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Ask HN: What would it take for you to take action?

18 points by oskarth ↗ HN
In the light of the PRISM 'scandal', what specific events would it take for you to significantly change your life and actions?

It's easy to change the goal post. Answers to this question could be enlightening both for oneself as well as for future generations.

11 comments

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oskarth
As for myself: I don't know. That's part of the problem and the reason I asked this question. I'm very curious to see where people's threshold is.
adventureartist
I'd like to know my action is leveraged, or helps provide leverage to others. I send emails to my elected officials (personalized like a boss) when I see an effort that starts to gain traction and I can see the power of numbers. If one of the big companies, or a couple of them, came together to say "we're going to make a stand, we need you behind us" I would be there loud and proud, I would email and share and talk about it in person. I want to be part of a movement, and I want to know that my effort isn't wasted or worthless. Give me that and you'll have my energy and voice.
IanChiles
Complete proof that the government is using things like PRISM in a big brother sort of way, even though I dislike what they're doing now, I don't know what they're using it for - just yet.
oskarth
What would a concrete example of a "big brother sort of way" be?
IanChiles
Using the information as a basis for arrest or prosecution is what I'd call 'big brother'. But I'm not 100% confident in that definition
specialist
Hardest part is figuring out what's going on. Second hardest is figuring out what to do about it.

My path has been:

concerned bystander, protester, activist, lobbyist, and now reformer (aspirational thus far).

My advice to everyone is

#1 - Find your tribe. Working alone is too hard.

#2 - Learn how to organize, message, lobby.

Jayschwa
I think asking powerful organizations to give you privacy is a lost cause. If you want something, you have to take it. I think making cryptographic tools more widespread and easier to use will have a more practical impact.
late2part
Another way to ask this is - what would cause you to take advantage of your 2nd Amendment rights and refresh the tree of liberty?
runamok
I don't think this is a binary choice: a. do nothing b. take up arms and revolt

But now may be the time that we need to actively take action so we don't have to exercise said rights at some point in the future. Frankly if they are eavesdropping on everything it would be incredibly difficult to organize at some point in the future.

cakebread
Being a pleb is a mindset established over time. I think I'd have had to be raised differently to be drawn to high stakes action.