Going political....

[Russell McOrmond]

On Tue, 24 Sep 2002, Fergal Warde wrote:

> It seems to me that the corporate giants are going to try and sneak this in 
> and not mention that their hardware supports these anti-consumer 
> technologies. I was thinking I'd like to see some legislation that mandated 
> that manufacturers must mark their products with a certain symbol saying 
> that this piece of technology is TCPA enabled.

  Have you spoken to your MP about this?  We need to move from armchair 
politics and into policy development.


  If you have a strong opinion on things like this try the following:

  a) Discuss it here to develop a strong understanding.  I find that my
own understandings of things is always improved when I post here and get
feedback, positive and negative, to what I posted.

  b) Discuss it with your MP, MPP, or other relevant representatives
including the relevant ministers for the relevant legislation.

  c) Send in submissions to relevant government consultations.

  d) If you have the time, get involved in partisan politics.  You can
sometimes help form opinion at this level easier as people are seen as
'like minded individuals'.  Offer to host a workshop at a convention.

  e) Help consumer groups to understand the relevance of Computer
Software, Open Source, Copyright reform, etc.
     Some groups I am aware of (Quick searches online):

http://consommateur.qc.ca/union/
http://www.consommateur.qc.ca/
http://www.option-consommateurs.org/

http://www.piac.ca/
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/
http://www.consumer.ca/
http://www.consumerscouncil.com/ 


> I''m pretty sure there isn't a chance in hell of this, but it's worth a 
> shot. We need some way of identifying what new technology contains these 
> anti-consumer technologies, other than the draconian EULA's we are now 
> forced to inspect.

  My MP told me I was only one of two constituents speaking to him about
Open Source, EULA's , and other such things.  I know there are more than 2
people from my riding (Ottawa-Vanier) in this mailing list, so....


> -Fergal
---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
 See http://weblog.flora.ca/ for announcements, activities, and opinions
 Submission to Innovation Strategy         | No2Violence in Politics
 http://www.flora.ca/innovation-2002.shtml | http://www.no-dot.ca/

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