[sklyarov-chicago] [neale@woozle.org: Organizing tips]

[Peter A. Peterson II]

----- Forwarded message from Neale Pickett <neale@woozle.org> -----

We had a good showing in Seattle, but the general opinion is that it
wasn't good enough.  There are currently 88 people subscribed to our
mailing list, we had about 20 show up.  We need help getting that number
up, and here's what I was thinking of doing:

1. Hold a sign-making party.

   Most of us are computer programmers, asocial by nature, and the
   thought of a protest scares us.  If we can get people to meet at a
   common location, face to face, it might encourage more to show up.
   So I'm contemplating sending out an invitation such as:

      We need help!  If you'd like to get involved but can't make it to
      a protest, you can still help by coming to a sign-making /
      letter-writing party.  Bring your laptop and design killer
      leaflets, or bring a pen or marker and help us make great signs.
      Free pizza!  (Or whatever)

2. Talk to local organized labor groups.

   These people have been
   picketing and protesting for 100 years, and their founding issues
   were very similar to what we're doing now.  I bet they can give us
   some good advice about staging a protest and getting things done
   effectively.

3. Ask for direction.

   I think the last protest was a great success because we had some
   clear goal in mind: get Adobe to drop the charges.  Now, it's a
   little more vague and intangible: release Sklyarov and repeal the
   DMCA.  What are we doing in front of the Federal building in Seattle?
   If we got our way, who in Seattle would agree to talk to us?  We
   don't have the kind of rallying point that we did with Adobe, and
   perhaps the idea of a "protest" or "picket" isn't as applicable as a
   "rally".  What do list members think?

In Seattle, you see a lot of people going around collecting signatures
for petitions, and (more or less) silently passing out leaflets.  Mike
Orr wrote that a lot of people watched us during their lunch break as
entertainment, and I think he's right.  At least in Seattle, we need to
regroup and decide precisely what we want to accomplish, and precisely
the best way to accomplish it.

At least, that's what I'm thinking right now.  But I'm dehydrated, so my
opinion may change.


----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
   FREE DMITRY SKLYAROV -- FBI has imprisioned a Russian software 
   engineer for promoting and teaching the concept of "fair use".
Read more: http://www.eff.org/alerts/20010719_eff_sklyarov_alert.html