Posted by Wicher 
Topic: Today I’ve finally joined the Electronic Frontier Foundation as a student member. The EFF can be compared to consumer- and human rights organizations, but the EFF is operating at the cutting-edge of law and technology – as far as I know they’re the only organization of this kind.
Yes, there’s the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure too. They do very important work, mostly regarding EU legislation – they’re not as grassrooty, though, and you don’t get any swag with your membership ;-)
The EFF are quite effective – they take organizations and governments to court (list of legal victories) and make patent offices reexamine bogus patents with some success. And much, much more.
If you sympathize with the EFF (or FFII) you should seriously consider joining them. You have an obligation – if you (the geek/intellectual) don’t, who will? Your plumber won’t. Not because these issues do not apply to him – the issues affect society at large – but because he (yes I’m being a total snob here) simply doesn’t understand technology and law as well as he understands a clubbed baby seals or tsunami’d villages. Therefore, join the EFF and leave it up to plumbers and kindergarten teachers to contribute to WWF and AIDS funds. Those are worthy targets as well, but that’s not the point – they appeal to a much larger “donation market” and will get their funds anyway because of that. I’m snobby but right, am I not? Leave a comment if you (dis)agree.
Tags: English —
