Political activism for Linux users/advocates

[Jeffry Smith]

Some things I'll add about "Political Activism"
1.  Write / call your congresscritters - both House and Senate.  That's 
write as in snail-mail, not write as in e-mail.  Very important, because 
it means you cared enough to take time and write.  E-mails are too quick.
2.  Be polite.
3.  Remember, on most topics, they hear NOTHING from their constituents.  
The fact that someone takes time to write counts a lot.  The fact that a 
lot of people write counts for more.  They do know who votes (even if 
someone else pays the bill).
4.  Emphasize the problems with the bill in terms they understand.  For 
DMCA, I point out that, if the same law were applied to consumer safety, 
we'd send anyone who complained about the Firestone tires on their Ford 
vehicles to jail. For this new law, I'd say, it says "Ford and Firestone 
are required to build dangerous products. And, we'll jail anyone who 
complains, or points out the problems with the products.
5.  Another point:  Many top computer people (Alan Cox for one) will no 
longer come to the US BECAUSE of DMCA enforcement.  Remind them that these 
are the jobs they want to protect HERE - and we're sending them oversees 
BECAUSE of DMCA/ SSSCA.  That's as in, losing high-paying AMERICAN jobs to 
our international competitors.
6.  Donate to EFF, ACLU, etc.  
7.  Given the last part of 5 above - it might be worthwhile to talk to 
AFL/CIO (and before anyone says anything bad about unions, there are good 
and bad in unions, and they have money and the organization to fight).

jeff

"Kenneth E. Lussier" said:
>There are a couple of things that I would like to add to Derek's
>extremely well written letter.
>
>The bill is being co-authored by Sen. Fritz Hollings D-S.C.
>(http://hollings.senate.gov/), chairman of the Senate Commerce
>committee (http://commerce.senate.gov/), and Sen. Ted Stevens R-Alaska
>(http://stevens.senate.gov/). There are e-mail links on both of the
>senate pages. Disney is the financial backing according to several
>articles that I have read
>(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46655,00.html)
>
>Title 17 of the United States Code can be read in it's entirety at :
>http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/index.html. The title can be
>searched for fair use, as there are several references to it.
>
>One last point that  I would like to bring up is that regardless of
>how these so called security measures are implemented (either in
>hardware or software), there are very scary results. Those security
>measures need to be able to inspect all of the files, software, and
>hardware that they come in contact with. This means that our privacy
>will no longer exist. Simple things that protect our privacy will
>become illegal. Encryption will prevent the security measures from
>inspecting files, and therefore, it becomes a circumvention device.  
>
>Just so everyone knows, the definition of "Interactive Digital Device"
>that they are using is as follows:
>
>"INTERACTIVE DIGITAL DEVICE. -- The term "interactive digital device"
>means any machine, device, product, software, or technology, whether
>or not included with or as part of some other machine, device,
>product, software, or technology, that is designed, marketed or used
>for the primary purpose of, and that is capable of, storing,
>retrieving, processing, performing, transmitting, receiving, or
>copying information in digital form."
>
>FYI,
>Kenny 
>-- 
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> Kenneth E. Lussier
> Geek by nature, Linux by choice
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffry Smith      Technical Sales Consultant     Mission Critical Linux
smith at missioncriticallinux.com   phone:603.930.9739 fax:978.446.9470
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought for today:  YAUN /yawn/ n. 

 [Acronym for `Yet Another Unix Nerd']
   Reported from the San Diego Computer Society (predominantly a
   microcomputer users' group) as a good-natured punning insult aimed
   at Unix zealots.




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