Dear Potus 08

Work in progress

A series of open letters to the presidential candidates, and eventual next president of the US.

= Overall schedule =
 * prototype at CFP focusing on technology policy in the campaigns
 * revised version of "Theses"
 * broad discussions and letters on specific tech policy areas: September through the election
 * involve political blogospheres
 * international discussion focused on OneWebDay
 * tie into existing communities: a2k, privacy, ...
 * [potentially] overall letter on technology policy (incorporating the earlier letters): January

= Goals =


 * broaden involvement, and raise the bar, in discussions of technology policy in the US
 * put forward "CFP perspective"
 * help CFP to become more of a year-round community -- and broaden participation

= Prototype at CFP: letter to candidates =

Schedule at CFP

 * working session at dinner Wednesday evening
 * edit on wiki until Friday morning
 * printed draft, circulate for signatures (online/offline)
 * report Friday afternoon, 1:00

Goals for prototype at CFP

 * successful initial experience with collaborative writing
 * generate interest for ongoing participation; find more leaders/help to build this into a network and a movement
 * get some broader attention -- blogosphere and press
 * basis for ongoing contact with the campaigns
 * collect resources and define structure for ongoing work

Results

 * Wednesday evening results
 * Dear Potus prototype: letter from CFP attendees, currently being circulated for signatures
 * discussion on the wiki
 * signing statements on the blog

= Next steps =

In addition to the mundane tasks such as getting a domain name, etc., we're starting to collect topics, names of interested people, and potential partners for the six open letters we described in our letters to candidates. Please add your thoughts!


 * Creating a safer Internet for children and adults -- addressing such issues as cyberbullying, phishing, hacking, and cyberterrorism -- while also preserving freedom of speech and privacy
 * Reducing identity theft by leading consumer protection initiatives, including education, best practices, and -- where appropriate -- regulation
 * The role of copyright, patents, trademarks and also alternatives to intellectual property in fostering innovation and creativity in a peer-to-peer-based democratic culture
 * Using new technologies effectively to reduce health care costs and improve medical care and service without compromising patient privacy and creating security risks
 * Enabling access to technology and knowledge for all Americans, investing in bridging the digital divide and considering accessibility, interoperability, technology education in and outside schools, and training in technological design and regulation
 * Protecting privacy via comprehensive U.S. privacy legislation based on fair information principles, applying to governmental and private surveillance and data collection, and how this should be harmonized internationally

Working group
Interested in helping out? Please sign up here!


 * Jon Pincus, jon (at) achangeiscoming (dot) net

= More =


 * original post on CFP blog
 * prototype: letter from CFP attendees
 * Wednesday evening working session
 * resources: other example letters, language we might want to use, references, etc.
 * Dear Potus FAQ