Wikipedia talk:Wikipedia Signpost/2012-01-23/In the news

Tell you what struck me - the comcom's phones started ringing on Tuesday morning, soon as the UK journalists got into work and saw the warning countdown banner up. Then the UK bunch had to do press for the US media (hence me on NPR) 'cos San Francisco wouldn't be awake at the time. (Though, of course, they were.) Journalists joked about students missing Wikipedia ... but if anyone's utterly dependent on Wikipedia, it's the journalists.

(Post-mortem here. Including "how to get roped in as a media volunteer", for those wondering. It can be six months between calls, but when we need you we need you.) - David Gerard (talk) 22:41, 26 January 2012 (UTC)
 * David, was it you who made the automobile analogy? If so, that's one of the most powerful sound bites I've heard in years. Viriditas (talk) 04:17, 27 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Bank robbers and cars? Yep :-) Nicked directly from Cory Doctorow. That soundbite played spectacularly well and defused a common objection out the gate. I expect Hollywood rhetoric to adapt quickly, though. Most brilliant soundbite of the blackout, "Imagine a world without free knowledge", was coined by SarahStierch just a few hours before blackout - David Gerard (talk) 08:13, 27 January 2012 (UTC)
 * I missed the NPR feed. I heard you as part of the lead story on the BBC Global News podcast, and it was perfect. Very impressive. Viriditas (talk) 10:01, 27 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Ah, the 18 Jan one here. That was Jimbo using the analogy, not me (though I did a few BBC radio slots). It seemed to work in other languages too - David Gerard (talk) 00:11, 28 January 2012 (UTC)
 * He did a great job. Viriditas (talk) 03:35, 28 January 2012 (UTC)