[Foundation-l] Blackout at Italian Wikipedia

[Phil Nash]

Mike Godwin wrote:
> Kat Walsh writes:
>
>> I am happy to see the Italian community behind the opposition to the
>> proposed law because I do think it's contrary to what Wikimedia does,
>> and to see that there is consensus among the Italian community to do
>> something drastic; there will be a far greater effect on the Italian
>> wiki than a short blockage if bad laws are passed. (And part of
>> me--the part that's been around for a billion years--is thrilled to
>> see a community coming to such a decision on their own, via what
>> seems
>> like a reasonable process, without waiting for approval or support.)
>
> Speaking only for myself, this precisely reflects my views. I applaud
> the Italian Wikipedians' decision to challenge this law so directly.
>
>> But I'm not sure about denying access completely for several days. I
>> think the action that was done may be too much, that maybe something
>> could have been done to
>> generate as much attention without cutting off access as much.
>
> I understand Kat's doubts here, but my intuitive reaction, having
> dealt with government censorship of various sorts for more than 20
> years, is that more dramatic action is most likely to be effective in
> persuading a government to change course. Governments that want to
> censor -- like the USA, the United Kingdom (through its public-private
> partnership), and now the Italian government -- tend to build up a lot
> of inertia behind their policy choices. It's very hard to get a
> government to change its mind. You have to challenge government
> officials in a big, dramatic (and usually longer-lasting) way to get
> their attention and make them responsive.

When you say "big and dramatic", what level of bribe did you have in mind 
for Italian officials?