Ideas cannot possibly belong to anyone.
You can't forbid other people to think.
Some companies are currently trying to forbid real innovation by making a habit of patenting ideas -- which is paradoxical because the nature of ideas (which are fruits of the mind) is to be free, unrestrained.
If the company can say "you heard our idea and thus your work belongs to us", the nation you live in is not far from a beginning mind-control over its citizens.
Ideas simply come; you don't have to work for them.
But elaborate and implement your ideas, and that is hard work.
Hard work is worth being rewarded while having ideas is worth being praised.
1. *Randomly* select only *one* of the senators.
(That will prevent flooding them.
If the senators get flooded, they will get pissed off really quickly;
it would have been better not to write at all.)
2. Compose an email where you explain *why* you are developing Open-Source.
Go directly to the point, and maybe explain another point that is important to you relating to Open Source, but *no more*.
It is important that the email is precise and *short*, but don't miss the point!
Take care that the language you use is *polite* at all costs.
Always imagine the senator, or one of his secretaries, reading your mail.
Do *not* mention MicroSoft in your mail, nor anything related to MicroSoft!
You *will* miss the point of Open Source if you even think of MicroSoft.
Do *not* plead anything!
Your goal is to inform the senator about why you develop Open Source, not to request anything.
3. Reread you mail at least *twice* before sending it to the senator of your (random!) choice.
The reason you are sending your mail is that the senator gets some insight into the Open Source way of thinking.
Imagine you are a secretary of the senator and deciding if the mail is worth passing on to the senator.
Imagine you are the senator and have no clue at all about Open Source except that a big, respected american company does not like it.
Remember, the mail is about *you* and why *you* are developing Open Source. Keep to the point.
Again, check for politeness, brevity and conciseness.
4. Send the mail.
Refrain from sending it to another senator.
You know, senators speak with each other.
If your mail was a masterpiece, you may want to publice it on slashdot.
If you didn't manage to formulate it properly, refrain from sending it to any senator at all because you probably would have a reverse effect.
That way, you will have a *great* influence on the senate, maybe more than a huge signature collection would have.
If your polite mail actually manages that the senator thinks a couple of minutes about Open Source, he will get some feeling about the Open Source way of thinking.
Slashdot Mirror
Ideas cannot possibly belong to anyone.
You can't forbid other people to think.
Some companies are currently trying to forbid real innovation by making a habit of patenting ideas -- which is paradoxical because the nature of ideas (which are fruits of the mind) is to be free, unrestrained.
If the company can say "you heard our idea and thus your work belongs to us", the nation you live in is not far from a beginning mind-control over its citizens.
Ideas simply come; you don't have to work for them.
But elaborate and implement your ideas, and that is hard work.
Hard work is worth being rewarded while having ideas is worth being praised.
If laws are different, laws are wrong.
I think you should have some guidelines.
I suggest you do the following:
1. *Randomly* select only *one* of the senators.
(That will prevent flooding them.
If the senators get flooded, they will get pissed off really quickly;
it would have been better not to write at all.)
2. Compose an email where you explain *why* you are developing Open-Source.
Go directly to the point, and maybe explain another point that is important to you relating to Open Source, but *no more*.
It is important that the email is precise and *short*, but don't miss the point!
Take care that the language you use is *polite* at all costs.
Always imagine the senator, or one of his secretaries, reading your mail.
Do *not* mention MicroSoft in your mail, nor anything related to MicroSoft!
You *will* miss the point of Open Source if you even think of MicroSoft.
Do *not* plead anything!
Your goal is to inform the senator about why you develop Open Source, not to request anything.
3. Reread you mail at least *twice* before sending it to the senator of your (random!) choice.
The reason you are sending your mail is that the senator gets some insight into the Open Source way of thinking.
Imagine you are a secretary of the senator and deciding if the mail is worth passing on to the senator.
Imagine you are the senator and have no clue at all about Open Source except that a big, respected american company does not like it.
Remember, the mail is about *you* and why *you* are developing Open Source. Keep to the point.
Again, check for politeness, brevity and conciseness.
4. Send the mail.
Refrain from sending it to another senator.
You know, senators speak with each other.
If your mail was a masterpiece, you may want to publice it on slashdot.
If you didn't manage to formulate it properly, refrain from sending it to any senator at all because you probably would have a reverse effect.
That way, you will have a *great* influence on the senate, maybe more than a huge signature collection would have.
If your polite mail actually manages that the senator thinks a couple of minutes about Open Source, he will get some feeling about the Open Source way of thinking.