[LINK] Bitcoin AND Surveillance

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

> They're always one step ahead as. They own/run/control stuff which means
> they'll still have a monopoly on surveillance, eavesdropping and control
> of networks .., Go Einstein! "We cannot solve our problems with the same
> thinking we used when we created them."


Well then, even Einstein might welcome these two initiatives ..


1. http://www.bitcoinblackfriday.com

About the day: Bitcoin Black Friday is a holiday shopping extravaganza
just for Bitcoin users. On November 29th, hundreds of merchants selling
everything from web hosting to organic beer will offer special deals to
anyone paying in Bitcoin.

Last year, Jon Holmquist founded "Bitcoin Friday", as a celebration of 
Bitcoin with special deals for Bitcoin users. This year will be bigger, 
with help from Internet freedom activists *Fight for the Future* and a
solid circle of Bitcoin believers ..


2. http://www.fightforthefuture.org

Fight for the Future's dedicated to expanding the Internet's transformative 
power for good. Our goal: to build a grassroots movement to ensure that 
everyone can access the Internet’s many resources affordably, free of 
interference or censorship and with full privacy. 

Our vision: a world where everyone can enjoy the basic freedom to express, 
create and connect online.

Working with our many allies in the non-profit and tech sectors, we launch 
campaigns that frequently go viral and engage virtually every demographic. 
We frame our messages in ways that make people understand and care about 
even the most technical issue. 

We also provide people with online tools that make it easy and compelling 
to take action and share with friends. We believe that we can turn Internet 
users around the world into empowered and informed agents for change. 

We view the following as the major threats to freedom of expression online:

* Copyright and patent laws are outdated and overzealous. They hurt artists 
and innovation, shifting control of our art, media, and ideas to large 
corporations.

* Slow speed and limited access: Lack of competition in the U.S. broadband 
market has resulted in an Internet system that is among the slowest, most 
expensive and least available among developed nations.

* Tracking and Spying: People can’t express themselves freely online when 
they feel like they are being watched. In an extreme form, government and 
corporate surveillance can lead to political repression.


Fight for the Future is known for its powerful and massive viral organizing 
campaigns that have changed Internet history both nationally and globally. 

Under our campaign to stop SOPA and PIPA — the largest and most visible 
online protest in history — hundreds of thousands of websites, including 
sites like Google, Craigslist and Wikipedia, joined the protest by going 
dark or prominently displaying info on the bills. Ultimately, 24 million 
people took action against bad tech policy, and both bills were shelved.

Our SOPA strike inspired street protests across Europe against the Anti-
Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) — another attack on digital rights — 
and led to ACTA’s historic defeat. 

In 2012, we also helped to stall out the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and 
Protection Act (CISPA) written ostensibly to prevent threats to 
cybersecurity, but written so broadly that it could easily be used for 
government spying and censorship. For the last election, we created a slate 
of voter registration and get-out-the-vote apps which gave the grassroots 
access to the tools that typically only large presidential campaigns can 
afford, diluting the power and influence of SuperPACs. And last November, 
public outcry from our campaign contributed to the rejection of a treaty 
that would have moved Internet governance to a top-down United Nations 
agency that operates behind closed doors and under corporate influence.


Fight for the Future is dedicated to protecting and expanding the 
Internet's transformative power in our lives by creating civic campaigns 
that are engaging for millions of people. Alongside internet users 
everywhere we beat back attempts to limit our basic rights and freedoms, 
and empower people to demand technology (and policy) that serves their 
interests. Activating the internet for the public good can only lead to a 
more vibrant and awesome world.

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