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Where research papers are concerned, procrastination is a skill – a way of life made possible by search engines and online databases that are overflowing with a universe of knowledge on virtually any topic. Case in point: Wikipedia. This free, collaborative encyclopedia, which contains a whopping 3.8 million articles on everything from fanny packs to biochemical genetics, got its start in 2001, and has since bulldozed its way into our daily lives. And, while it may not cut it as the sole resource on a bibliography, any college student with a fast-approaching deadline will agree that it’s a wonderful place to start.

Already ranked as the 6^th most visited site in the world, Wikipedia has turned even more heads this week with the announcement that they will be blacking out their English site for 24 hours, beginning at midnight on Wednesday, January 18^th, to protest both SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT IP Act), two bills that were created to prevent internet piracy and the illegal downloading of copyrighted goods.

While intended to protect large Hollywood labels, the bills also “regulate the Internet in other ways, that hurt online freedoms,” as stated by Sue Gardner, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director. “The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States …that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including Wikipedia,” and Wikipedia is not alone in their fears. In fact, the decision to take part in the demonstration is largely supported by the majority of their users, as well as several internet giants, such as Firefox, WordPress, Facebook, and Google, who have been equally vocal in their opposition of the radical bills.

We at UniversityDecisions.com encourage fellow protesters of SOPA and PIPA to take a stand and contact their congressmen.

What will you do to make your voice heard?