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
Call your Reps: http://TryVoices.com
Petition the President: https://savecrypto.org/
Donate to the EFF: https://supporters.eff.org/donate/button
Call your Reps: http://TryVoices.com
Petition the President: https://savecrypto.org/
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.
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.
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.]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
[0] http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10582446/congress-passes-...
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.
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 =)
To get to that point sooner, we should elect more people who are knowledgeable about technology. If you disagree or feel that is an impossible route, you may be able to find others who feel similarly. Personally I think people who feel this way are part of a minority and that limiting your interactions to a certain group is isolating and not productive. I am always looking for ways to engage people with different ideas, both to learn and to share what I've learned.
Ultimately, I reject vox_mollis comment that participation in the democratic process is worthless or powerless. Just listen to This American Life's episode on "Take the Money and Run for Office" [1],
> Barney Frank: If the voters have a position, the votes will kick money's rear end any time. I've never met a politician-- I've been in the legislative bodies for 40 years now-- who, choosing between a significant opinion in his or her district and a number of campaign contributors, doesn't go with the district. [2]
Or look at how Lindsey Graham changed his mind in the encryption case [3]. Our representatives are not entirely useless. Similar to your day job or at your school, some people are good at what they do, and some are bad at it. That's no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water. We have the longest running democratic republic in the world. We should study it, contribute improvements by speaking up and voting, and be proud of it. Much of the rest of the world faces strict repercussions when they even speak against their government.
[1] http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/461/t...
[2] http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/461/t...