[ILUG] Re: ireland offline 'strike'

[ad at m.beecher.net]

Waider,

> I have a small, perhaps impolite question about this.
>
I don't think it's impolite, it's a perfectly logical question.

> If IrelandOffline is advocating that people don't use their dialups
> and the like, who exactly /that matters a damn/ is going to see the
> protest pages?
>
The people who will use their dialups. (You don't honestly think we thought
we were going to get the whole country to take part, did you? :) The people
on leased lines. (Who have dialup access at home, like students and
businesspeople.) The media. (Who we need to get our message across.)
Politicians. (Who need to be educated.) People internationally. (To embarass
the government into action.) In fact, if anything, the people who really
will matter a damn will be the people who will see it.

As I've said several times to journalists today, the blacked out webpages
and request to not connect are only a part of the overall plan. Ultimately,
education is the key here. Most of the people out there don't even /realise/
just how much over the odds they're paying for Internet access. Education
breeds discontent, and discontent is a nice thing to have in the minds of
consumers when politicians call to the door. The run-up to the actual
Blackout is a key part of what we're trying to do.

> Wouldn't it be a better idea to get people to lobby their
> representatives in an attempt to get the ODTR some actual
> legislative/financial clout?
>
But we are! See "Letters and email" on this page:

http://blackout.irelandoffline.org/protest.htm

adam

---
Adam Beecher - Acting PRO, IrelandOffline
http://www.irelandoffline.com
Users Bringing Affordable Internet Access To Ireland

Please support the IrelandOffline Blackout
http://blackout.irelandoffline.org