More people wander into the back room of Bistro Roti, reserved for tonight's quarterly dinner for the Electronic Frontier Foundation's board of directors and friends. The Bistro is a cozily upscale place overlooking the bay in San Francisco's skyscrapered financial district. The poor man is racing around, fitting his valet's key in each door, trying to get in and disarm the beast. It's getting louder with each pulse, the lights are flashing, and a crowd is gathering on the sidewalk. People are sticking fingers in their ears.
All systems are now normal.
It's a funny counterpoint to what's going on at the private party within, where technology feels under control and at your service. He really was, but if you know anything about the EFF, you certainly know by now that Al Gore credited Mitch Kapor, EFF's chairman and co-founder, with helping draft the blueprint for the National Information Infrastructure. Some people think it's succeeding. With equal access for all. And it's really just the beginning.