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GeekPAC

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the 1000-geek-march dept.

SgtXaos writes "The newly created American Open Technology Consortium has posted a draft of their position statement online. They propose to change that by forming a real lobbying force to educate and influence congress about issues near and dear to all of us geeks. Here's a chance to put money where our uh, er, typing is." Newsforge (also part of OSDN) has a story and interview with the founders.

5 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Prices. by saintlupus · · Score: 5, Funny

    a chance to put money where our uh, er, typing is.

    If only senators were "free-as-in-beer." Well, senators besides Teddy Kennedy...

    --saint

  2. fracturing effort? by rknop · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm sure there is a good reason-- but I don't see it at the moment, so I'm hoping somebody will enlighten me. Why is trying to get people to put money and energy behind this a better idea than helping to promote the existing organizations working towards similar goas, such as the EFF? My fear is that this effort will dilute some of the broadbased support for the EFF, and instead of one organization which we can hope will become marginally strong enough to perhaps do something, we're going to have two organizations that look really good but aren't nearly beefy enough to compete with the current special interests purchasing legislators.

    -Rob

    1. Re:fracturing effort? by Spoing · · Score: 5, Insightful
      You mean like this?

      1. "Enough is enough is enough," he added. "It is time for people in the technology community to open up their wallets and donate money to the EFF and fund this political action committee ... We've got to do this or we're going to lose, folks, it's that simple."

      The EFF had a Washington D.C. based branch, but backed out of it because they didn't like how they were pressured into endorsing really bad ideas inorder to gain clout on the issues they were primarily interested in.

      Will Geek Pac work better? If they know going in that this is the way D.C. works, they might be able to deal with it.

      Either way, it might be more effective to have two different organizations -- one 'Washington insider' and another clean of such dreck and nonsense.

      --
      A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
  3. Leveling the playing field... by Linuxthess · · Score: 5, Funny

    Senator Slash Dot (R. -Cubicle) proposed the Consumers Don't Want Your Shitty Broadband Anyways Act (CDWYSBAA)yesterday in congress. The vote split along partisan lines as Sen. Mickey Mouse, Sen. Donald Duck and Sen. Bugs Bunny (D. -Disney, TW) launched a vehement attack against it, calling it "Unpatriotic" and "Communistic" and mostly unfair to the multi-trillion dollar media companies, which never had to empower the consumer, other than taking a "Tariff" from his paycheck.

    --

    I sig, therefore I was.
  4. Score 0: Bad '70s Reference by realgone · · Score: 5, Funny
    Corporate Membership: $500.00 minimum donation - Corporate members will receive a framed and signed certificate of membership, the monthly newsletter, and the right to name a member of our Advisory Board.

    Okay. Here's $500. And your name is Flounder.