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EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

internetdefenseleague.org

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Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#131

Post by cbr »

MSM wrote: post #88
chez17 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the least you could do is make snarky comments about the people who are actually trying to do something. This isn't about 'signing up' for a website. This is about trying to mobilize a group of people that often times is not that involved with politics. The idea is that when you sign up, you'll take action on the items that the site informs you about. There is literally nothing like this on the internet for this…

> We stopped SOPA This is what I'm worried about. Who really stopped SOPA? You can bet that anyone who signs up for this will go around touting how they stopped SOPA, just like the guy next to me pretty much single handedly saved Haiti in 2010 with his $5 donation to the Red Cross. There is a disparity between giving money so that others can continue to do work and being the one doing the work. I want that distinctio…

"There is a disparity between giving money so that others can continue to do work and being the one doing the work. I want that distinction clear, and to remain clear. The doctor who flew down to Haiti to personally help is infinitely more valuable than someone who donated."

Really? Let's say I donate enough money that the Red Cross can afford to send an additional doctor to Haiti. How is that not in the same ballpark as volunteering your time as a doctor to go work there?

We should care about the effects of our actions, and donating money to effective charities (see http://givewell.org) is one of the ways we can have the biggest positive effect.

(I take this seriously; I give about 1/3 of what I earn as a programmer to the most effective charities I can find.)

Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#133

Post by mtgx »

From Techdirt:

"Earlier this year, I wrote about the Hacking Society gathering, put on by Union Square Ventures. During that discussion, Clay Shirky brought up the idea of an "Internet Volunteer Fire Department" and Tiffiniy Cheng, from Fight for the Future, explained the IDL and how they were already working on it. You can watch that discussion to get a sense of the thinking behind this effort:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=X...

Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#134

Post by Confusion »

chez17 wrote: post #71
victork2 wrote: post #4

Well it embodies the best and the worst of internet movements. While the foundations are good: protecting the web from bad laws, restrictions etc... the execution is really ridiculous. Imagine you're an old style Senator or representative and you see that website with a weird ass looking cat... Do you really think it's going to make them think you're anything but a joke? I find that the words used are equally ridicul…

What's important is that you've found a way to feel morally superior and do nothing about the problems we face today. A true internet warrior.

What's important is that you've found a way to feel morally superior and do nothing to address the concerns raised by your parent that it doesn't achieve its goal and thus diverts valuable resources away from better thought-through initiatives that would be effective at reaching that goal. A true internet warrior.

Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#136

Post by __alexs »

stinkytaco wrote: post #118
__alexs wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Monopolies are not inherently bad. Yes they are. They are bad because they are a massive risk center to their customers. For a small industry this is just kind of annoying, but for a massive one it can have a detrimental effect on the entire economy and not having massive single points of failure in your economy should be (and sometimes is) considered a matter of national security.

What about wireless spectrum? Should we just give access to spectrum to everyone who wants it? Your radio, cell phone and wireless Internet would stop working within weeks, I'm sure. Sometime monopoly is not only good, but necessary.

That the status quo for RF spectrum is that of government granted monopoly in most of the world is not evidence that this is a necessary way to operate. In fact there have been numerous proposals to change the regulation of important RF ranges into a more typical commons based usage model. e.g. the "whitespace" wireless broadband systems that are still fighting their way through the FCC regulatory quagmire in the US.

I'd even argue that the regional monopoly system we currently have actually frequently does have to act in communal ways in the best interests of different providers across regulatory regions. People without billions of dollars on the table just aren't allowed in those conversations.

Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#137

Post by cabalamat »

victork2 wrote: post #4

Well it embodies the best and the worst of internet movements. While the foundations are good: protecting the web from bad laws, restrictions etc... the execution is really ridiculous. Imagine you're an old style Senator or representative and you see that website with a weird ass looking cat... Do you really think it's going to make them think you're anything but a joke? I find that the words used are equally ridicul…

> Do you really think it's going to make them think you're anything but a joke?

After what happened with SOPA and ACTA, they can regard it as a joke at their peril.

Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#138

Post by kahawe »

gauravk92 wrote: post #92
sukuriant wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, the 95% of the general population is the percent that still throws around cat pictures as though they're the newest and greatest things. My mother is often sending me cute animal pictures that were popular in the 90's and early 2000's.

We start it, early adopters. The mass picks up on it after a few years, only if it gets started in the first place.

> We start it, early adopters. The mass picks up on it after a few years, only if it gets started in the first place.

Which, coincidentally, is a LOT of what you can see happening these days with "social networking" and "cloud computing" and all those other hypes and trends that basically existed very well in the 90s and before but now the public is "catching up" with technical developments.

Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#139

Post by tatsuke95 »

I can't believe there is so much negativity. I'm usually the guy who has something negative to say about everything, and end up in these threads where other people ask, "why so negative?"

But this? This political action is literally what killed SOPA; that's not me talking, that's straight from Dodd's mouth. Now they've developed an easy call-to-action for future, similar bills? It's genius. Politicians thrive on the historical forgetfulness of the public. It was a matter of weeks before another bill similar to SOPA was in the works. The politicians will adjust their strategy and count on less political action the "next-time-around". I hope this can prevent it.

Who cares if it's about cats and comics? That's the theme of a generation and internet culture. And (combined with their high unemployment and lower expectations of future standard of living) this generation is going to be a political force. Bank on it.

Re: EFF, Reddit, Mozilla, others launch Internet Defense League and Cat Signal

#140

Post by MSM »

cbr wrote: post #131
MSM wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We stopped SOPA This is what I'm worried about. Who really stopped SOPA? You can bet that anyone who signs up for this will go around touting how they stopped SOPA, just like the guy next to me pretty much single handedly saved Haiti in 2010 with his $5 donation to the Red Cross. There is a disparity between giving money so that others can continue to do work and being the one doing the work. I want that distinctio…

"There is a disparity between giving money so that others can continue to do work and being the one doing the work. I want that distinction clear, and to remain clear. The doctor who flew down to Haiti to personally help is infinitely more valuable than someone who donated." Really? Let's say I donate enough money that the Red Cross can afford to send an additional doctor to Haiti. How is that not in the same ballpar…

Like I said, if your money is supporting someone doing good and gives them the ability to continue doing good, then it's helpful.

Going back to the Red Cross example: If I'm a doctor in the US I'm making very good money, I get to see my family every day, and I have a very high standard of living.

It takes one of those doctors (not necessarily from the US, but I imagine most doctors live well) to give all of that up and fly over to a country in ruins to help. Without the people who are willing to really make those sacrifices, we've got a bunch of money and that's it. Money in and of itself is not what is usually needed to rectify situations.

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