How To: Access Wikipedia During Today's SOPA Blackout

It has been suggested that about 150 million internet users will be affected by today's blackout of Wikipedia in protest of SOPA and PIPA. If you don't know what those are, go here and read up on it, and then take action yourself! After you've contacted your Representatives about these bills, you'll probably still need to get some work done today using Wikipedia's English-language site.

Don't worry. There are solutions to accessing Wikipedia during today's blackout.

When you enter the English version of Wikipedia today, either directly or via search link, you'll be taken to the SOPA protest page below.

After you do you part to end these horrendous bills (I must remind you), then...

Access via Wikipedia Mobile

The easiest way to access Wikipedia during the blackout is to go to the mobile site. The mobile site is NOT in blackout, though there still is the banner at top. Obviously, you can do your research from your mobile device, but you can still access it from your computer by going to:

• en.m.wikipedia.org

Now, when you use the search bar, you might get redirected back to the normal site, therefore taking you to the blackout page again. But, the URL for the article should still be there, so just place the "m." back in to get to the mobile version again. Examples:

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mark_Roget (blackout)
• en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mark_Roget (no blackout)

Turn Off JavaScript

If you want the full version of Wikipedia that you're used to, instead of the mobile version, all you have to do is turn off JavScript in your web browser. This will disable the SOPA protest redirect, hence full access to English Wikipedia.

Chrome:

• Settings < Under the Hood < Content Settings < Do not allow any site to run JavaScript

Firefox:

• Preferences < Content < Enable JavaScript (uncheck it)

Internet Explorer:

• Tools < Internet Options < Security < Custom Level < Scripting (Disable) < Restart Browser

Now, be aware that turning of JavaScript will complete alter your web experience. If you don't know what this actually does, then you probably shouldn't do it, unless you're visiting only Wikipedia. When done, go back and re-enable it.

Matthew Herman of Null Byte just posted a great article for those of you using Firefox during the blackout today, which involves adding the NoScript and FireBug extensions to stop the JS popups for not only Wikipedia, but a lot of sites that are participating today. Go check it out.

Simple Wikipedia

There's also a kid-friendly version of Wikipedia in English, if you for some reason don't want to try the above options. But since it's the "simple" version, it only uses simple English grammar to explain the article concepts, so unless you're still in middle school, I'd stick to the above options. But if you want... just go to:

• simple.wikipedia.org

And that's it. Unless you've got a super first mouse clicker...

Stop Loading the Page

For the most part, if you stop loading the page, you'll get the whole (or most of) the article. All you have to do it stop loading the page as soon as you see it pop up, cutting of the jump script. In Firefox, just hit the X in the URL box. Or just press the Escape key, which will stop loading the page on most web browsers (on PC or Mac).

You can also access your cache or use some user scripts, but the above options work fine.

Okay, now that's it. Enjoy Wikipedia during the blackout!