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Instead of complaining into the echo chamber of comments, here are some things you can do to fight back: Donate to the EFF: https://supporters.eff.org/donate/b

Instead of complaining into the echo chamber of comments, here are some things you can do to fight back: Donate to the EFF: https://supporters.eff.org/donate/button https://supporters.eff.org/donate/button Call your Reps: http://TryVoices.com http://TryVoices.com Petition the President: https://savecrypto.org/ https://savecrypto.org/

kabdib 10y ago
This. Comment all you want on HN or whatever forums you like, but they're basically echo chambers, and nothing really matters unless you make yourself heard to the politicians. [edit: I just called. It'll take you like two minutes] [edit: I made the phone calls in front of my 11-year-old son, who was eating breakfast, explaining who I was calling and why. He totally gets it. I'm not sure why a certain set of senators do not get it.]
- poolbath1 10y ago
  And tell 5 friends and family to do the same. Figure out what's important to them. Do they have children? Tell them without encryption it will be possible for bad people to know their whereabouts and general day to day movements for the purpose of exploitation and abduction. Tell them to call or write the politicians to protect their children. Maybe your friends think they have nothing to hide, but when they consider they may want to shield their children from harm, that might make them start to think about what is actually at stake.
  - spdustin 10y ago
    You know, I think this is the first opportunity for "think of the children!" to be a rally in cry for something meaningful, that actually can affect a large swath of our children. An excellent point. However, its power is limited by all the times "think of the children!" has been used as the rallying cry for anti-citizen legislation. So it has to be strengthened. You're on the right track. The cliche turns into a platform when you have concrete examples that are identifiable to the Android/iPhone toting parents. I am willing to guarantee that the "most frequently visited locations" available on both platforms would illuminate a parent's employer, home, maybe the favorite lunch place, and the school(s) of their young children. Possibly even that their kids have medical issues (pediatrician is a frequent stop) or are on the autism spectrum or have some other developmental delays (speech pathologist or occupational therapist or developmental pediatrician is a frequent stop). Or that they're new homeowners (lots of trips to Home Depot and "big box" stores) Possibly (gasp) where they take their lover when they're supposed to be with their spouse.
    - mhurron 10y ago
      > You know, I think this is the first opportunity for "think of the children!" to be a rally in cry for something meaningful No it's not, because that's going to blow up in your face. This law is going to be put in place to protect the children. Bad people can't hide child porn. Bad people can't hide their plans to hurt your children. Bad people can't ... etc. Hand in hand goes 'good people' can track your children if they're kidnapped. Think of the children always works in the favour of those trying to consolidate power.
chx 10y ago
Find who are the major corporate donors of the backers, organize a boycott of them and call, not write, the donor companies this is why you boycott them. That's the effective way post Citizens United.
vox_mollis 10y ago
I am gobsmacked by the tenor of comments here. At what point will HN posters finally realize that participation in the democratic process does precisely nothing against naked power?
- callcallcall 10y ago
  In 2014 Americans made over a million public comments to the FCC in support of net neutrality. The FCC sided in favor of net neutrality. [1] In 2011 Americans made over 8 million phone calls to their representatives in opposition to SOPA/PIPA. The bills were defeated. [2] [1] http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/05/inside-the-fccs-1-1-million-net-neutrality-comments/ http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/05/inside-the-fccs-1-1-million... [2] http://www.sopastrike.com/numbers http://www.sopastrike.com/numbers
  - verusfossa 10y ago
    And then CISA, arguably worse than SOPA, passes both houses in 2015 tucked in a budget bill. [0] http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10582446/congress-passes-cisa-surveillance-cybersecurity http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10582446/congress-passes-...
    - djejjehje 10y ago
      Not to mention more restrictions to come via the various secret international trade pacts being made. People must understabd this, to disagree is to be disingenuous on the face of mountains of evidence. The American people have zero say on policy, the laws the government wants the government will get, it may take a few more years but it will happen. The system cannot be reformed, it's very core is corrupt, those who disagree are for the status quo of the police state and they are our enemy and the enemy of justice.
- studentrob 10y ago
  It is ironic to comment that comments have no influence upon others. Personally I like to comment on this issue because it's about free speech and I like talking about that with people who are willing. Also I think technologists have a good chance to practice speaking up about this issue and be heard. Normally we are back-office people =)
lasermike026 10y ago
The EFF is great but we need to figure out a way to kill this thing. Get your checkbooks. We need an apparatus to kill things like this. Think of it as an NRA for crypto. Richard Burr is up for reelection this year. Remember to send money to his opponents. We might want to look for any other groups that have issues with Burr and send them money too. Perhaps this is how you kill a bill. https://ballotpedia.org/Richard_Burr https://ballotpedia.org/Richard_Burr
- dmix 10y ago
  > NRA for crypto There is definitely a market for this for anyone who wants to pioneer it. We ran a bunch of Cryptoparties and at each we had to clarify that we weren't a political organization - strictly an educational one. This seemed to disappoint a number of people.
studentrob 10y ago
I just called my local reps (John Larson, Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal). Each call was quick, professional and friendly. That was my first time calling and it was surprisingly painless. I opted to provide my name and zip code. I think that allows them verify that I am a resident and maybe makes my comment carry more weight than it would without personalizing it. They seemed willing to accept comments either with a name or without one.
dohwjhehe 10y ago
Calling the government to complain of their corrupt illegal bills is only a good way to be singled out for increased harassment. You almost surely will be placed on a list of possible dissidents, your life will be sucked in a government database and your communications more closely watched. Those things this is crazy have had their head buried in the sand this last decade. The political process is broken, America is despotic police state ruled by an illegitimate, unaccountable elite. There of thousands examples of government abuse at every level and officials are never held accountable. Torure? Pass. Bomb a hospital? Pass. Assisinate children and emergency responders? Pass. The people on HN live ina fantasy world where they still think calling btheir rep does anything besides putnthem on the government shit list.
- callcallcall 10y ago
  Having worked in several of these offices, I can assure you there is no "government shit list" for those who call their reps.

kabdib 10y ago

This. Comment all you want on HN or whatever forums you like, but they're basically echo chambers, and nothing really matters unless you make yourself heard to the politicians. [edit: I just called. It'll take you like two minutes] [edit: I made the phone calls in front of my 11-year-old son, who was eating breakfast, explaining who I was calling and why. He totally gets it. I'm not sure why a certain set of senators do not get it.]

poolbath1 10y ago
And tell 5 friends and family to do the same. Figure out what's important to them. Do they have children? Tell them without encryption it will be possible for bad people to know their whereabouts and general day to day movements for the purpose of exploitation and abduction. Tell them to call or write the politicians to protect their children. Maybe your friends think they have nothing to hide, but when they consider they may want to shield their children from harm, that might make them start to think about what is actually at stake.
- spdustin 10y ago
  You know, I think this is the first opportunity for "think of the children!" to be a rally in cry for something meaningful, that actually can affect a large swath of our children. An excellent point. However, its power is limited by all the times "think of the children!" has been used as the rallying cry for anti-citizen legislation. So it has to be strengthened. You're on the right track. The cliche turns into a platform when you have concrete examples that are identifiable to the Android/iPhone toting parents. I am willing to guarantee that the "most frequently visited locations" available on both platforms would illuminate a parent's employer, home, maybe the favorite lunch place, and the school(s) of their young children. Possibly even that their kids have medical issues (pediatrician is a frequent stop) or are on the autism spectrum or have some other developmental delays (speech pathologist or occupational therapist or developmental pediatrician is a frequent stop). Or that they're new homeowners (lots of trips to Home Depot and "big box" stores) Possibly (gasp) where they take their lover when they're supposed to be with their spouse.
  - mhurron 10y ago
    > You know, I think this is the first opportunity for "think of the children!" to be a rally in cry for something meaningful No it's not, because that's going to blow up in your face. This law is going to be put in place to protect the children. Bad people can't hide child porn. Bad people can't hide their plans to hurt your children. Bad people can't ... etc. Hand in hand goes 'good people' can track your children if they're kidnapped. Think of the children always works in the favour of those trying to consolidate power.

chx 10y ago

Find who are the major corporate donors of the backers, organize a boycott of them and call, not write, the donor companies this is why you boycott them. That's the effective way post Citizens United.

vox_mollis 10y ago

I am gobsmacked by the tenor of comments here. At what point will HN posters finally realize that participation in the democratic process does precisely nothing against naked power?

callcallcall 10y ago
In 2014 Americans made over a million public comments to the FCC in support of net neutrality. The FCC sided in favor of net neutrality. [1] In 2011 Americans made over 8 million phone calls to their representatives in opposition to SOPA/PIPA. The bills were defeated. [2] [1] http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/05/inside-the-fccs-1-1-million-net-neutrality-comments/ http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/05/inside-the-fccs-1-1-million... [2] http://www.sopastrike.com/numbers http://www.sopastrike.com/numbers
- verusfossa 10y ago
  And then CISA, arguably worse than SOPA, passes both houses in 2015 tucked in a budget bill. [0] http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10582446/congress-passes-cisa-surveillance-cybersecurity http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10582446/congress-passes-...
  - djejjehje 10y ago
    Not to mention more restrictions to come via the various secret international trade pacts being made. People must understabd this, to disagree is to be disingenuous on the face of mountains of evidence. The American people have zero say on policy, the laws the government wants the government will get, it may take a few more years but it will happen. The system cannot be reformed, it's very core is corrupt, those who disagree are for the status quo of the police state and they are our enemy and the enemy of justice.
studentrob 10y ago
It is ironic to comment that comments have no influence upon others. Personally I like to comment on this issue because it's about free speech and I like talking about that with people who are willing. Also I think technologists have a good chance to practice speaking up about this issue and be heard. Normally we are back-office people =)

lasermike026 10y ago

The EFF is great but we need to figure out a way to kill this thing. Get your checkbooks. We need an apparatus to kill things like this. Think of it as an NRA for crypto. Richard Burr is up for reelection this year. Remember to send money to his opponents. We might want to look for any other groups that have issues with Burr and send them money too. Perhaps this is how you kill a bill. https://ballotpedia.org/Richard_Burr https://ballotpedia.org/Richard_Burr

dmix 10y ago
> NRA for crypto There is definitely a market for this for anyone who wants to pioneer it. We ran a bunch of Cryptoparties and at each we had to clarify that we weren't a political organization - strictly an educational one. This seemed to disappoint a number of people.

studentrob 10y ago

I just called my local reps (John Larson, Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal). Each call was quick, professional and friendly. That was my first time calling and it was surprisingly painless. I opted to provide my name and zip code. I think that allows them verify that I am a resident and maybe makes my comment carry more weight than it would without personalizing it. They seemed willing to accept comments either with a name or without one.

dohwjhehe 10y ago

Calling the government to complain of their corrupt illegal bills is only a good way to be singled out for increased harassment. You almost surely will be placed on a list of possible dissidents, your life will be sucked in a government database and your communications more closely watched. Those things this is crazy have had their head buried in the sand this last decade. The political process is broken, America is despotic police state ruled by an illegitimate, unaccountable elite. There of thousands examples of government abuse at every level and officials are never held accountable. Torure? Pass. Bomb a hospital? Pass. Assisinate children and emergency responders? Pass. The people on HN live ina fantasy world where they still think calling btheir rep does anything besides putnthem on the government shit list.

callcallcall 10y ago
Having worked in several of these offices, I can assure you there is no "government shit list" for those who call their reps.