SOPA Blackout Day: The Early Twitter Reaction

Since Twitter is not participating in the SOPA Blackout today, people are able to take to the site to express their support and/or frustration with the effort. Many high-profile sites have already beg...
SOPA Blackout Day: The Early Twitter Reaction
Written by Josh Wolford

Since Twitter is not participating in the SOPA Blackout today, people are able to take to the site to express their support and/or frustration with the effort.

Many high-profile sites have already begun their blackouts to protest the controversial legislation. At midnight on Wednesday, Wikipedia went dark, as did WordPress, Boing Boing and Minecraft. Sites like Google and Craigslist are participating to a lesser degree – Google’s homepage features a blacked out logo and Craigslist has a temporary landing page detailing their opposition to the bills. Both of those sites are still fully functional, however.

The early Twitter reaction gathered under the #SOPABlackout hashtag is mostly supportive:

I love it! #SOPAblackout 9 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

i feel sorry for all the students who have to prepare presentations and reports for their studies!
#wikipedia #SOPAblackout 12 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

I’m proud of you, Internet! #SOPABlackout #Google #Mojang #Wikipedia 17 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

If you’re not tweeting about #SOPAblackout or #SOPA, your tweet is probably unimportant. 20 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

Folks, thanks re #SOPABlackout but the team gets the credit, my role doesn’t matter. 27 minutes ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

✹ Today we stand united and fight as darkness sweeps across the Internet. Will you join us on this historic day? Rise up. #SOPAblackout #J18 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

Of course, some in the Twitterverse are freaking out, especially when it comes to Wikipedia’s blackout:

HOLY SHIT I NEED TO USE WIKIPEDIA RIGHT NOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!! 31 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

#TheresNoReason for wikipedia to be fucking blacked out 14 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

WTF Wikipedia !!!!!!! The one day out of the year I need you and you do some black out bullshit !!!! 10 minutes ago via twicca · powered by @socialditto

The reaction regarding the Google semi-blackout is mixed:

Why didn’t google blackout too???? 9 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

Why is everyone talking about a blackout? I can still google… 9 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

So proud of Google for taking part in the SOPA protests. Check out their homepage, they’re totally doing a “blackout”. 3 minutes ago via txt · powered by @socialditto

Love the Google blackout banner #stopSOPA 1 minute ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

Some are already fearing the reddit blackout, which will begin at 8am EST:

Wikipedia and reddit blackout? Well, as long as Pornhub is still up and running, we won’t have to resort to… cannibalism. 6 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

TIL Nothing because of the Wikipedia blackout http://t.co/QoH5nKwh 16 minutes ago via twitterfeed · powered by @socialditto

Just finished my reddit binge before tomorrow blackout. Hopefully this fix will last me the next 24hrs. #stopsopa 34 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

What do you think about the SOPA blackouts? Let us know in the comments.

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