Thursday, January 26th, 2012, 10:11 am
Fighting for Our Rights in the Twenty-First Century
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TRANGE developments in the United States and the United Kingdom* have taken away our liberties and assured us that it’s for our own benefit (to stave off the terrorists, pedophiles, looters and so in). Last year I wrote about it in this blog. People must remember that once we lose our rights it is nearly impossible to get them back, unless there is some major revolution or revolutionary event (like the US in 1932). Nowadays, as many transactions and communications are carried out and routed digitally, the loss of freedoms can be technological in nature. In Techrights, for instance, the issue of knowledge being privatised (with patents) is being addressed, along with censorship and other questions. What’s good about being a technologist those days (I consider myself an academic, sysadmin, programmer, and activist) is that it’s us technologists who can make a lot of difference in restoring or preventing the erosion of human rights. Sometimes it is up to us to explain to people what is going on and persuade those in power not to misuse their power, e.g. by passing the SOPA. Now is a good time for those with the time and the means to serve a good cause by sacrificing a bit for the betterment of society.
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* More countries are affected, but I am especially concerned and familiar with places where I and my loved ones live.
