Davis is a group of people. It is and will always be. The community of Davis is composed of us, the people, plus the various ways in which we communicate and work together. Now, one of the newest and most powerful forms of communication in human history is under the threat of being controlled by those who do not have the people's interests in mind. Who do not have our interests in mind. Bills are being presented at the US Congressional level that will damage the ability for people in Davis — and people around the world — to gather online and speak freely.

The Davis Wiki has been blacked out for 24 hours to raise awareness of these threats and engage in a protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECTIP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate.

The Davis Wiki was created by and for the people of Davis. It is a passionate creation based on concepts that we hold as virtues here in Davis: collaboration, equality, volunteerism and contribution from all corners of our beloved city. The bills presented assume a purely commercial motive for all actions, on the net and off. We have a town where clear examples of beauty and altruistic giving are repeated daily. We deserve an internet where the same is celebrated rather than treated with suspicion and the threat of demolition for anything created by normal people. An internet of common people rather than a monitored and enforced vehicle for celebrities and corporate interests.

The Wiki is not alone. Dozens of other online groups are threatened that represent the people of Davis. From the Davis Community Network to Davis Patch, blogs like the Davis Voice, even the Enterprise website: all are threatened by these bills. It is not the wiki that is threatened, but rather the voices of the people of Davis.

"I took action against SOPA / PIPA!"

Did you take action against SOPA / PIPA today? Send us an email at daviswiki@gmail.com with a photo of yourself and we'll post it here!

Want to report an error in this page or help make it better? Join us on IRC in #daviswiki on freenode to collaborate on this blackout effort.