Electronic Brown Wrappers in special libraries

[Earl Young]

I take it, then, that you do not approve of Senator Faircloth's actions.  What 
is a little less clear to me is your implicit assertion that the action with 
which you disagree somehows leaves webmasters and librarians unable to learn 
anything about the Web.  Politicians will behave like politicians - the Senator 
being a bit more extreme than most - and few of them can pass up an opportunity 
for a little media attention.  There is a climate of concern about the Internet 
these days, and "concern" plus "politicians" frequently result in trouble.

The solution, I believe, does not lie in trying to outshout them nor will it be 
found in broad, declarative, sweeping statements that are personal, 
inflammatory, and easy to knock down.  Audiences tend to tune out - and that's 
not a good thing if you are trying to change their minds.

What, for instance, does the money wasted in meetings have to do with money 
wasted browsing the Web?  Why does the presence of one somehow mitigate the 
other?  Why have you characterized him as a "fossil?"  What does personalizing 
bring to the discussion?  He may be misinformed, and is certainly not 
technically astute, but the people who are working with his staff to amend the 
proposal will not be helped if this becomes a religious issue.  Talk with people
who feel as you do, and get them to email their Senators.  State the case calmly
- so they'll bother to read it - and give them a couple of examples they can use
when they are questionned by parents, interest groups, and all the other people 
who seek their attention.  That is how our laws are actually made, and people 
who haven't spent time on the Hill are surprised by how much can happen if a 
couple of hundred letters hit a dozen offices.

This won't work if the issue involves real money.  emails and letters are of 
little use when going against something that either big business or big labor is
determined to win.  "Games on computers" is not such an issue.  Any moderately 
competent PR person in Washington could get the spin on this changed in under a 
week - it's not rocket science.  But it only works when the players don't feel 
they are under attack.  They'll dig in.

I know you're annoyed by it, and yes the government does some remarkably stupid 
things.  But change their minds - don't settle for blowing off steam.
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re[2]: Electronic Brown Wrappers in special libraries
Author:  CMUNSON at aaas.org at INTERNET
Date:    6/6/97 2:39 PM


     Diane said:
>Government employees have to keep constantly in mind that the sysad 
>(or the boss) can legally find out anything they do on their pc.  
>Video games were taken off our library staff pcs early on (I don't 
>think they've figured out what to do about WEB stuff yet). 
     
>For myself, I would love to access sites like the Louvre or home 
>shopping but I know it's unethical and verboten.  I'm also scared to 
>death when I try to keep up to date and surf in our subject area-- 
>what if I unknowingly access a site that is forbidden?   Am I making 
>some of you happy that you don't work for Uncle Sam?
     
     Gee, it makes me angry to know that my tax money is wasted on 
     enforcing such ludicrous restrictions. How are webmasters and 
     librarians employed by the government supposed to learn anything about 
     the web? With blinders? I have found that visiting sites irrelevant to 
     my work has directly affected the ability to do my work better, 
     because I gain an understanding of how "others do it well."
     
     I heard that recently some fossil of a southern senator was being 
     shown the joys of computing by HIS office staff. They showed him some 
     games they had on the office computer, so the idiot politician 
     responded like a typical fascist and has decided to pass a national 
     law banning games on government office computers.
     
     What a nut! Some will argue that games waste taxpayer money. I would 
     argue that the time spent in pointless meetings organized by 
     superfluous middle managers wastes far more tax money than some grunt 
     playing Minesweeper for 15 minutes.
     
     Chuck