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Why not raise £338,568 for the Open Rights Group (http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ http://www.openrightsgroup.org/) instead? They're a British group who actively

Why not raise £338,568 for the Open Rights Group (http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ http://www.openrightsgroup.org/) instead? They're a British group who actively campaign and defend privacy, freedom of expression, and innovation. They could do with the financial support, technical help, legal aid, and public awareness. Putting your time and money behind groups like ORG (http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ http://www.openrightsgroup.org/), the EFF (https://www.eff.org/ https://www.eff.org/), and Privacy International (https://www.privacyinternational.org/ https://www.privacyinternational.org/) feels more productive to me than playing an expensive system for a one-off political statement. We need to support and create sustainable groups with a vested interest in putting pressure on the policy makers in power. Groups who are well-established, who share your views, and who have a head start. Expressing your distaste for existing parties is valuable. But it is easily ignored, especially if you do not intend to fight for seats. If the EFF and ORG grew as big, influential, and sustainable as other pressure groups such as the National Rifle Association, then privacy and technology matters could start to influence policy makers pandering for votes. If you're reading this from the UK, go ahead and join ORG today: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/join/ https://www.openrightsgroup.org/join/ They need more members. £5 a month can make a big difference to them. You should donate to the EFF while you're at it: https://supporters.eff.org/donate https://supporters.eff.org/donate

cabalamat 13y ago
> Putting your time and money behind groups like ORG (http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ http://www.openrightsgroup.org/), the EFF (https://www.eff.org/ https://www.eff.org/), and Privacy International (https://www.privacyinternational.org/ https://www.privacyinternational.org/) feels more productive to me than playing an expensive system for a one-off political statement. I agree that a one-off campaign in the 2015 general election is unlikely to bear much fruit. However, having said that, the Pirate Party's strategy of tackling these problems by being a political party and fighting elections is already bearing fruit. For example, one reason the European Parliament decided not to go ahead with ACTA is that they fear it would give a major impetus to the Pirates, who the oldparties would rather not see getting bigger in the 2014 European election. There is no reason, of course, why digital rights activists cannot do both -- political parties and campaigning organisations -- together.

cabalamat 13y ago

> Putting your time and money behind groups like ORG (http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ http://www.openrightsgroup.org/), the EFF (https://www.eff.org/ https://www.eff.org/), and Privacy International (https://www.privacyinternational.org/ https://www.privacyinternational.org/) feels more productive to me than playing an expensive system for a one-off political statement. I agree that a one-off campaign in the 2015 general election is unlikely to bear much fruit. However, having said that, the Pirate Party's strategy of tackling these problems by being a political party and fighting elections is already bearing fruit. For example, one reason the European Parliament decided not to go ahead with ACTA is that they fear it would give a major impetus to the Pirates, who the oldparties would rather not see getting bigger in the 2014 European election. There is no reason, of course, why digital rights activists cannot do both -- political parties and campaigning organisations -- together.