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Go on the offensive. Instead of just fighting to kill legislation like CISPA, lobby for legislation that will guarantee the freedom of the internet. That will u
by ori_b 14y ago
Go on the offensive. Instead of just fighting to kill legislation like CISPA, lobby for legislation that will guarantee the freedom of the internet. That will unequivocally protect people's liberties on (and off) the internet.
- sp332 14y agoGetting such a law passed does nothing to prevent a future law from saying the opposite.
- drcube 14y agoUnless you amend the Constitution. Good luck! EDIT: Another option is for the courts to decide that freedom was guaranteed in the Constitution all along. But courts are unpredictable so again, good luck!
- stonemetal 14y agoAmendment 21(repeal of prohibition), Nothing is forever.
- AnthonyMouse 14y ago>Getting such a law passed does nothing to prevent a future law from saying the opposite. What it does is make the proposal for the future law look like a much larger departure from the status quo, which makes it a harder sell. Furthermore, members of Congress don't like to change their positions for a number of reasons relating to both ego and what it allows election opponents to put in political advertisements, so if you can get them on record supporting your cause then you make them less likely to go against you in the future.
- dubfan 14y agoThe special interests behind legislation like CISPA have professional lobbyists and millions of dollars to pay them. If you're a private citizen and want a law passed at the federal level, you need to have a cute and young white child who died due to something your law legislates against. Otherwise you don't stand a chance of being heard.
- likpok 14y agoSo start soliciting donations and hire your own professional lobbyist. The amount of whining about how the political process is broken because it actually takes work to influence legislation is a little ridiculous.
- ori_b 14y agoBetter: Start forming a coalition of private individuals and companies, and use that group to hire lobbyists. The game is broken, but you can't win if you refuse to play.
- mindslight 14y agoYou can certainly enjoy your life a lot more if you take your ball, go home, and play with your computer. Who knows, computers may even turn out to be popular in a decade's time.
- nitrogen 14y agoI've come to the conclusion that mainstreaming a technology results in the technology conforming to the mainstream, rather than the mainstream adopting the interests of the early adopters of the technology.
- rayiner 14y agoWhich is precisely how it should be. Technology is for the use and convenience of the masses--it's not a vector for political minorities to spread their ideological viewpoints. My mom doesn't need to listen to Vint Cerf's politics to use the TCP/IP to trade pictures of my kid with my wife's mom.
- mindslight 14y agoYes, clearly the capabilities of technology shouldn't inform people's philosophies. They should continue to receive their views via mass media social pressure instead.