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‘wikipedia’ Stories

Wolfram Alpha Pro revealed, seeks to end wiki-ness

Chris Burns, Feb 7th 2012 Discuss [2]

It appears that Wolfram Alpha is bringing the fury to the student base of the world with no less than a pay-per-month service that amps their already powerful question and answer service up to an equitable level for professionals. While Wikipedia may be, sadly enough, one of the main knowledge wells in the world right now for students hoping to get their answers to questions quick, Wolfram Alpha brings the curated non-crowd-sourced knowledge vault to your browser window and your Siri on the daily. As Wolfram Alpha already powers a free service and works with the iPhone 4S to provide you with Siri's go-to resource for data, they bring a $4.95 a month (or $2.99 for students) service to the market today with abilities above and beyond what they've offered in the past. Read The Full Story

Wikipedia to be first Data Free mobile website on Earth

Chris Burns, Jan 24th 2012 Discuss [3]

When the term Data Free comes up on your news readers and in the newspapers in the coming months, you’ll know that it started here, and with Wikipedia and Orange, who together will be offering free – that is, without data charges – use of Wikipedia’s vast knowledge archive. What this means for the future of the mobile industry is this: the door has been opened to free data, or at least that’s what Wikipedia is aiming at through mobile users in Africa and the Middle East soon. Orange and the Wikimedia Foundation have announced in a press release today that they are aiming to make their store of information available for free to those who need it, those who otherwise would have no such simple access to the information you and I take for granted.

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Lawmakers sway post-SOPA/PIPA protest but Acts still have venom

Chris Davies, Jan 19th 2012 Discuss [0]

Wikipedia is back, Google has taken off its blindfold and US Representatives have danced, shuffled and snuck across the aisles as the whip counts waver, leaving the future of SOPA and PIPA uncertain. After online protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act saw multiple sites post call-to-arms messages or black-out altogether, at least seven senators have jumped ship from supporting the proposed legislation. Yet Wikipedia – and others – highlight the fight isn’t over; “we’re not done yet” the online encyclopedia ominously warned today.

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Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout underway

Chris Davies, Jan 18th 2012 Discuss [4]

Wikipedia has entered a twenty-four hour blackout in protest of SOPA and PIPA, the US anti-piracy acts currently giving free-internet advocates headaches. Visit any English-language Wikipedia page and instead of a crowd-sourced entry you’ll be prompted to “Imagine a world without free knowledge” as well as offered links to spread the message. Meanwhile, Google has opened up some of its historically whitespace homepage for an anti-SOPA call to arms, while other sites prepare to go dark.

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SOPA to be resurrected after blackout protests

Rue Liu, Jan 17th 2012 Discuss [4]

With growing opposition against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), an imminent blackout protest to kick off tomorrow, and a postponed vote on the legislation, it seemed as though SOPA was close to being dead. But that's not the case, reminds the legislation's creator and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith. In a press release today, Smith said he expects the committee to continue marking up the bill in February. Read The Full Story

Wikipedia blackout a “broad global message” about SOPA/PIPA peril says Wales

Chris Davies, Jan 17th 2012 Discuss [4]

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has defended the online encyclopedia's decision to stage a global blackout in protest of SOPA and PIPA this week, arguing "US law, as it impacts the internet, can affect everyone." Wales hopes the blackout - which will see the English-language version of Wikipedia replaced with an open letter encouraging US citizens to contact their Representatives and voice their concerns with the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Intellectual Property Act - will prompt even those outside of the US to contact friends and family living there and encourage them to speak up on the proposed legislation, he told the Telegraph, as "a broad global message" about censorship. Read The Full Story

Anonymous joins anti-SOPA blackout as Wikipedia mulls support

Chris Davies, Jan 12th 2012 Discuss [15]

Loosely-gathered hack collective Anonymous has announced it too will be joining reddit's anti-SOPA blackout on January 18, with Wikipedia apparently considering to participate in the online protest as well. "On Jan 18th you will see no tweets from this account between 8a and 8p EST in support of #SOPAblackout!" the group's AnonymousIRC account tweeted, referring to the user-curated site's decision to go offline to raise awareness of the pending act. Meanwhile, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said he was "all in favor" of the blackout, and that it would be great if [Wikipedia] could act quickly to coordinate with Reddit." Read The Full Story