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Cartoon Guide to Federal Spectrum Policy

Posted by timothy on from the appropriate-medium dept.

js7a writes "The New America Foundation has published The Cartoon Guide to Federal Spectrum Policy (pdf). An excellent 14 page guide that everyone should print a few copies of to have handy in the backpack or car. Learn what would happen if the government regulated speech the same way they regulate airwaves. Learn the truth about microbroadcasting, smart radio, and so-called intererence (all previously covered on Slashdot.) Learn more creative ways to tell Congress to stop giving away public resources to private corporations. Make the most of your rights to use unlicensed wireless, before it's too late."

2 of 237 comments (clear)

  1. Cartoon rights guides == great by jb.hl.com · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This sort of thing is the best way to get something through to the public. What's more likely to get people interested: pages of plain text or a comic strip?

    Norml have some excellent comics which do exactly the same thing: put across an issue in an interesting way.

    --
    By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
  2. Re:Ok well by nick0909 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually it is quite rare for people to go to jail for intentionall jamming. There have been two cases this year that I recall, and the involved multiple (30+) cases of jamming local law enforcement frequencies before they took action. One guy in LA is notorious for doing it, has even been to jail for it once, and continues.

    In my jurisdictional area we have a guy that jams amateur frequencies any time they are being used to assist in emergencies. The amateurs working these situations are Disaster Service Workers under CA Office of Emergency Services and are either ARES or RACES affiliated, and he jams the nets. Our local law enforcement wanted to act, but it is a federal issue, so we gave it to Riley Hollingsworth at the FCC. After months of proof being sent in for review, swore statements by multiple officers that witnessed the crime, Riley sent a letter and told him to stop. Nothing ever came of it, it was a waste of time for everyone.

    I wish people would actually go to jail for these things, but they normally don't. So go ahead, jam anyone you want, apparently the FCC only cares about getting money for the bands they can and never spending it on enforcement.

    Nick
    Butte County Sheriff Communications
    [not presumed to be a statement of my employing agency]