[liberationtech] creating an Internet issue template for Congress

[Lorelei Kelly]

hi all,
I've been recently asked by some Senate offices to help them with cyber
security and other Internet related issues.  There's a great need right now
to create some public good topline concepts and talking points that frame
the larger sets of issues and that give Members a way to point out how
important these tech issues are to broad audiences who, for the most part
"just want my gadgets to work and nobody to spy on me."

It's also vital that we start making distinctions between issues and
explaining exactly how they are related.  This is a big long term task,and
we hope to pull together a collaborative open tech hub for Congress at some
point...with standard input templates-- but in the short term, I need help
identifying the 3 best Internet related policy issues that have good
domestic/local hooks and that illustrate the breadth of the issues
involved.

The need is greatest on the Homeland Security committee--and although I
know lots of people dislike this whole notion --we must strengthen their
civilian hand in the coversation, otherwise get ready to hear "digital
pearl harbor" and cyber dystopian generalized scenarios accelerate.

For example:

Broadband Access
Cyber Security
Internet Freedom

where/why in the USA are these most important?

Keep in mind that Congress works in stovepipes because it is set up to view
the world of the last century--we need to be able to talk about big blended
and complex topics in a way that the institutions themselves can recognize
them (either by committee jurisdiction or constituent need) Smart staff
people will do the on the spot interpretation, but we should be giving them
a curated and accurate starting point.

all help and suggestions gratefully appreciated!

Lorelei
-- 
*Lorelei Kelly <http://newamerica.net/user/452>*
*
*
*
*
*check out our SmartCongress<https://www.newschallenge.org/open/open-government/submission/smartcongress.org/>pitch!
*
*read about Congress' Wicked
Problem<http://newamerica.net/publications/policy/congress_wicked_problem>
*
look at these cool maps about guns and
power<http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/03/how-groups-like-the-nra-captured-congressand-how-to-take-it-back/273623/>in
the Atlantic
*
*Open Technology Institute
New America Foundation

Tweeting @loreleikelly

cell: 202-487-7728
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.stanford.edu/pipermail/liberationtech/attachments/20130424/ed7818e6/attachment.html>