Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: EFF and its growing p
From: david.chessler@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (David Chessler) 
Date: 25 Jan 93 11:16:00 GMT
Reply-To: david.chessler@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (David Chessler) 
Distribution: world
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** (501) 753-8121

On 01-24-93 (01:31), Graham Toal, in a message to All
about: "Re: EFF and its growing p", stated the following:

  >Subject: Re: EFF and its growing pains...
  >Message-ID: <9301221557.AA04170@pizzabox.demon.co.uk>
  >From: gtoal@pizzabox.demon.co.uk (Graham Toal)
  >Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 15:57:21 +0000

GT>:But just this week, during Congressional testimony which we largely directed
  >:Ed Markey has adopted Open Platform as his own (see Tuesday's Washington Pos

GT>I know who Sculley is and who he represents, but could someone tell us
  >foreigners who this Markey is please?  If he's a politician, who was his
  >campaign funded by?  Which big businesses are in his constituency?

He is chairman of the subcommittee of the U.S. House of
Representatives that deals with telecommunications matters.  In
this respect he may be as powerful as the chairman of the FCC.

He represents a district in the Boston Area of Massachusetts.
Thus, many of his constituants probably work for high-tech firms,
the largest of which is DEC, although LOTUS is up there, too.

Campaigns in the US are not funded by individuals or groups.
Markey has undoubtedly accepted contributions from all firms and
"political action committees" ("PACs") of "individuals" affected
by the jurisdiction of his committee assignments.

GT>AHA!!!!  Now I understand the point of EFF having a membership.  It seemed
  >totally pointless until now, since all the decisions were being made by the
  >EFF board without reference to the views of the membership.  I see now that
  >the point is to have a large number of people available to sign the
  >petitions to Washington to further the goals of AT&T et al.

The power of AT&T and the former Bell System occurred because
many middle managers were *encouraged* to be active in community
organizations, from United Way (community charity drives) through
the Boy and Girl Scouts, to various ad-hoc and permanent service
organizations.  In this way they got to know and be known to
politicians.  Thus, when they called on behalf of something that
would affect their employer, they were listened to.

The power is less, now.  AT&T and the Bell Companies are on
opposite sides of many issues, and both have terminated many of
the mid-level managers that made them grass-roots powers.

For any organization seeking social change, or to affect
legislation, grass roots organization is important.

The other example I should give is the National Rifle
Association (NRA).  This is a relatively small organization, but
its members are found in every congressional district, and when
asked to write letters, they do so.  The NRA also gives money,
but, in the end, it's probably the votes, and the zealousness of
the supporters that are the true sources of its power.

GT>Since most of the membership were (OK, I'm guessing, but it seems to be
  >the feeling on this group) attracted to EFF by it's championing of
  >individual causes and not some big-business free-enterprise political
  >platform, and that aspect of EFF's work is now being downplayed
  >severely, there's a good chance next year's membership list will be
  >considerably shorter.  How will your big political objectives go through
  >if you can't get enough signatures on the bottom line to be taken
  >seriously?  Just don't go to Washington saying you represent the

If the EFF can get its members or supporters to call, write and
FAX and E-mail their congresspeople (so far, it's limited to
call, write and FAX), then it can be very effective.  We have
just seen the effect of 1000 or so immediate telephone calls to
each senator, who may have millions of constituants.  And there
were no campaign contributions involved.  Speed and passion work,
too.  (I am refering to the defeat of President Clinton's
candidate for Attorney General because of the outcry over her
having employed illegal immigrants and not paid their Social
Security [old age pension and disability] taxes.)

Speed is important, and is an important ingredient of the medium
in which EFF works--the networks.  Despite having to transfer
your message from one network to a second (and the second is a
"polled" network, with message transfers only once or twice a
day), I am responding to your message approximately 72 hours
after you posted it on another continent.  This speed can be used
to advantage, causing a very quick response to politicians'
proposals.

Another advantage to this medium for grassroots organization is
the ability to handle large amounts of information.  In this
country, for under $1000, one can obtain a 486sx computer with
SVGA color monitor and 80-105MB hard disk.  A 2400bps modem is
about $60, and a v.32bis 14,400 bps modem can be obtained for
under $200 (although $300 is more usual).  Thus, for under $1500
on can join the network as a user, or set up a BBS to carry this
newsgroup/conference, and further the dissemination of
information.  This low entry fee potentially makes the network a
grassroots medium. (It won't truely be grassroots until it takes
no more knowledge and skill to access the network than to dial a
phone or read a newspaper, and that may take another generation.)

BBS transfers of information including posting of proposed
legislation, proposed orders, or other documents to downloadable
files, have been used by community organizers in the
environmental movement in this country.  EFF should be thinking
about how grassroots organization can work on privacy, secrecy,
and other issues of mutual concern.

Thus, the cheap, mass-market "IBM"-standard PC that you profess
to despise (if I read one of your other posts correctly), is an
important factor in making EFF--or the computing community, for
that matter--politically effective.  Certainly, EFF will never
have the money to "buy" politicians' votes with campaign
contributions.  But, as a resource for a grassroots computing
community, it can be effective in winning politicians' votes by
organizing the votes of the electorate.
             ___   __
              d_)--/d           David.Chessler@f190.n459.z1.fidonet.org


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