A Wiki-less Wednesday

Will the Wikipedia blackout mean more than Kim Kardashian dying on Twitter?Internet protests rated

If you're dying to know where Shakira was born or must find out at once how many pages comprise War and Peace, don't even think of consulting Wikipedia on Wednesday.

That's because you won't be able to. Everyone's favorite Internet authority and the sixth-largest site in the world, Wikipedia, will be down for an entire 24 hours, starting Wednesday at midnight.

Breathe. It'll be OK. It's actually a good idea.

You see, Wikipedia is one of dozens of participating websites — including Reddit, WordPress and the I Can Has Cheezburger network — that will return an error when you access it at any point on Wednesday. A smattering of popular websites will band together in an online protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) on Jan. 18 — by going cyber silent.

Wikipedia is actually bringing the pain with this protest. And it might just cause a few folks to sit up and take notice.

SOPA and PIPA are bills in Congress designed to stop copyright infringements on movies and music online, but the major Internet companies say the bills would effectively turn them into the police, requiring them to block websites that allow digital file sharing for example, and kill the idea of an open Internet.

Sure, the Internet has seen all kinds of effective protests in the past. Who could ever forget when both Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian died on Twitter? That shot reverberated around the world.

And remember National Quit Facebook Day? What a difference they made indeed.

Uh huh.

Yeah, we're talkin' bigger here, kids. More like the role the social web played in the Arab Spring, Wikipedia is actually bringing the pain with this protest. And it might just cause a few folks to sit up and take notice.

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This Week's Hot Headlines

Austin restaurant chain bowls over River Oaks and more popular stories

Photo by Becca Wright

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Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, including restaurant openings and a major acquisition for MFAH. Plus, where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Houston. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit this guide to the best Christmas weekend events.

1. Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

2. Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire. It didn’t take Sambrooks Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opened December 22.

3. 25 Houston restaurants celebrating New Year's Eve with caviar, bubbles, and more. Houston restaurants are ringing in the new year with indulgent menus featuring caviar, lobster, and steak, along with plenty of bubbly.

4. Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District.

Holland Lodge masonic building The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace. Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

5. Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025. As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. These are the City Life stories that captured Houston's attention.