia is for. Jimmy Wales may wish to make a protest, but he can do it himself with his own resources, not suborn Wikipedia to be his puppet. The cause may be just, but this is just reaching out to use the most convenient, closest tool at hand rather than the most appropriate. Wikipedia does not belong to Jimmy Wales. Whatever happened to NPOV? Kodabar (talk) 21:50, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

  If anyone was under the impression that Wikipedia belonged to Jimmy there would be no question here! If this happens it would because the community supports it. In my view, the support here is overwhelming. I also don't think there is any conflict with NPOV (please search this page for my comments on that). --Gmaxwell (talk) 03:24, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - This is legislation that would potentially shut wikipedia down. It would mean that edits would have to be PRE-APPROVED before they can show up, which is against the fundamental core principle of what makes wikipedia... wikipedia! The world must know that their beloved encyclopedia (and yes, wikipedia BELONGS to the world) is in danger! Blank it! Blank it for a day, or a week if you must, but blank it! Fieari (talk) 21:54, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support - This is essential for the long-term survival of projects like Wikipedia. -- M2Ys4U ^(talk) 21:56, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. I'm not sure blanking the pages is the best possible system, though. Personally, I'd display links to impartial, well-reasoned explanations of why SOPA shouldn't become law. For example, Laurence Tribe's letter explaining how SOPA would violate the First Amendment. Orihalcon28 (talk) 21:59, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Uncertain Protesting by advertisement, open letters in very available newspaper and magazin, and personal letters to everybody possibly involved, might be a good idea. But blanking WP for a certain time would not be effective. But the foundation should consider moving its legal registration and offices outside the USA Night of the Big Wind _talk 22:07, 12 December 2011 (UTC) May I suggest Ireland?
• Support. The threat to Wikipedia's editorial independence is strong enough, outside of the threat to the Internet as a whole, to warrant this action. Were it "just" the Internet at risk, but Wikipedia were excluded, I would argue it was unwarranted. As Wikipedia itself may be affected by this legislation and how the powers it grants might be used, taking a stand is warranted. Throwaway85 (talk) 22:08, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support. This legislation threatens the legal framework (DMCA Safe Harbor) under which Wikipedia operates. Under it, Wikipedia and countless other user generated media sites would be shut down. Dpemmons (talk) 22:18, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support I have been growing concerned with the requests by law enforcement and private interest groups to abolish and/or erode civil liberties (or my personal life's activities period) before any crime has even been proven. wsoder (talk) 22:24, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support, because I believe that SOPA would seriously damage our ability to work towards our core project goals. —TheDJ (talk • contribs) 22:26, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support. Any legislation in any nation which has jurisdiction over all of Wikipedia's operations (and not just enWP), should be of interest and concern to this community. Especially one that folks feel "would seriously impact the functioning of Wikipedia for everyone" and possibly even put an end to open-source projects like MediaWiki and Mozilla. As a nonprofit in the US, it is WMF's legal right to do this and that exists for a reason. Saying it's only Wikipedia's job to profile this legislation would be like saying it's only the New York Time's job to report on an effort to end freedom of the press in the US - it's absurd and unrealistic. Maybe if we lived on Planet Utopia where projects and the laws which govern them didn't have to be concerned about each other - but that's simply not the world we live in. Covering our ears and saying "lalalalalala" hoping it will just go away or not happen is not an appropriate response for a mature and capable community such as Wikipedia. --Varnent (talk) 22:28, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support with a clear plan of what to do if/when the actual law passes. --Quasipalm (talk) 22:28, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support The legislation is overly broad, my personal feelings is that the response should be as overly broad. 109.153.0.232 (talk) 22:34, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Good idea. --ESP (talk) 22:36, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, but remember Protect IP SOPA will break the internet, so blanking Wikipedia is just a taste of what might come on a lot of sites if it goes trough. It's a good way to warn the general public about the dagers facing the internet. But if this is done I really hope that the message explaining why will include information about the Protect IP, which is almost just as bad, but even more likely to pass! --Forteller (talk) 23:14, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support Its a great idea to stop a ridiculous law from being enacted. This would work great and really show how a community can band together to stop these politicians. Wmcscrooge (talk) 22:44, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

This domain as been seized by the United States Attorney Michael Doe pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by, the United States District Court under the authority of the Stop Online Piracy Act.


The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted works is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

and the should be a big button on the that links to the EFF's page on SOPA and says "halt web censorship based on unverified allegations of copyright infringement". Icedog (talk) 22:43, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

This is a nice idea: see also User_talk:Jimbo_Wales#Alternate_.22Blanking.22_Proposal below. Geometry guy 23:45, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

I don't believe that Wikipedia should employ deceptive messages. The WMF shouldn't trick its readership into believing that Wikipedia really is the victim of SOPA. Also, that message would direct all of the readership's anger on an Attorney General who didn't really shut down Wikipedia; the outcry should be directed at the lawmakers and lobbyists responsible for SOPA instead. --Michaeldsuarez (talk) 01:40, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

I agree with you that pointing the finger (especially inaccurately) would not be helpful. I wanted to draw attention to this idea not as an ideal, but as a contribution to further discussion on how we might take effective action (if we have to) without causing harm. Geometry guy 02:26, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongest Possible Support SOPA is a direct threat to Wikipedia, among many other things. This action is more than warranted. Digitiki (talk) 22:47, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Very good idea. Chico75 (talk) 23:11, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support (with reservations) - I'm with the crowd who is leery of what this kind of political advocacy would mean for Wikipedia, but considering the circumstances, I think it is justified. SOPA is a huge threat to some pretty fundamental freedoms, and would almost certainly represent a threat to Wikipedia itself. Sprhodes (talk) 23:16, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support This law is not only dangerous to wikipedia, it dangerous to the entire internet. It encourages other governments to take a censorship approach to the internet. Most people will not be aware of this until it is too late. This will make people who otherwise would be unaware, at least aware of the discussion. I fully support this action. -Tracer9999 (talk) 23:16, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support with comments I'd support this during 24h, world-wide. However, since I think Wikipedia is a public service (not as in state-owned, but as commons), I'd prefer that, instead of blanking all articles, every page is substituted by a message against SOPA, then let the user go through to the article after clicking a link. A cookie could be used to show the anti-SOPA message only once for each user/IP. Anyway, I'd support this strike even if the community decide it's better to to a full blanking. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ColdWind (talk • contribs) 23:18, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongest possible support in the world The permanent passage of SOPA is a greater threat to Wikipedia's neutrality than temporarily advocating against it, and advocating against it has a substantial chance to be a deciding factor in preventing its passage (although if Google or some other company with lots of eyeballs does something big, then maybe not). --Michael White^T·C 23:18, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support The threat posed by SOPA to both Wikipedia and the Internet as a whole outweighs the downsides here. --Trevor Johns ✎ 23:20, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Only this is an existential threat I think this is only appropriate if we truly believe that passage of this law would prevent Wikipedia from continuing in it's current form. The Italian law from my understanding would have make the site liable for content generated by users and forced the removal of *true* facts. I don't see this with SOPA, but if you believe that if SOPA passes you would have to discontinue Wikipedia forever, then yes blanking it is acceptable.Lotu (talk) 23:29, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Jimmy, this is the right way to go. Please do follow through on your plan. The politicians who have been bought and paid for by the media companies need to know that the people who they 'represent' will not go quietly into the good night. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.171.191.60 (talk) 23:39, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support The American people are oblivious that this is happening. Many of my friends have never heard of NDAA, SOPA, PIPA, etc. We need to do this. --Boywonder2 (talk) 23:47, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support This is basically an issue of survival for WMF, so yes, absolute support. 24.80.164.171 (talk) 00:07, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support When SOPA passes, articles with a NPOV may have to be rewritten in order to comply. Though the WMF shouldn't take a political stance, after SOPA passes, it will have no choice. Blanking seems a bit extreme (much like SOPA)...perhaps a click-through message + banner + logo + background change would suffice over blanking. Blanking will render wikipedia useless for a day...this probably won't help donations and it'll lose a day worth of edits...but it would elicit the strongest negative response.Smallman12q (talk) 00:40, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Poll continued (break #2)

• Tenative Support. I would prefer if any such formalized strike discussion would occur closer to when the finalized version of the bill is finished, as it is about to undergo markup. Currently, it is only a draft. But as it is written now, the threat the bill poses to the project is thus far, quite real. It seems likely that Wikipedia would be the recipient of frivolous lawsuits over the copyrighted content that already resides on Wikipedia in addition to new copyrighted content that is uploaded everyday. Furthermore, websites are at a clear disadvantage when a claim is filed by a copyright holder-- all a copyright holder needs is a "reasonable belief" to sue, whereas the allegedly infringing website needs to show that the claimant "knowingly" and "materially" misrepresented the website's activity. I, Jethrobot ^{drop me a line} (note: not a bot!) 23:49, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Support. I completely your idea and your call, Jimmy. Dinesh Cyanam (talk) 00:00, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Really Strong Support Anything could threaten Wikipedia must be protested. Anything. They know they can't live without Wikipedia a single month, every political uses the Wikipedia every day for them speeches. Everyone uses. They have to know how important we are for them before trying destroy us. MetalBrasil (talk) 00:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Support. SOPA is much worse than many non-net citizens would like to believe. --Kampfers (talk) 00:10, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Support. Any question of what might happen to Wikipedia as a result of a protest MUST be contrasted with the fact that, if this bill passes, there may very well not BE a Wikipedia to worry about. Regardless of what your position may be on Wikipedia getting involved in politics, existential threats are ALWAYS worth getting involved in. User:Glenn Willen (Talk) 00:12, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. This is a dagger aimed at our heart. We must dodge before the thrust. Spot (talk) 00:18, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Absolute Support. Wikipedia must be active in opposing this new law, as it could affect any site to which content is posted by users. The common carrier protections must be defended, and it is time for Wikipedia to act in the strongest manner possible... or Wikipedia will cease to be the open website we need. People must be free to edit and contribute! Jasonid (talk) 00:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support with Reservations - This seems a little bold, and slightly against the open nature of Wikipedia, but, if it passes, Wikipedia is going to have a lot of crap to deal with, and the open nature may go away slightly anyway, so...--Unionhawk ^{Talk E-mail} 00:27, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support. Even if it is only taken down for an afternoon, this will send an unmistakable message that will resonate across the globe. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.102.253.12 (talk) 00:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly Oppose. This is really not a good idea. I understand where it's coming from, I really do, and to some degree I agree with the anti-SOPA concerns. However, I think the idea that this is the 'end' of WP/WPF is a little overblown. The consequences on the American public will be significant and I do not think that most people are going to think 'oh, good for them -- standing up for their political ideals.' What *will* happen is that the media will make the WP community look like a bunch of whiny communists and most of america will simply assume that they're right, because they're angry that there's no more wikipedia for them. In the meantime, some big player will put up a replacement site and will win market share. I'd also point out that taking down WP, even temporarily, is screwing many of us contributors that spent time working on articles on the assumption that they'd be available free to the world without a political bent (and, though I'm not one of them, I know there are many contributors on the right who are probably more pro-SOPA). When the day comes that congress decides to outlaw free speech, then by all means take things down in protest. Taking the site down because you are concerned that a *draft* of a bill is going to give the justice department carte blanche to take down WP is absurd.

Bottom line: This draft of legislation is not an existential threat. WP:ADVOCACY *does* apply in spirit -- blanking WP is akin to simply deleting all content. Blocking the site, even for a little while, will slam WP's reputation in the public and likely reduce our ability to respond to *actual* existential threats. And, most importantly of all, we do not ever get to choose sides! We can't decide to change the rules just because we don't like the way things are going any more than republicans or democrats can choose to ignore free speech when it becomes inconvenient. The moment this starts happening is the moment we become a political party that blackmails politicians into doing our bidding (which, by the way, won't work -- you don't think corporate america is dying for the day that wikipedia starts losing and they can get that juicy, juicy market share?)

Please don't do this guys -- this is a bad, bad idea. Karthik Sarma (talk) 00:39, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Full Support - This is just the sort of thing that will change the game. Kobra (talk) 00:57, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Wholeheartedly support --EEMIV (talk) 00:39, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Coming out of retirement to Strongly support this... --Vandalism destroyer 00:46, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support.
• Strong Support. This clearly threatens the existence of Wikipedia, and Wikipedia should be extremely clear in opposing the legislation. Larstebil (talk) 01:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support. This will make the average Joe realize what this bill can do. We humans tend not to care about what we are losing until we no longer have it. Gamerzworld (talk) 01:13, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support. I agree with those who say that this is a matter of survival. This bill would (sooner or later) mean the end of user-generated content, which is Wikipedia's entire foundation. As for "not engaging in politics", that's all well and good, but when politics begins to threaten your very existence, it is time to get involved. One caveat: the rationale for why Wikipedia is doing this should be made very clear to any visitors to the site. There needs to be a simply-stated but well-referenced, bulletproof essay. Esn (talk) 01:17, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support as this would impact our operations. - Hydroxonium (T•C•V) 01:22, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support. We are an encyclopedia, but this insane law would severely interfere with the way we work. WMF would need thousands of employees to even start to attempt to obey this law, effectively killing Wikipedia. WMF should therefore oppose the law by the most effective means possible, not on moral or political grounds, but on narrow practical grounds. -Arch dude (talk) 01:24, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support. While I do not think that Wikipedia would be a likely target of SOPA/PIPA, I believe that a statement must be made, and WP has enough of a viewing group to make it. 01:25, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support. SOPA threatens the very fundamental aspects of the Internet as we know it. It will kill innovation and free speech. If we as Americans think internet filters in Iran and China are bad, this is right there with them in terms of impact and censorship. —Tony Webster (talk / contribs) 01:28, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support. The mass opposition to SOPA is a strong sign, and I would applaud Wikipedia's bold move against. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.17.82.247 (talk) 01:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support. I support a strike by Wikipedia to help educate fellow U.S. voters about SOPA. MichaelLeonhard (talk) 01:37, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support. Do it right now while college papers are being written in the US. Scott Ritchie (talk) 01:42, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support I doubt the feds would be stupid enough to allow all of Wikipedia to be taken down, or all of YouTube, etc. The backlash would be overwhelming. However they would not oppose taking down the next web innovation, known only to a bunch of geeks. The next YouTube, the next awesome WP-like project, the next Facebook, is what is at risk. A blackout can call attention to the loss of valuable resources which the public was unaware of ten years ago but now relies on daily. That's what we risk losing. --TeaDrinker (talk) 01:48, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support. This needs to be done and this is the right place to do it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.222.37.58 (talk) 01:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support - I don't contribute as much as I view wikipedia, but I'd rather see it go down for a day, then it and half the internet go down for good! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.21.200.124 (talk) 01:52, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support - Political arguments aside, this will reach the most people and carry the most impact. After all, what site do most people use at least once a day? We no longer have the luxury of being impartial. We are already on a side. The side that supports a free and open internet, accessible to all. Zenimpulse (talk) 02:03, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Definitely support - The broader public needs to be more educated about this issue.. Wikipedia is a great avenue to reach the general public. This trumps political issues. 21:08, 12 December 2011 (EST) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 38.97.113.62 (talk)

• Support doing something powerful. I blackout would be that. I do have some reticence though. Making the knowledge in English Wikipedia and maybe other sites inaccessible feels a bit like protestors who destroy their own neighborhood. Sometimes necessary to gain attention and perhaps justice in the long run, but always painful and with collateral victims. Sure, visitors to Wikipedia sites can come back later or find a mirror, but just as surely, the neighborhood will recover. Maybe. Admittedly the analogy is far from perfect, but I wish there were something the Wikimedia movement could do that would have power analogous to a mass physical action, but avoid costs analogous to the same. Long term, I think fulfilling the Wikimedia vision is exactly that. In the short term, maybe a total blackout is necessary, though if there's a a way to equally powerfully present to viewers what SOPA means, then let them access the knowledge, I'd prefer that. UI challenge? Surely some A:B testing is in order for this important action. I'd hope that at least some messages tested convey not only the threat SOPA poses to Wikimedia, but the long-term threat the Wikimedia movement poses to censorship. --Mike Linksvayer (talk) 02:04, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support — Some comments have suggested we needed proof that this would directly impact Wikipedia. I don't agree with the view any more than I'd agree with a view that since only .COM and .NET domains have been seized so far that a .ORG shouldn't care. SOPA will indirectly affect Wikipedia by changing the climate we operate in: Today, we're free to make the right decisions, free to abide by NPOV, and free to use our best editorial judgment because we operate in an environment where our freedoms are strongly preserved (and we're also free to make bold mistakes, the value of which can not be overstated), and we benefit greatly from others having the same freedoms. Even if Wikipedia's size grants it political protection from the direct effects of the law, our work and content also serve many people who don't have our voice. These reusers are a part of our mission too. Our work also depends on the writings of many people outside the projects: we shy away from 'original research' for good verifiability reasons, so if you silence something everywhere except Wikipedia you silence it on Wikipedia too. Moreover, the freedom to speak freely outside of Wikipedia is critical to our ability to make a quality verifiable encyclopedia in another way: by allowing us to exclude things in good conscience that our decision will not erase them completely. For these reasons, and many more, I support taking a stand here. Besides, I've found bold statements to be pretty effective myself. :) --Gmaxwell (talk) 02:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - I fully support using the encyclopedia to fight against something that could frivolously shut it down or cost it money. --PresN 02:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support strongly - SOPA and PIPA are an existential threat to Wikipedia. They are the antithesis of what free information sharing is all about. At the word of one single complainant, without verification or corroboration, without any adversarial hearing or any determination by a judicial authority of any fault or guilt, all of Wikipedia could be shut down permanently. All it would take, literally, is one seller of widgets who doesn't like the (truthful) bad analysis of his company on his Wikipedia page. If that seller initiates an action, then on his say-so alone, ALL of Wikipedia could be shut down, with no recourse and no alternative. It is only fair for Wikipedia, as a community and as an organization, to show our displeasure at this sort of censorship and corporate control. As for NPOV, that's for what goes in an article. It has little to do with how the community and the organization themselves should behave. Taken to its logical extreme, the NPOV argument would suggest that NO Wikipedia editor should EVER get involved in anything controversial because that might call their neutrality into question. Hogwash on its face. Macoukji (talk) 02:19, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support strongly and NOT just for USA users, on the back of US offering to author NZ ISP-copyright law which directly ties US objectionable direct meddling with freedom of the pipes, to US objectionable meddling in 3rd country freedom to write their own legislation. For me, any perceived threat to WP directly is somewhat beside the point - it's about having the kind of internet which fosters, rather than frightens off, the ability of humans to share human culture, and thus could bring WP into being. ‒ Jaymax✍ 02:29, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support - PIPA/SOPA threaten Wikipedia and every other website that can be considered "controversial" by anyone. Oroso (talk) 02:31, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support strongly - This bill is not only a threat to Wikipedia, but to the entire internet itself. Please get this issue the attention it needs. There is going to be such great fallout and many ramifications if this bill passes. Make a stand, or forever wish that you did something. A site with such traffic and influence in public life will shake Congress and the pro-copyright-lobby to its core. This is the time to stand up, Wikipedia. Infernoapple (talk) 02:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support strongly. Historically if laws exists, they get used; it must be assumed this law, like many others before it, will be used a given way if it is capable of being used that way (eg). Today it's "only" for IP protection. Tomorrow and elsewhere free speech gets killed and whittled down country by country under threat of litigation and criminality. Current laws related to carrier immunity got it right. I support the overriding right to access content even if deemed undesirable, even if much of the content would be problematic under US or another country's legal system, because other countries would feel justified in blocking content we see as important for humanity following our example. It's far too massively open to abuse, for the most powerful country on the net to declare war on net rights. Sorry, no. This is bigger than Wikipedia and directly contradicts what we most deeply believe in, which is free global access to all knowledge, a reliable neutral medium in which completeness of information can be relied upon, and trust that humanity will benefit more in the long run than if gates are closed and barriers established. Would be proud to support action if deemed necessary, to send that message. FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 02:43, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong oppose - while the idea of a strike on Wikipedia may be "fun" or an event to many, I believe this is an extremely bad idea. As a long-time lurker on Wikipedia, I too fear that SOPA could damage the project and/or raise the maintenance burden and discourage "anyone editing". However, I fear that striking on Wikipedia in any visible manner on the article space will damage our reputation as a reliable data source and cause many readers and editors to leave. I do not wish Wikipedia to have a political agenda to push -- People will either fail to understand or misconstrue our intentions. As an observer of many less technical people using the Internet, I notice people will come across a page that's not their article and ask themselves, "Why won't my Wikipedia work?" This is usually followed up by trying to refresh the page and when that fails they will either try searching the for the page again or stop using Wikipedia (for the time being). My point being: For those who don't know what SOPA is about: We can link them and try to make them aware, but it's not their article. They won't look. On the other hand, if we're trying to get the media's attention (and we would with a stunt like this), we will be unable to edit their articles and news segments; whatever ideas they are able to work out of our strike will be aired and read nationally. This will again push the wrong ideas to the general public. I can imagine the headline now: "The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, has gone on strike today in protest of the US SOPA act. Wikipedia is well known for its neutral point of view and encyclopedic content." While I perfectly understand that WP:NPOV and all of our pillars do not apply to this issue, the news and general public might not quite get that point and we won't all be there to explain it to them. -- SnoFox^(t|c) 03:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• A follow up thought, I would support something drastic and suicidal such as a strike if SOPA was slated to pass. For example, if vetoed and going back for the re-vote, feel free to strike. I'd even help. That would likely prevent the 2/3rds from getting there. I just think it's way too early to strike. As seen here, it still has a while to go. -- SnoFox^(t|c) 03:45, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Poll continued (break #3)

• Full Support We NEED this kind of gesture. Please help us. SOPA will NOT stop piracy, it will only affect the technologically challenged. Pirates have already worked out ways around SOPA and PIPA. This bill is pointless since piracy is already illegal. This kind of policing on the internet cannot be done without taking peoples rights away. People do not realize this now but they will regret any SOPA like legislation that is passed. PLEASE help us. Cantormath (talk) 20:36, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Oppose I oppose SOPA but I oppose blanking wikpedia for any reason. review the comments from the fund raiser, that is why wikipedia thrives, not to take a political action. create another cool site for that!! Exprexxo (talk) 16:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Oppose - Jimmy please do stop playing policy with this project. Did Eric Schmidt from Google call you up? This Bill pushes Google but it does not affect us as we play by the rules. The whole idea to black out Wikipedia is banana. :))) Let's wait until the Government blacks us out. :))) What won't happen. We are the least affected web project on earth. Let's not misuse our project for policy reasons that do benefit other web companies and let's go back to what we can do best - writing an encyclopedia. We do not need to get involved in policy that effects a lot of our big donors but has little affect on us. 46.4.28.81 (talk) 02:33, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support - The bill gives copyright owners too much power; it does not have accountability. WhereAmI (talk) 06:13, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - Not to push an agenda, but to inform everyone about SOPA, and the effect of SOPA on the Internet. --Raul1231 (talk) 03:47, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - That being said, I think a rolling blackout (a few hours a day) will be just as effective but will be less disruptive to the site itself (continuing to be updated with new events and continuing to be a popular resource for information). Rdhettinger (talk) 03:43, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Oppose - Jimmy please do stop playing policy with this project. Did Eric Schmidt from Google call you up? This Bill pushes Google but it does not affect us as we play by the rules. The whole idea to black out Wikipedia is banana. :))) Let's wait until the Government blacks us out. :))) What won't happen. We are the least affected web project on earth. Let's not misuse our project for policy reasons that do benefit other web companies and let's go back to what we can do best - writing an encyclopedia. We do not need to get involved in policy that effects a lot of our big donors but has little affect on us. 46.4.28.81 (talk) 02:33, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - --The.dvincent (talk) 02:41, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Conditional Support This action threatens NPOV/NOADVOCACY. The only way around it is if it's an action not by the users of wikipedia, but by the WMF itself, which is the right organization to do this.Takometer (talk) 02:46, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support. My understanding of this proposed legislation is very limited, but if I understand it correctly, this legislation will remove the safe harbour provisions of the DMCA. I have serious concerns of the effect that this may have on Wikipedia, which have already been expressed by FT2 and Macoukji. I feel the same way. I feel that this (a Wikipedia blackout) is an extreme measure, but as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. Steven Zhang ^{Join the DR army!} 02:59, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support Absolutely. This law is unbelievably dangerous and we need to let people know what it's consequences will be. This website is the fifth most visited in the world and we will be massively impacted if this law passes. We need to do everything in our power to oppose this terrible piece of legislation. Thingg^⊕⊗ 03:05, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Oppose - Jimmy- this is a commerce issue, which has NOTHING TO DO WITH WIKIPEDIA. Let's stop pretending that piracy isn't an issue, and leave the laws up to the government. Read the new mark-up, only lawbreakers will be affected. Wikipedia getting involved in this will permanently soil its reputation. 03:12, 13 December 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.12.52.213 (talk)

• Strong Support If SOPA gets past the judiciary committee I think some action of this type is warranted. Wikipedia has always been a bellwether of the open culture movement, we shouldn't allow legislation which threatens the culture Wikipedia is a part of to pass without our voices being heard. Polyquest (talk) 03:05, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Weak Oppose for this proposal but Support for doing *something*. I do not feel there is consensus here for this kind of tactic. This won't be the last time this kind of action will need to be taken, either, perhaps next time there will be more clarity. Themusicgod1 (talk) 03:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Opppose. Wikipedia's copyright stance is enough to avoid problems, and guess what? I actually believe that YouTube needs to reform its business practices or be forcibly shut down.—Kww(talk) 03:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support for this proposal. As far as I am concerned, this would be the most visible stand that Wikipedia could take against this moronic law. In fact, I propose (if others haven't) that the shutdown be for a minimum of 24 hours, and during the week when it would be the most felt.

• Support Im just a guy whos been using wikipedia pretty much every day for years, and who has also been following the creeping death of the copyright industries endless demands for years too. I completely support the idea of using wikipedias considerable public exposure to bring the issue of the hateful SOPA bill to light, as the vanguard of the future of human knowledge we and WMF would be remiss if it didnt use this capability at such an opportune time, especially since the alternative of the influence the average citizen has on its government has never been lower than it is now. Its not just about downloading films and music, its about the whole INTERNET for gods sake, our culture, our commons, our privacy and our freedom. They want it all, and the US govt wants to give it to them. The line must be drawn here, this far and NO FURTHER. It has to stop! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.107.5.93 (talk) 03:19, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support This is the best way to educate people about SOPA. man with one red shoe 03:22, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• First they came for the pirates, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a pirate. Then they came for the blogs, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a blogger. Then they came for the social networks, and I didn't speak out because I didn't use any social networking site. Then they came for me (Wikipedian), and there was no one left to speak out for me. (Support) 山本一郎 (会話) 03:33, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - I say we set a precedent here. If Wikipedia is threatened with censure by law, it will oppose it using non-violent means within its power. Wikipedia will not remain neutral and will defend itself if when some force, regardless of other politics or agendas, threatens its mission or objective. -68.159.32.170 (talk) 03:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support- SOPA is both stupid and evil. It has the potential to seriously damage the internet, and will not be even remotely effective in its stated aims. Vocally opposing it is the right thing to do. Reyk _YO! 03:39, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support I do think that it's important to keep Wikipedia neutral on a wide variety of topics, even ones that I myself consider crucially important. But Wikipedia is one of the pillars of the Internet and it is, by far and away, the most visible and influential not-for-profit, grass-roots, and free Internet institution. It has a duty to weigh in on SOPA in the strongest possible terms not just for its own constituency but to stand up for its fundamental principles of free, open, transparent and uncensored access to know for everyone. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rettkent (talk • contribs) 03:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support some sort of coordinated and targeted action that doesn't take the rest of the world hostage. Redirect all visits from Capitol Hill to eff.org for 24 hours instead? If Google, Facebook and so on did the same thing it would send a clear and targeted message. Have you spoken to Google, Facebook etc about this? The rest of the world did not elect your politicians and though I support what you're trying to achieve here, what do expect those of us outside the US to do about it? Vyvyan Basterd (talk) 03:45, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support It's a perfect demonstration of what will happen with just this one site should SOPA pass. SOPA will cause irreparable harm. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.50.60.85 (talk) 03:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support The only thing that will stop SOPA is mass awareness. Not enough is being done as it is.

• Support. There has been very little attention paid to this issue by the media. This should fix that problem nicely :) — RockMFR 03:58, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• "'Strong Support'". Without action like this, there is a very strong likelihood that SOPA will pass despite the fact that much of the public would be against it if they only knew it were on the table. Wikipedia's strike would change this.70.53.104.243 (talk) 04:00, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support, although I doubt it will do any good, since Wikipedia doesn't have a PAC and money seems to be the only thing politicians listen to anymore. Tom Reedy (talk) 04:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - seems guaranteed to get publicity in the mainstream media. Mitigate harmful effects by providing links to mirrors. Stevage 04:13, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support. When I first read about the Italian Wikipedia's actions, my gut reaction was highly negative. The idea of exploiting/withholding a Wikipedia as a means of political protest didn't sit well with me, nor did the conflation of a language and a country. But when I read the various arguments and became aware of the extent to which the Italian Wikipedia and other Italian-language knowledge sources would have been adversely affected, I came to realize that desperate times called for desperate measures (and the protest's swift success bolstered the sentiment). I'm as strong a proponent of Wikipedia's neutrality as anyone, but when something threatens its very existence, we're forced to either fight back or become an encyclopedia that remained neutral until fading into history. Our mission, first and foremost, is to deliver free knowledge to the world. We mustn't lose sight of that. —David Levy 04:21, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - while i agree that wikipedia should remain neutral and avoid politics in nearly every situation, this is about freedom of information. all of the information is on wikipedia. and no one in america is paying attention. they need to know what is at stake. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.15.193.193 (talk) 04:31, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support We need to send a strong message to the government. This is an excellent way to do it, particularly if this is coordinated across a lot of different sites. While Wikipedia is neutral, this is an attack on neutrality itself (how can we have a neutral encyclopedia if some entertainment agency decides it doesn't like it and has it shut down). Cypher3c (talk) 04:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support. I don't know enough about the law to say that it's definitely a good idea, but I have no objection in principle. It's political, yes, but we have skin in the game. It's potentially damaging, yes, but the fact that it's a sacrifice makes it a more powerful statement. The Foundation should seriously consider action, and it should keep this option open. Melchoir (talk) 04:37, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - it's a matter of importance to the running of Wikipedia itself, rather than any particular editorial content (thus NPOV and NOTAVOCACY don't really apply) Erp Erpington (talk) 04:52, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Total Unyielding Support. Take it all down for a straight 24 hours but display information for how users can contact their representatives and Senators. This bill (well, technically, the House and Senate companion bills) is rotten to the core and must be destroyed, buried and the earth salted. This is absolutely not a partisan issue. It's about freedom of speech on the web, pure and simple. I took down my discussion board for 24 hours last week, without notice, to show what it would be like for the site to go down. Doing this won't cause any lasting damage, but will make a real, lasting statement that will have impact. Stevie is the man! ^{Talk • Work} 05:09, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - People complain about NPOV and such, but Wikipedia's mere existence is a political stance for the ability of the average person to have a voice in the world and for the idea that knowledge belongs to people, not businesses or governments. Acjohnson55 (talk) 05:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - This is an atrocious, offensive, and anti-democratic piece of legislation indeed. In itself, that is not remarkable nor cause enough for Wikipedia to take a stance in protest. However, since this particular piece of legislation impacts Wikipedia directly, I think a protest is appropriate. Let's just remember to take seriously the concerns from those who are weary of the Wikipedia project being turned into a political action committee. That said: do the right thing here, Jimbo! Make us proud. Star shaped (talk) 05:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - Raising awareness about this can at least allow users to make their own informed decision, if nothing else. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.38.27.114 (talk) 05:17, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support. That Wikipedia—a nonprofit, noncommercial Web site—is one of the most successful sites in the world is a bit miraculous in this age of corporate hegemony. And make no mistake: the proposed legislation is designed to allow corporate interests to consolidate even more power, money, and control, leaving individuals (e.g., Wikipedians) with fewer options to make a mark in the world. Even if the proposed legislation wouldn't directly and immediately affect WP—which it well might—it would pose significant risks for the future of free inquiry and expression on the Web as a whole. It is entirely appropriate for Wikipedians to unite and make a stand on this issue, and I find myself surprised and gladdened to see Jimbo taking the lead and soliciting community input. Rivertorch (talk) 05:18, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - I will miss having access to Wikipedia for the duration of the blackout, but it is an excellent way to raise awareness about this important issue. Microbat (talk) 05:20, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Weak Support - SOPA needs to be fought and this is a better cause than is served by dumb policies such as WP:PED, on the other hand editors would be infringed on their right to non-mutilation as guaranteed by http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Convention_for_the_Protection_of_Literary_and_Artistic_Works/Articles_1_to_21#Article_6bis --79.205.94.24 (talk) 05:31, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - Not only will this bill compromise Wikipedia, but it will eliminate the internet as one of the few places left for people to voice their opinions and I think that blanking a high profile site like Wikipedia is the best, most effective way to the get the message out there to the masses. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Benjw90 (talk • contribs) 05:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - I support blocking in the US only. There really isn't anything most other countries will be able to do about this, given how powerful America is politically. I also suggest that WMF seriously considers moving out of the US, in case it is passed. Even if this bill does not pass, there are going to be more attempts like this further down the line. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rdnetto (talk • contribs) 05:41, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - This will make an amazing statement. I don't believe it violates any article level activism issues because it effects wikipedia directly and not a topic. --ZacBowling ^(user|talk) 05:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - I concur with the previous statements that this will make a strong protest against SOPA. While it does transgress WP:NPOV, I think when issues like this come to discussion, its safe to WP:IAR. This is the fate of the internet we're dealing with, and if people can't see a world without our services, they'll never see the truth behind SOPA.  Marlith (Talk)  05:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - I think that SOPA could have negative consequences for Wikipedia and is worth fighting against --Unicityd (talk) 05:56, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - This just serves as an another example of the growing ineptitude of politicians worldwide. The SOPA and Protect IP Acts will destroy the very principles upon which the United States was founded, should they be passed the United States will have lost the last vestiges of its already tattered integrity and reputation. —James ^{(Talk • Contribs)} • 4:04pm • 06:04, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• This is not political, so Firmly Support To those who say something like this would be political in nature, you might look at it another way. The SOPA issue is not political. At least, it's not political in the same way that endorsing a Democrat or a Republican would be. To those who agree that SOPA represents a fundamental threat to the Internet as we know it, Wikipedia's public opposition to the bill would be in its own interest, in its users' interest, and in the interest of the very ecosystem which allows it to exist. 155.41.19.231 (talk) 06:02, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Supporting the hell out of this! History has shown that big media companies have accused new media of piracy (There's a trope for that too, given I am a troper): the early VCR, the early MP3 player, and now this! It may have gathered bipartisan support among the small group of politicians and lobbyists, but at the same time, the various political groups who would otherwise not look each other in the eye stand united in opposing the draconian bills such as this. To have either of the bills passed will have all sorts of implications for international internet, and even further tarnish American reputation. It doesn't help that law experts consider this blatantly unconstitutional. So do it! Do it! --MrBiggles42 (talk) 06:18, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Very Strongly Support With much lobbying on the other side; the people need a way of finding out about SOPA and contacting their representatives... drastic times call for drastic measures — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.91.232.84 (talk) 06:22, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support I'll spare the details, since they're listed multiple times already. There's an opportunity for a significant impact on every day people here -- do it. 98.110.53.87 (talk) 06:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - SOPA is a direct threat to Wikipedia and the rest of the Wikimedia projects themselves. In doing that, SOPA is a threat to the free exchange of ideas itself, and the free speech of the WMF. From a practical standpoint, under SOPA, one allegation of copyright infringement could result in crippling litigation against the WMF. As such, full scale resistance is called for. A strike is warranted and should proceed posthaste.Katana0182 (talk) 06:42, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - These bills have too many bad side effects. Wxidea (talk) 06:43, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support This is an ill-conceived and poorly-written law that could significantly impact the operation of the encyclopedia, making it appropriate for us to publicly voice our collective opposition. This particular way of voicing it would be extreme, but effective. --Cybercobra (talk) 06:52, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support, SOPA is a threat to the free internet. – Acdx (talk) 06:51, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - Though, if we ever do this, we must be sure to only use this method to protest against bills and laws that threaten the use of wikipedia (as done in the Italian case). As wikipedia is currently deeply dependent of US legislation, why not make it global too, every wikipedians worldwide is somehow unknowingly involved. But anyway this would need a formal vote rather than a poll. --FoeNyx (talk) 06:52, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - SOPA is a bill that will destroy the internet as we know it, and all websites, including Wikipedia, will be effect by SOPA if it becomes law. Right now SOPA is too esoteric for many casual computer and internet users to understand, but a temporary blank of one of the most popular websites on the internet would help people to understand the gravity of what passing this law would mean. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.179.134.138 (talk) 06:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - I think this kind of kick in the pants is what's needed. It's clear that drastic action is necessary. CDRdude (talk) 06:57, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support' - SOPA is a bill that will negatively affect Wikipedia, and the community built around Wikipedia. A full-blackout would help users who otherwise wouldn't be aware of the adverse affect SOPA would have on a resource they commonly use. ncallaway (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 06:59, 13 December 2011 (UTC).

• Firmly Support, We cannot let those that the American public trusts less than telemarketers and car salesmen right now block our only real free speech area. On the internet, one soul can express themselves and be heard by a million people in hours. There are no permits, no censorship, no propaganda, no social mores. There's no shame. People need to know what SOPA is trying to do. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.26.225.64 (talk) 07:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support, At least people should be aware what is SOPA and why it's bad. It doesn't matter if it starts in one country, if it succeeds it can very easily be accepted by other governments as well, it's a very convinient law for them.. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.26.225.64 (talk) 07:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Slider88slider (talk • contribs)

• Firmly Support, The bill will not only negatively affect Wikipedia, but the English-speaking digital world around which this version of Wikipedia exists. Whatever our opinions about the United States, there are real people living there who are not in the slightest way responsible for the poor behavior of their government and the vocal majority we see in media. I supported the idea for the Italians and I support the idea for Americans. A country doesn't need to be of worldwide significance to merit protest on its behalf, so the argument that the United State of of "declining importance" and we shouldn't protest their censorship because of that is fairly disturbing. Do what you can to defend the rights of our species, regardless of which portion of the planet he happens to walk upon. If Wikipedia can make a difference by protesting this bill, do it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.104.176.201 (talk) 07:40, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - The action is justified given the scale of the threat. Action should be coordinated with other stakeholders to the extent possible. Estevezj (talk) 07:55, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support, We must go to great lengths to bring attention to this. So many americans unthinkingly take Internet resources for granted; a high-profile outage will generate needed attention from the media at all levels. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.221.3.130 (talk) 16:11, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - Imagine if you didn't do anything, and the law gets passed, and 10-years from now the Internet as we know it is no longer. And you would look back on this day, and think if only.QuangV (talk) 08:09, 13 December 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.189.107.254 (talk)

• Firmly Support - This is a great idea in my opinion. So glad to see that there are many people who won't just sit idly by as special interests run the world. ElentariAchaea (talk) 08:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - SOPA is the first steps at possible widespread internet censorship. It is a dangerous precedent for the government to interfere with the workings of the internet to then lead to censorship of free speech. Also it is a direct threat to wikipedia as well so I don't think of action against SOPA as being arbitrarily political without good cause. With SOPA and NDAA and other bills, as well as the pressure against wikileaks we are in a fight for our rights and freedom so I consider this vital. I think blanking on all languages is good to raise awareness and make more effective. (First time contributing here... hopefully I did it right) 75.80.134.61 (talk) 08:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - Unfortunately, it seems precipitous action is sometimes required to get the attention of people who are otherwise too easily distracted by shopping malls and American Idol. SOPA is a very bad bill, and this would be effective in generating media attention that would help raise awareness of the issue and bring about debate. Censorship is a slippery slope, and so Wikipedia has a moral duty to show solidarity with those who would stand to be more directly affected by SOPA. Arjuna (talk) 08:42, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support without hesitation Anything to help support the project against this terrible new law. doktorb _words^deeds 09:04, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support. Although I agree with many above who point out that this does negatively effect Wikipedia's neutrality and could be a slippery slope, it's worth noting that SOPA and various other legislative acts and treaties (ACTA, for instance) pose a real and grave existential threat to Wikipedia and to the free flow of knowledge and information in general. If it is a slippery slope, then it is a slope set up by those who would limit the flow of knowledge. If we are to slip down it, I believe it is worth doing so with as much grace and fortitude as we can. It's very simple: If we do not take action when our existence is threatened, we will not be able to take action when the threat comes to bear. --Smári McCarthy (talk) 09:12, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support The potential impact on wikipedia, if not from this then from the next Big Brother enactment, is too troubling to ignore. A week would be a minimum. Ysth (talk) 09:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - As a UK resident I am all too aware how US policy is used as a justification for policy elsewhere. Malak1000 (talk) 09:39, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - But only because I vehemently disagree with SOPA and would be happy to see any nonviolent protests against it. I also don't think that objections along the lines of the protest violating Wikipedia's founding principle are valid. The existence of wikipedia is a strong statement in favor of the freedom of information in a very general sense. Taking some time to show the world what that freedom has given humanity in reaction to proposed legislation that threatens it is simply a more direct and useful version of the continued existence of Wikipedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.61.120.254 (talk) 09:46, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Oppose, while I root for the oponents to SOPA, I don't think Wikipedia (the international website) should get their hands on local politics. A banner would be an acceptable middle ground, something stronger (a complete block) would penalize people all around the world for something they can't do anything about. -- Luk ^talk 09:48, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - I support this completely. I have read some of the reservations of others about Wikipedia's neutrality, but I think they are clinging too strongly to the "pillars" here. This should not be a slippery slope because there is really only ONE issue ever where it makes sense for Wikipedia to do something like this and that issue is censorship. Advocating doing nothing in this specific instance is completely impractical and, in my opinion, shows a lack of total understanding of the situation and consequences of inaction. This IS our fight. I see it as an obligation actually. Wikipedia and its supporters are obligated to protect the conditions that allowed Wikipedia to thrive. Of course this community should protect the foundation it is based on. Suggesting otherwise is similar to a bank neglecting its security because "it's not their job to deal with the locks." All parties, neutral or not, owe it to the future of the internet to prevent legislation like SOPA from becoming law. Heeerrresjonny (talk) 09:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - SOPA is a clear threat to Wikipedia. --Guy Macon (talk) 10:02, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Oppose Jimmy- have you read the new mark up on this bill? It won't affect you or any other American or legal site. The fear-mongering is really reaching a fascist peak here- very frightening. If you fail to stand your ground against this tech lobby peer pressure, your reputation will never be the same. Just sayin, because I love this place. Peace. 10:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.59.84.114 (talk)

• Full Support. Stop the crazy! Citizens of the USA, please take your country back; it's embarrassing for the rest of us, and now our governments are getting funny ideas. Jon (talk) 10:15, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - SOPA is a threat to freedom on the Internet. Such legislation must be stopped in any country. But in the US it is especially important, since a lot of governments are still following US examples on Internet legislation. rené (talk) 10:24, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Oppose - Wikipedia should not go any political Roman 92 (talk) 10:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Oppose, SOPA is an incredibly stupid law, but inconveniencing the entire world because of a piece of legislative stupidity in one country would be an overreaction. Lankiveil ^{(speak to me)} 10:37, 13 December 2011 (UTC).

• Oppose - Wikipedia cannot hold democratically elected law makers to ransom every time that they do something that wikipedians don't like. Jamie Kitson (talk) 10:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - SOPA will make impact on all the Internet. So, Wikipedia just can't be a silent watcher. Veryblackraven (talk) 10:47, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - --Texaner (talk) 10:51, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - Important we do this for everyone, not just the US. 10:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.212.29.92 (talk)

• Strong Support - The driving force between the internet has some downsides as with every revolutionary new phenomenon. We'll have to accept new paradigms instead of fighting them. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 167.202.201.5 (talk) 11:05, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support strike in US. Switzerland has an army for a reason: even neutral parties are entitled to take action to preserve their very existence, and SOPA is a clear threat to not only Wikipedia, but every site with user-generated content on the Internet. It's essential that Americans be made aware of what their lawmakers are doing, and be "inconvenienced," as others are wont to say, enough that they are encouraged to act to prevent it. I think the full blanking for people outside the United States is overkill, however. There are too few things that non-Americans can do to affect our political process to make it worthwhile to inconvenience them. A nice, large sitenotice to let them know what us crazies in America are doing THIS time is certainly warranted, however. jSarek (talk) 10:55, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Opppose. Before protest action is taken, I would like to see a better solution proposed by those that are against SOPA instead of a knee-jerk reaction to any kind of actions taken to fight cyber-crime. To those who think the Internet should be a totally free flow of information, that is to say, it is equivalent to free speech and should be protected with the same ferocity, and therefore unregulated, I would ask the following. Imagine that you are a person holding down a dreary 40 hour per week job, and in your spare time, like J.K. Rowling, you manage to write a potential best-selling novel. But some smart-ass hacks the publisher's computer systems before it can be published, puts it on-line, and your future income dematerializes because now anyone can get it for free. How would you feel toward those people downloading and enjoying your work of thousands of hours for free? What would you think the government should do about it, if anything? Another scenario: your on-line bank account is hacked, and a good chunk of your savings is stolen. Hackers have set up websites to freely exchange toolkits for doing exactly this. How would you respond if the bank just told you, sorry no refund, and the law enforcement authorities responded with 'Sorry, but there's nothing we can do.'? Another scenario: a malicious group of hackers decides to take down Wikipedia just for fun, and starts a huge DoS attack with a mega bot-net. Some command and control servers are found to be located on a server in a foreign country run by a company with a policy of renting to anyone for anything and refusing any sort of regulation. Coincidentally, they also might be hosting websites by banned groups opposed to some authoritarian government. Do you just put down having to live with the DoS attacks as the price of free speech? SOPA may be bad legislation for various reasons -- overly broad language, or inadvisable or ineffectual technical solutions -- but some of the claims I've heard against it seem to me to be exaggerated and/or equally lacking in rigorous technical analysis. For example, the claim that ISP's might be forced to inspect all IP packets to prevent access to some domain. Well duh. This is hardly a gargantuan burden. Packet addresses get inspected all the time, because the packets have to be routed. Big websites have front-end servers which have to do load distribution and also try to ameliorate DoS attacks. Firewalls the world over have to inspect packets to try to block hackers. SOPA may or may not endanger the freedom of information flow. I say that a bigger danger is to capitulate to the cyber-criminals and do nothing. At some point, the criminals will make the Internet unusable for anything important. SPAM has caused me to stop using e-mail addresses I would have liked to keep. I refuse to use on-line banking at all because I know that there is no absolute security and it is not worth risking my savings. I had to take down the forums I tried to run because spammers filled them up with garbage. I can't let the public register on the Wiki that I now run, which sort of ruins the point of it and just turns it into a cheap CMS for me, because the same thing would happen. I wonder if those opposing any action to regulate the Internet simply don't have anything to lose. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.162.1.16 (talk) 11:07, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Support in the US only, and ideally just a click-through for now. -- samj _in^out 11:09, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Oppose - I believe that lobbying on this topic is part of our mission. At the same time "striking" by taking down the English Wikipedia does not fit well with the rest of our mission or values. Even if such an action were to be limited to the USA this is likely to damage the development of the encyclopaedia during that time. If other countries, such as the UK, were to have an outage, I would start to struggle to justify this action as a response to non-domestic legislation. Now, if we were to have a targeted outage that took out Wikipedia articles of all American politicians and pundits for a week, that might be felt by the right people without having unintended consequences for other parts of our open knowledge mission. ;-D --Fæ (talk) 11:15, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support - This will not tarnish Wikipedia's reputation. There are people that already think it has a liberal bias, and that will not change. If anything, using Wikipedia's strong reputation will only make this act more effective and give people a pause and a lot to think of. As long as Wikipedia keeps up their great work, their reputation will remain solid. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.99.12.233 (talk) 11:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Weak support (with some conditions), but: 1. Start with side-wide banners. 2. If no reaction, take another step.
  First: I agree with the calls to separate NPOV/neutrality in articles from NPOV/neutrality of the community as a community. The only place, in this question, I can see the community taking an NPOV position would be to the question "Should Wikimedia exist?", and that, frankly, scares me. If the editing community of Wikimedia doesn't support the survival of Wikimedia, then who should?
  Second: Improving the articles on SOPA and its ilk is of course important (necessary), but not sufficient. IME 99% (conservative count) of the readers won't know about the existence of these proposals, and a "write it, and they will [all] read it" take on the issue seems to me to be akin to putting one's head in the sand and hope that the problem will go away on its own.
  Third: I would like to reiterate the need for an explanation from someone with legal knowledge and understanding of the question - thus my condition above. If this is as it has been made out to be, then yes, I'll definitely support action out of self-preservation.
  Fourth: As for Wikimedia not being political: True, but there has to be a limit to how far one withdraws from the surrounding society. Just imagine what would happen if an expressedly apolitical religious organization/congregation were faced with the prospect of being effectively outlawed: would they silently accept that? Should they? Yes, I know I'm pulling it now, but I couldn't come up with a better comparison. Mike (talk) 11:27, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Very Strong Support #sopa is a nightmare. We should oppose it. I am a spanish wikipedia contributor, but as our wiki is also hosted in the US, I would suggest extending the strike to all the wikipedias hosted in the US that certainly will be affected by #SOPA and ProtectIP. --MotherForker (talk) 11:43, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Very Strong Support This affects us as internet citizens. The core of the internet runs on the US, and if this passes, it sets a precedent that other countries will follow. It reminds me of Asimov's very first book of the Foundation series. The Encyclopedists were arguing whether they should stick to their scholar work at the Galactic Encyclopedia or become a stronger force in the history of mankind. I think that decision has come to Wikipedia. -- eordano —Preceding undated comment added 12:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC).
• Firmly Support - This law directly affects Wikipedia and its credibility as a source of information. This and similar laws elsewhere must be opposed. Rammer (talk) 12:21, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support although I have misgivings on whether this will actually change anything. At the very least, however, it should inform a lot more people about SOPA.--Mithrandir^∞ (Talk!) (Opus Operis) 12:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly oppose, mostly because I'm not from the US and consequently can't give too much of a fuck about SOPA. Woo-hoo! Lewis Collard! (lol, internet) 12:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, to get across the message of how devastating the results of SOPA could be
• Strong Support, Action must be taken - Phorque (talk) 13:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support Wikipedia should defend itself when threatened. --Sbassi (talk) 13:16, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support This legislation would fundamentally affect this community and is against the values of our project, and seems to be in real danger of being enacted unless we take a stand quickly. --Loboes41 (talk) 13:20, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support This is one way it might be possible to actually get the attention of a large number of people who otherwise wouldn't know what's going on. Hock (talk) 13:26, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
  • Firmly Support People of the world need to understand how much power they hold as individuals this is one way to show them --Leroyjabari (talk) 13:28, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support for all language versions of Wikipedia, as the servers are in the US and all versions could be affected. --Rosenzweig (talk) 13:31, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
  • SUPPORT** PLEASE! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.43.65.103 (talk) 13:33, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support -- A preview of the silence America can expect should SOPA pass. Newbornstranger (talk) 13:41, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support, People won't take action unless they are aware. Blacking out the Wikipedia for a day (while horrifying to College students) would wake everyone upMfcoburn (talk) 13:39, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• support jo, we are neutral but neutrality does not mean indifference and we cannot be indifferent here for the very principles our communities are working for, regards --Jan eissfeldt (talk) 14:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• support -- The free flow of information for all, worldwide, including this wiki, is at stake. --Mnp (talk) 14:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support All the reasons mentioned above: it affects Wikipedia, freedom of expression, net neutrality, business, encyclopedias. And also american Congress is not representative of all the world to decide a law which esentially will affect Internet, which is a transnational service. 157.92.4.72 (talk) 14:16, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong extended support — I'm new to Wikipedia, but I've read about SOPA before (with some horror, I must add), the latest article being about comments by a Google chairman (see here). This is much more than just politics. I say "extended support", because I would extend a strike to all Wikipedia-sites, not just the English version. This issue will affect all of the internet, so taking only the English WP offline would have limited effect and symbolic power. And it should be a longer strike, to my mind at least 48 hours, preferably spanning the Christmas days (24th to 26th). Landgang (talk) 14:27, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Admin Support (I'm noting I'm an admin only so that you can more easily find non-IP comments). SOPA (AND PROTECT-IP... mention both, not just one), need to be stopped. Much of my time on Wikipedia has been spent dealing with copyright violations and other image-related problems, and it's horrifying to think that that kind of violation, which we try to prevent, could become criminal and could (unlikely, but possible) lead to DNS blocking of Wikipedia. Word about these bills needs to spread, and this would be one of the best ways to do it. I would recommend, however, that there be some way to access the content, whether from a button at the bottom of the page or a link to a page listing Wikipedia mirror sites.
  To anyone opposing this because they aren't in the United States: These bills could affect you too. If the U.S. passes a bill like this, other countries may well follow suit and do the same sort of thing. Even if they don't, parts of the Internet (such as YouTube) could end up being shut down if they're blocked in the U.S., their largest single audience. –Drilnoth (T/C) 14:36, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:36, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Weak support While I think the bill might die in subcommittee, I think awareness of the issue is important. However, Wikipedia needs to maintain its absolute neutrality, and taking down the site would disrupt this. In conclusion, I think it is necessary that Wikipedia close temporarily in order to remain open. I am going for weak support because in truth, I still not entirely sure. Thanks for listening. de Mediātōre Scientiae (discutere) 14:47, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support, best to make the point before it's too late — Preceding unsigned comment added by ConfusedVorlon (talk • contribs) 14:48, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support; after a bit of thought, yes, this is an existential threat. SOPA overreaches. We don't need the Great Firewall of the U.S. Antandrus (talk) 14:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support. Совсем проклятые копирасты распоясались! Нельзя, просто нельзя допустить подобной фигни!--178.68.27.186 (talk) 14:52, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support There is plenty of abuse already without SOPA 107.38.213.190 (talk) 14:51, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support, SOPA is a very real, very dangerous threat to the entirety of the internet, not just Wikipedia. People need to be shown. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.29.241.89 (talk) 14:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support. I don't think the average person fully comprehends what SOPA is and how bad it could be, but I'll bet they use wikipedia. This action could bridge that gap and spread awareness. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.174.58.52 (talk) 15:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support SOPA has sufficient potential international nastiness that this directly affects us as badly as the Italian law would have affected it:wp. And particularly as WMF and its servers are based in the US - David Gerard (talk) 15:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support SOPA will break our ability to link freely on the internet, which is absolutely essential to this project. Thud495 (talk) 15:10, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support: A one day token strike to show our resentment. Although we should not be using Wikipedia as a propaganda tool, I see this as an attack on the very roots of Wikipedia, which means we are just silently protesting the attack. Yesterday it was Italy, today its the US, it might be somewhere else tomorrow. Theres been talk of a similar legislation in India as well. Around The Globe^{सत्यमेव जयते} 15:12, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support Oppose Internet censorship. Yonaka 15:15, 13 December 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Yonaka (talk • contribs)

• Strong Support While I get why WP:SOAP might otherwise prohibit this, this is a huge deal. SOPA could quite possibly have effects far ranging and even damaging to WP itself. Some things are more important than rules.. this is one of them. TheGreatTK (talk) 15:20, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support Internet must be free --lsanczyk - 12:25, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Words cannot express how bad these pieces of legislation are, or how disturbing it is that we need to resort to measures like this to get our elected representatives' attention. mwalimu59 (talk) 15:27, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - I read through the oppositions, and I think they are somewhat unfounded. Yes the page views would take a dive, yes it does lend itself to Wikipedia being perceived as biased. But in this case it is biased, it is like the smuggling of printing presses to print the bible or similar, as much as I don't think I could live without wikipedia even for 24hours, it is worth to get some public awareness. May I suggest start out without blanking the page as one person suggested and simply have a top box with a link to the SOPA article, then if that doesn't gain enough attention black it and link it to the SOPA article with a reference at the top as to why. I also think this affects more than citizens of the USA, as most traffic routes through there it is only a matter of time before the whole idea of an open Internet is history. Changlinn (talk) 15:31, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support I can easily say the form of protest that came from my fellow Italians turned out to be rather successful. Should it pass in its current form, SOPA would be a serious threat to the whole Internet world, which definitely justifies such a strong response. --Angelo (talk) 15:32, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Unconditional Support People need to know about this. Speaking both as a regular user of English Wikipedia and as someone outside the US, I still fully support doing everything possible to raise awareness if there is the slightest chance that such a monstrocity will pass. Even though I would be (significantly) affected by such a protest, it will be nothing compared what will happen if these proposed extreme measures pass. A brief protest with global impact is the perfect way to illustrate the threats to the Internet and all online communities everywhere. 119.224.2.55 (talk) 15:39, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Incredibly Strong Support The bill is a trainwreck they somehow managed to push under us for such a long time. If people knew it existed, it wouldn't pass. Shrug-shrug (talk) 15:40, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Although Wikipedia should remain politically disinterested in its article contents, it is completely entitled to self-preservation and indeed should take the necessary steps for an internet as free as powers will allow. Deltaway (talk) 15:51, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Support Wikipedia is a community and this would be a noticeable way to express the community's feelings, it's a great lobbying because it comes from the real internet users. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.5.144.74 (talk) 15:56, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support I understand the concerns about people not wanting Wikipedia to act politically, and to generally stay neutral. I think this action is in line with that desire. SOPA directly impacts the activities of Wikipedia and its basic model. Since that is the case I think Wikipedia can act, neutrally, to draw people's attention to the fact that this legislation would adversely impact the functioning of the site. - cohesion 15:57, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support The WMF should engage in political protest when laws are proposed which directly conflict with the mission of the WMF. I support this. Blue Rasberry (talk) 16:00, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support The articles are neutral, the mission is not Sargoth (talk) 16:02, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support Wikipedia is a powerful player congress will have to listen to — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.193.80.244 (talk) 16:16, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support A blackout would be entirely consistent with WMF's mission statement. DrFishcake (talk) 16:19, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support Though maybe make it US only? People outside of US can't really help anyway. Theon144 (talk) 16:20, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support While Wikipedia may not be damaged by this act - and I'm only saying may because it's hard to tell - a significant amount of legal companies will be harmed by this. And it's the beginning of a slope that may lead to projects like Wikipedia being harmed by future legislation.--Christonjp (talk) 16:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support I agree for that sacrifice should be done to prevent those greedy bastards from goverment to apply that awful law, aiming only one point - to make fatbags only more rich, and kick usual people into face. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.164.234.108 (talk) 16:27, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - Not enough people are aware that SOPA/PIPA extist or of what the impact of these bills would be. If the blackout page was informative and factual, it would both raise the profile for such legislation and raise the general level of debate around them above the current "criminals vs fascists" straw man nonsense that's going around right now.shelkart (talk) 16:29, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support this is not about the US passing yet another bad law; we're talking about something that can adversely affect all of us, and everything WP stands for. Fuzzyshark (talk) 16:37, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support I think it should happen for sure. I think this act is consistent with the missions of Wikipedia, and I think it is in the best interest of Wikipedia and the community to make it happen. I don't have a strong preference about English vs US users. Dfarrell07 (talk) 16:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support - This is not about politics, but what is good for the encyclopedia. This bill gives control of the internet to whoever wants to spend the most money censoring it, which is the pretty much the opposite of the egalitarian and free access to knowledge this site provides. Ian.thomson (talk) 16:43, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support - Plenty of reasons are already given to support this. I say it's time to realize Wikipedia can be affected by SOPA / PIPA if they pass, and it won't be limited to the United States. I don't want my government policing the internet and deciding what I can or cannot see. I also don't want other governments dictating what their citizens can see, or what I'm allowed to see from their country. I understand not everything is meant for everyone, but sharing information and knowledge should always be allowed. Roeszler (talk) 16:46, 13 December 2011 (UTC)roeszler

• Strong Support - I've been using Wikipedia just about every single day since its inception. I'm not an editor, but I love Wikipedia and, moreover, the open Internet. Someone, somewhere, must stand up and send a very strong message that this sort of legislation is a third rail in politics. Don't touch it. Shred (talk) 16:50, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Firmly Supprt - Anything that can be done to stop SOPA should be. It threatens the very principles the Internet was founded upon. Immortal Z (talk) 17:00, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Extreme Support SOPA needs to be destroyed, and we need to take any measures necessary to ensure its destruction. -- GSK (t ● c) 16:55, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support I think we should do it. This would be terrible for the world and Wikipedia. Fortunately, there is something we can do about it. Therefore, I don't see much of an option. We know our responsibility. Jghall07 (talk) 17:03, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Oppose --Bseddon 17:06, 13 December 2011 (GMT). Wikipedia a service organization not a political one. I appreciate your concerns but WM is not a political party - or is it?. Should we be considering donations to be political contributions? Taking Wikipedia off-line for any amount of time makes as much sense as a company not selling in protest at some government action. The only people you hurt are the users and yourself. You clearly believe in this so get involved with a political party.

• Strong Support As a librarian, I am extremely sensitive to the problems of "fighting fire with fire" through a WP information blackout. However, it is perhaps too easy for many people to take for granted the wealth of access and information offered by a free and open Internet, and community-led organizations like Wikipedia in particular. Wikipedia's absence would be noted by far more people than will ever receive or attend to Facebook posts, Tweets, or emails encouraging them to oppose the Internet blacklist bills. I am begging for your and the community's support in taking a strong stand against this legislation; it has gone too far, the Internet needs to claim its own rights. No other major Internet entity has this power - Google or Facebook can voice their opposition, but simply cannot "turn off" in protest for a day. Wikipedia is unique in many ways, and can use its visible absence in a unique way here. DigitalHoodoo (talk) 17:07, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Conditional Support only to the extent that this bill represents a direct threat to Wikipedia's continued existence. I think this kind of thing does violate WP:SOAP, but if this bill is indeed a threat to Wikipedia (which seems plausible), then I think we should invoke WP:IAR in favor of the protest. WP:What "Ignore all rules" means:

  Despite its name, "Ignore all rules" does not sabotage the other rules. Its purpose is to keep them from sabotaging what we're doing here: building a free encyclopedia. Rules have zero importance compared with that goal. If they aid that goal, good. If they interfere with it, they are instantly negated.

If this law prevents us from continuing to build a free encyclopedia, then I see no clearer example of an appropriate IAR. If it doesn't, then there's no clearer example of an inappropriate IAR. Writ Keeper ⚇♔ 17:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support We need to stand up for open source/public domain content.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 17:09, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Extremely Strong Support -- Something needs to be done about this, so what better to do than get the government's attention by blanking every page? Furries (Talk) 17:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support preferably as a co-ordinated action with other major internet sites that will affected by this law such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. Davewild (talk) 17:31, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Everyone should have the right to self-defence, but for a usual law abiding citizen it is a bad deal, say, to fight alongside one street gang against another which potentially poses a threat to personal security of the aforementioned citizen. I oppose the strike, and endorse views expressed by users DMahalko, Cloveapple, SnoFox and probably others. There is no immediate threat → there is no self-defence, but just an abuse of power, which can lead to popular distrust to Wikipedia. Incnis Mrsi (talk) 17:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support -- The internet will grind to a halt when they see what every top link in Google links to. You have my complete support. Ordos (Talk) 17:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.34.109.44 (talk)

• Strong support -- I view SOPA as not only government trying to control the Internet (unnecessarily to boot) but as corporations having control of government. This is a corporate-interest only bill. Actually users of the Internet are clearly against it. Until individuals are protected from unfair accusations of copyright abuse and their rights for fair use match those of copyright-holders rights to protect their intellectual property, I cannot support the bill. The asymmetric, and already unfair, situation where big corporations can strong arm an individual or even Youtube to removed a video cannot be made even worse by this bill. Wikipedia does and should try to stay apolitical... but it must defend itself against legislation that threatens its existence or harms the Internet in general. It's too bad it's had to come to this. Jason Quinn (talk) 17:47, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support --Neither the US Government or any other in the world should decide what can be on the internet or not, because the internet it NOT their property. What is happening to the freedom of expression these days? Hello? --JewBask (talk) 17:49, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support Deich (talk) 17:52, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support --Holder (talk) 17:56, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Fully Support --Wikipedia needs to defend itself as well as educate. Don't just blank pages -- replace every page with an article about SOPA so people understand the issue.MythicFox (talk) 18:00, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Full Support This could very well be our last stand. Chocogerman0 (talk) 18:07, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongly support Wikipedia must defend itself against existential threats by doing what it does best: informing the populace. -Ich (talk) 18:11, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Terrifically Strong Support Do It I say, and let the general public see just what they're risking by allowing this bill to pass through. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ZeDestructor (talk • contribs) 18:43, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Terrifically Strong Support --Congress needs to be put in their place, and their place is serving the American People by representing their own state and district while tending to the needs of this nation. All the copyright censorship bills must be opposed by all members of Congress effective now. This includes SOPA, PIPA, and the Open Act. Also, I would like to see Chris Dodd arrested for treason just for suggesting, supporting, and actively lobbying for this proposed law. Heck all members of congress should be given a citizen's arrest on Treason charges. With the exception of Ron Paul and son Rand Paul and the US National and State Park Services, the entire Government from President to dog catcher deserves another term about as much as a sex offender deserves to be in the same room with tons of boys and girls and the door locked so the kids can't get out.96.3.147.87 (talk) 18:14, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support --I like the suggestion for every page on Wikipedia to display a message about SOPA and suggesting courses of action... e.g. contacting congress opposing the bill.Clay1039 (talk) 18:41, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strongest Possible Support --This is a fantastic idea. Wikipedia has a tremendous potential to advocate for freedom in the US and the world. The actions of the US will inevitably impact other countries as well. The Real Jean-Luc ^Talk/_Contribs 18:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support --I also like the suggestion to display a message about SOPA. Am willing to support the action (should it be made) with a blackout of my own blog.Dlairman (talk) 18:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong Support Grüße aus Frankfurt am Main und viel Erfolg! -- Andreas Werle (talk) 18:49, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• 'Firmly Support' Freedom of Information is clearly under attack. Jimmy Wales is correct in calling attention to SOPA before it is passed and our rights are abridged by this draconian legislation. There should be a link to an analytical article that states the loss of freedoms with alink to legislation doc. TalkAbout (talk) 19:58, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support --I believe that every major website should be against SOPA. It's voices are much more powerful than an advertisement on CNN. Wikipedia would be a strong voice against this useless bill.--24.192.71.65 (talk) 18:55, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Conditional support. When it.wiki was shut down, the volunteer response team received a lot of mail, in both Italian and English, from it.wiki editors and readers outside of Italy. They felt they were being punished for the actions of the Italian government, which were beyond their control. I think that was a valid complaint, and as a result, I think it would be best (if technically possible) to limit the scope of a potential blackout to users geolocated in the United States. It isn't a foolproof approach, but it would dramatically reduce the collateral damage to editing and reading. If a geographically-conditional blackout is not feasible, then I'd prefer an altered logo with a sitenotice linking to an explanation. In either case, the explanatory text could detail SOPA's detrimental effects on Wikipedia in particular and user-generated content sites in general, and encourage US users to contact their representatives. If no such text exists, then I'll be happy to start it someplace. - Jredmond (talk) 19:11, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support. For us italians worked well enough and I am proud of it. --Helios 19:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support --Waldir ^talk 19:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support, neutral in our mission, fierce for our mission -- Cherubino (talk) 19:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support. I put my comments elsewhere on this page. Gzuufy (talk) 19:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support. Grüße aus Köln und viel Erfolg! --Wvk (talk) 19:41, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. But it really should be in last resort. DarkoNeko x 19:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support. — TransporterMan (TALK) 19:47, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly support. This bill threatens the very principle Wikipedia stands on: freedom of information. If people aren't already outraged by the bill, I don't see the harm in reminding them of what it would be like without a product of this freedom of information for just a day. If you feel you can't block the information from users then either provide alternative access to the site or come up with a different way to protest, but PLEASE do something to prevent it from being passed. Primecut (talk) 19:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Strong support to raise awareness about a law with potentially catastrophic effects on the internet in general and Wikipedia in particular. Calliopejen1 (talk) 19:59, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly support SOPA directly threatens the free flow of ideas and information across the internet. A blackout on Wikipedia would be a highly visible way of drawing attention to the issue. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.251.108.154 (talk) 20:03, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly/Firmly support it might be a good idea for the page to actually go black. Basically just a shell of an HTML page with CSS for black background. That way media organizations and people start really talking about it. The big problem is that nobody who isn't a nerd even knows about this act. Pale2hall (talk) 20:24, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly support - SOPA and PIPA go against the flow of information that the internet stands for! Jkbuster (talk) 20:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support. Directly relating to Wikipedia, this bill would allow anyone unhappy with his article to shut down the entire wikipedia.org domain without any sort of judicial hearing and with no penalties. chrylis (talk) 20:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support.Licensedlunacy (talk) 20:44, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Poll continued (break #4)

• Support strike, to put pressure on the citizens who keep voting for plutocrats whose laws aim to destroy user contributed sites like Wikipedia.-- Jeandré, 2011-12-13t20:43z
• Support strike: 375 (88.4%)
• Oppose strike: 49 -- Jeandré, 2011-12-13t20:43z

• Firmly Support. 79.70.238.72 (talk) 20:53, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support/US only It would be nice if someone somewhere actually did something however minor about the police state we have become. For the past 10 years we have been silently taking it in the ass with little or no complaint while piece by piece our constitutional rights have been shredded. Having the inconvenience of no Wikipedia for awhile is a very small price to pay for possible resumption of freedom. So many have died and been maimed for the freedom we have just given away. Sure there are risks and it probably won't work but we know there is zero chance of reversing the tide if we do nothing. I don't agree with key aspects of the Occupy Wall Street agenda but you can not deny that the media is talking about things they would not be if that movement did not occur. If Wikipedia was truly concerned about the appearance of having a political agenda it would stop taking money from people with strong agendas. Yes Wikipedia is biased, less biased then most of the internet due to the ground rules of course but biased because of the type of person that is drawn to editing Wikipedia in general and certain articles in particular. Edkollin (talk) 20:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly support some kind of action, whether an it-wiki type strike or something else.--Ragesoss (talk) 20:58, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Personal support This issue should be staring people in the face as much as possible while something can still be done about it. I'm not going to speak about what would be best from a community or wikimission POV because I'm just not in the mood to think about it right now. As far as my personal stance goes, I'm all for it. My preference would be for a US only blockade or one which impacts the US and internet censoring nations. If, however, the choice is between global action and no action, then global it is. --U5K0'sTalk_{Make WikiLove not WikiWar} 21:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support -PHermans (talk) 21:03, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.89.10.150 (talk) 21:10, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Oppose Wikipedia is a global resource, why inconvenience the 95% of the world who don't get to vote in US elections over this one particular local issue? If WMF finds the US legal environment uncongenial, it can move to another jurisdiction. Cusop Dingle (talk) 21:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
  • This isn't Switzerland, there is to be no referendum. We have to vote for legislators on the basis of their overall positions, and this wasn't an election issue. So far, U.S. free speech and copyright law has been among the best in the world, and the U.S. has been opposing censorship and supporting those who want to get around it: so this is a global issue. Further, as far as moving currently WMF projects are fundamentally based on U.S. copyright law in areas like the public domain and fair use. —innotata 22:36, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
  • Also, this law would apply to servers world wide. Wikipedia would be inaccessible inside the U.S. Theimplord (talk) 23:06, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.111.48.34 (talk) 21:32, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support SOPA has the potential to cause serious harm, and treads on a very slippery slope. I think this is absolutely essential, and I hope to see more organizations bring awareness to this issue. Nick Wilson (talk) 21:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Firmly Support This legislation is a dangerous application of US policy abroad and a chilling effect on innovation and freedoms. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.20.68.14 (talk) 21:36, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support Isn't Wikipedia's server bank located in Florida? The site should go blank except for an informative essay about the legislation. dissolve^talk 21:52, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support Saying that the function of Wikipedia is to provide an encyclopedia, not protest, is like telling striking miners that their function is to dig coal, not protest.Solri (talk) 21:54, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support, and note that if the vote is being held on Thursday (in two days), this strike needs to be implemented soon. TotientDragooned (talk) 21:57, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support »NMajdan·talk 22:03, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support for US only. People from outside US would probably not understand why they have to be victims of American politics. Try all other means first. --Eleassar ^{my talk} 22:08, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongest Possible Support The threat that SOPA presents can not be understated. To ensure Wikipedia's survival, and the survival of a free and open Internet, we must move immediately to raise awareness and understanding of this bill. Further, to have any real effect, it is vital that any such action is coupled with a means by which readers can act, ideally in a way that will make a difference. Practically speaking, this means something other than merely allowing users to send an email or sign an online petition (both of which functionally have no impact) but rather something like tumblr's automated phone call system, or the one currently in use at http://americancensorship.org/. For this action to have an effect in time, Wikipedia should go dark ASAP, no later than tomorrow, Wednesday December 14th, for at least 24 hours. And whatever explanatory page is displayed to visitors should prominently feature a means by which to take action, ideally via this automated calling system. AaronMuszalski (talk) 22:23, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support This law poses a major technical issue for the sites. Depending on how the law plays out we may have to consider moving the content hosting outside of the US. The list of countries actually fit for hosting Wikimedia content is very, very small. Even if we do move our content hosting to another country, what will stop the US from pushing this law to other countries, like they are currently doing with the DMCA? This isn't just a law that people in the US need to worry about. This is a law that all projects in all languages need to worry about, because it has consequences that very strongly affect them. --Ryan lane (talk) 22:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)
• Support - but the action should be clarified. Closing down the entire English Wikipedia for 24 hours is clearly an adequate measure. The NPOV doesn't affect our actions; but we should take care to describe the protest in a neutral manner, in the ensuing article about it - including this discussion, with the most important pro's and con's. The main reason for a protest is informative:
  • SOPA proponents and other defenders of intellectual property often argue as if there were just two items on the net: Commercially produced and legally paid for material, and commercially produced but 'pirated' material. We need to stress the existence and importance of freely contributed material and software.
  • SOPA is an actual threat to Wikipedia as a cooperative and non-commercial enterprise. We need to remind net-users of the role WP plays nowadays.
  • As for precedences: As Jimmy noted, this has already been done once. Did you feel shocked and shaken in your belief that WP should describe the world in a neutral manner, when you heard abut the it-wp action? JoergenB (talk) 22:49, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• 'Strongly Support' This proposed law turns the notion of the presumption of innocence on its head. All who treasure freedom of expression should do everything they can to oppose its passage and raise awareness of the attendant issues with the body public. Peter Farago (talk) 22:34, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support not convinced we need to entirely hide the website, but something like this is in order when such a threat to Wikipedia and the Internet worldwide as SOPA has the chance it has of passing. —innotata 22:35, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support This proposed law is a real threat to any website out there, and definately would seriously dampen free speech. 128.205.227.216 (talk) 22:45, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong Support for the begin with "US only", in a second step - if necessary - "en" and - if still necessary - in a third step: whole world. ("NPOV" can't mean "pro gouvernment POV" nor "pro industry" POV") --Skipper Michael (talk) 22:55, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support Wikipedia should not insert itself into political causes, but neither should it stand by idly while the political system seeks to undermine its mission. Jwolfe (talk) 22:56, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support I oppose this law on grounds similar to those mentioned above, and feel that an action such as this would gain the necessary attention of an otherwise ignorant public to put pressure on their congresscritters. gloin (talk) 22:59, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• STRONGLY Support, duh, easy decision. SOPA/PIP bad, Wikipedia good. yrtneg talk contr 23:10, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support. We should do this more often. Nick (talk) 23:16, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support. It would get the word out to millions of Americans in a way they can't just skim past.Zola (talk) 23:19, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly support I could list a paragraph of reasons for why I'm supporting this. In fact, I did, but have decided to trim it down to this: I'm more than a little tired of people being apathetic about this matter. Everyone needs to realize that SOPA goes beyond the internet. The panic this would incite among students (who probably aren't supposed to be using wikipedia for that essay) may jar them awake long enough to think about it. I might be giving people too much credit, though. Mccojr02 (talk) 23:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly support What these guys said. The Sartorialist (talk) 23:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support I strongly support a complete and total blackout to oppose this breaking of the internet. Any inconvenience users may experience would be insignificant compared to the possible and likely problems this bill could create. Seriously, I think a real blackout is totally called for, but I applaud any efforts by this website, or anyone else, to protect an uncensored internet. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Chapelperilous23 (talk • contribs) 23:42, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support How the heck is this passing? For one thing, there is definitely a majority of US citizens against it, and for another, this is not only a violation of free speech but also DEFINITELY will not help the global economy. Just because Sumner Redstone wants it doesn't mean it is right. 71.21.65.127 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 23:48, 13 December 2011 (UTC).

• Strongly Support - Not a fan of SOPA at all. I specifically don't like how many large Media companies have kept it quiet ~ as if it were to cause little harm and no damage. I think otherwise. I also think, that Wikipedia, just like any other major internet site - should be automatically granted rights, have a direct say in what happens. I think it's an excellent Idea - although a little devestating that I won't be able to go on Wikipedia for a while (it will break my everyday routine), I think Mr. Wales, has done a wonderful and "the right thing" in an RfC - and which will hopefully down the track happen - and SOPA will hopefully back down. Thank you, (-- MST☆R ^{(Chat Me!)} 00:04, 14 December 2011 (UTC))

• Strong support --Elian ^Talk 00:09, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

• Support defend the internet and Wikipedia from corporate-sponsored laws Bhny (talk) 00:11, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly Support DNS blacklisting threatens internet freedom world wide. --Asher Feldman 00:45, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strongly support Gaining a great deal of publicity while causing only minor inconvenience, Wikipedia ought to carry through with a sitewide blank in order to raise awareness of the dangers of SOPA. As the 8th most visited site on the internet, it's important to note that Wikipedia has a huge amount of power in these matters (see the similar action done in Italy). User:Yurthouses 00:55, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

• Strong support for Wikipedia, for the Internet, and for freedom and human rights. This is not a "soapbox" issue, this will have a profound impact on the rights of Americans and those not from the United States as well. This proposed law can place even a site as big as Wikipedia at the mercy of those who have more money and assets. hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 01:44, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

• 强烈支持（Strong support），网络自由是全世界人民的声音（Voices for Internet Freedom comes form everywhere around the world.）。 --王小朋友 (talk) 12:47, 14 December 2011 (UTC)