Stop American Censorship
Internet censorship is going to a vote in the Senate on January 24th (known as PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House). While Senators are in their home states for the January recess, we need to flood their public meetings and offices with our concerns about the bill. Learn More
Virginia for Internet Freedom
Top Priority for VA: Set up Meetings
There aren't any public events yet, so the most important thing is to get meetings with Senators. Here's what you need to do:
Please keep requesting meetings:
- Call 202-224-4024 to speak with the scheduler, Britney Brown and request a meeting with staff or Senator Webb.
- Call 804-775-2314 to find out best way to meet with Senator Warner.
Be polite and professional, and request a meeting on behalf of Virginia for Internet Freedom (the folks in this forum) to discuss the PROTECT IP Act and SOPA. Make it clear that you want to meet with the Senator during the January recess, and that you'll be bringing others from your group. Have your calendar open when you call, so you can pick a time that works for you. When finished, post a report-back.
For example: "Hi, my name is ________, I'm with Virginia for Internet freedom, and I'm calling to request a meeting with Senator _______ during the January recess. The PROTECT IP vote is happening on January 24th, and I wanted the Senator to understand my concerns before the vote happens."
IMPORTANT: If you do get a meeting, post another message. That way others can join you in your meeting. If there's any other specific information we should include in this post, message us and we can add it.
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http://www.publicknowledge.org/files/Public Knowledge citizen packet_1.pdf
Setup 2 laptops. Laptop A is a regular computer. Laptop B is a "standard DNS server if SOPA or PIPA are passed." Laptop B has a normal entry for www.house.gov. Demonstrate on Laptop A that www.house.gov works as normal. Remove the entry from Laptop B DNS server. Show that Laptop A cannot find www.house.gov. Reconfigure Laptop A to use any other DNS server on the internet (or ideally a "rouge" one from someone's house), then open a browser and show that the server is magically reachable again.
My point for this demo is that members of Congress don't understand how the DNS system works and how easy it is to bypass any controls by setting up a DNS server somewhere else on the internet, which could also be in a different country. I believe members of Congress assume that users MUST use an ISP's DNS server and there's no way around it. A demonstration is required in order to prove otherwise.
It is clear that many lawmakers are not up to date with technology. To be fair they can't be expected to be well versed in every subject. It will probably take another generation for lawmakers to become tech savvy. What is important is to let them know how the law would affect the people they represent as well as the internet as a whole.
I just tried to contact Senator Warner again. At the number listed above I spoke to a staffer who indicated I should call teh Washington, DC office and speak with Neepa Didwai: 202-224-2023
Calling that office I was told to schedule on their web site, which had only this:
I have sent an email to request a meeting in Washington, DC or in Northern Virginia. No response as yet.
@itguy any luck?? How did the meeting go?
Everyone else - I have a few friends that would love to get involved. Since we have limited time before the bill goes to vote, what can we do to help??
@DBKJones I'm available on the 20th as well in the NOVA area. I just sent an email to Sen. Warner asking him to meet on that day too. Hopefully he'll see multiple emails about meeting that same day and consider scheduling some time with us.
There is no reason to be intimidated by the prospect of meeting with your representative. Just remember that they work for you and it is their job to listen to what you have to say. Meeting in person can have a real impact and are a great opportunity to be heard.
Jim Webb: http://webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Mark Warner: http://warner.senate.gov/public//index.cfm?p=ContactPage
Neither Webb nor Warner's staffers have been particularly standoffish. And no one has been rude. Sen. Webb's staffer was forthright and polite and took quite a few notes as we spoke with her. Webb hadn't formed an opinion at that point.
Senator Warner's staffer Zack Golden just contacted me via email this morning. I'm arranging a meeting with him soon. It will be either on Thursday or possibly next week. This should be a low-pressure meeting, as it's my understanding that Senator Warner already opposes PIPA and a quick summary of money he has received shows that he's gotten 150% as much from anti-SOPA/PIPA groups as from those supporting it. He's also been a part of OPEN which, so far, seems a much more reasonable law than PIPA.
I will communicate details of the meeting schedule as I have them.
I received the same situation as someone prior.
I just tried to contact Senator Warner again. At the number listed above I spoke to a staffer who indicated I should call teh Washington, DC office and speak with Neepa Didwai: 202-224-2023
I have sent an email to request a meeting in Washington, DC or in Northern Virginia. No response as yet.
Its sad when politicians try to enact, control, and regulate systems that run on technology and science, systems that they have no clue how they begin to work. They vote on the side that pays the most support and its pretty sad. Even when you try to be polite, waving you off to the next "chump" is the only thing they can do. Its truly sad how much power these congressman think they have. At the end of the day, if this passes, the technologically savvy will still have access to everything, new bypassing methods will be created and no amount of legal action will slow it down especially once those very technologically savy become involved. Thats when true furry will just strike, servers will begin to crash at an utterly alarming rate, and a virtual war will arrise. Just how there is the never ending war on drugs, a new never ending war will arise. One that will compromise alot more systems than you could ever imagine. Virtual gangs will arise, just like real ones, and a online blackmarket will arise with even stronger profit margin than what already exists virtually. Then when America falls victim to virtual terrorism, dont be wondering how this crap came about.... I tried to be polite by trying to get in contact with someone and leaving a formal message and opinion, but being tossed off to the side as some side of road crap is even more insulting. Being blunt on a forum is sadly the only way left to share my opinion since apparently "Neepa Didwai" is supposed to forward on our opinions to Senator Webb & staff.
- Originally posted to AKFIF, but contact info for Alaska politicians has been removed.
http://pastebin.com/mSkB62Fz
Included are
* links to limited, but informative coverage in the media
* links to written coverage of SOPA & PIPA (two may be offline today)
* key points highlighting threats and collateral damage that SOPA & PIPA present
https://www.facebook.com/pages/World-against-SOPA/304313362953003?sk=info
first step:
1._ No subscriber to this group will ever buy a under copyright item
2._ No subscriber to this group will ever go to a cinema
3._ No subscriber to this group will ever buy film on pay tv
4._ No subscriber to this group will ever buy a book (paper or e-book)
5._ No subscriber to this group will ever buy a news paper
6._ No subscriber to this group will ever buy a magazine of any kind
7._ No subscriber to this group will ever buy a CD
8._ No subscriber to this group will ever buy a DVD