Comment No, Katz is Saying ... (Score 1) 462
As usual, attention-deficit geeks pour over Katz's article pulling out this sentence or that out of context and explode off in wild irrelevent tangents.
Geeks are getting their dicks pounded into the dirt left and right by Reno, Freeh, the courts, and Congress and geeks still don't get it. What does your mechanical know-how get you if your way of making a living, your company, e.g., Napster, gets shredded tomorrow by the political/judicial system? Why is it still a complete pain in the neck operation to use strong crypto software with email? Why do I still receive time-wasting spam? Geeks can spout all the Ayn Rand, libertarian, techno-anarchist babble in the world, but unless they get out from behind their monitors and take action thro' traditional political means, what they come to value will continue to fall prey. That's all Jon is saying.
Geeks need a stronger lobbying presence in Washington DC and internationally. They need to pony up some green to hire more lobbyists to make their voices heard where it matters. They need to organize political action committees to bundle their campaign contributions (They have to start making campaign contributions!) to make an impact with candidates who support their values (or who will switch to supporting them). Geeks need more lawyers. They should organize stronger, better funded legal foundations to fight their causes in the courts.
In order for geeks to get where they want to go, to get the type of online community with the values they desire, they will have to employ some well-known low tech means. If geeks continue to sniff about as if they are above it all, as they have, they will only accomplish the construction of a giant, well marketed internet prison for themselves, and everyone. Charles Buck
Geeks are getting their dicks pounded into the dirt left and right by Reno, Freeh, the courts, and Congress and geeks still don't get it. What does your mechanical know-how get you if your way of making a living, your company, e.g., Napster, gets shredded tomorrow by the political/judicial system? Why is it still a complete pain in the neck operation to use strong crypto software with email? Why do I still receive time-wasting spam? Geeks can spout all the Ayn Rand, libertarian, techno-anarchist babble in the world, but unless they get out from behind their monitors and take action thro' traditional political means, what they come to value will continue to fall prey. That's all Jon is saying.
Geeks need a stronger lobbying presence in Washington DC and internationally. They need to pony up some green to hire more lobbyists to make their voices heard where it matters. They need to organize political action committees to bundle their campaign contributions (They have to start making campaign contributions!) to make an impact with candidates who support their values (or who will switch to supporting them). Geeks need more lawyers. They should organize stronger, better funded legal foundations to fight their causes in the courts.
In order for geeks to get where they want to go, to get the type of online community with the values they desire, they will have to employ some well-known low tech means. If geeks continue to sniff about as if they are above it all, as they have, they will only accomplish the construction of a giant, well marketed internet prison for themselves, and everyone. Charles Buck
