Be a Wonk!Patrick Wagstrom

Ohio LinuxFest 2009September 26, 2009

patrick@wagstrom.net http://patrick.wagstrom.net/

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Obligatory about me slide

Yes, I am a Doctor

No, I can't help you with the rash you got at Penguicon

Linux user since 1994

Deployed Linux in wacky environments

Currently research software development and software development communities

The views and opinions expressed in this presentation are my own and are not necessarily those of International Business Machines, Carnegie Mellon University, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Lab, or any other persons or organizations past, present, or future.

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What this talk is and is not...

Examples of current issues

Explanation of policy vs law

Guide on how to get involved

A guide to implement FLOSS in gov't

100% apolitical

Legal advice – IANAL

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Why should FLOSS projects care about Policy?

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Why should I care about Policy?

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OFAC Embargoed

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ITAR Controlled

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Any Notable Restrictions

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Teh internets

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Network Neutrality

Exemplar case

Who are the parties here:

The FCC

Network providers

Service providers

End users

Status Quo:

No current law mandating net neutrality!

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NN issues

ISPs dropping SPAM and DDOS attacks

High bandwidth tools with no latency requirement receiving equal treatment

ISPs imposing bandwidth limits

Wireless internet

Generally intelligent people on both sides

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Policy vs Legislation

United States code is long and complex...

BUT

It doesn't cover close to everything

Congress authorizes an agency to do something, but then leaves the actual implementation and details to the agency

The decisions of the agency are typically policy

Frequently congress or the courts need to intervene to correct bad decisions

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Who makes policy?

Your workplace/university

Local (town)

State

Federal

International Organizations

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Know the Agencies

FTC

FCC

EPA

WIPO

Numerous other TLAs

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Who doesn't make policy?

MPAA/RIAA/IFPI

Law enforcement

ISPs

Trade organizations

Individuals

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Types of Policy

Largely experts in opposition

TariffsLargely experts in favor

Climate change

Experts conflicted

Net Neutrality

Privacy

Cryptography

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You might be an expert...

If you work with something every day

If people ask you questions about it

You hold an advanced degree

You've implemented something in a novel context

Your business operates in the same market

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WONK

K O WN

An overly studious or hard-working person

A pernickety person who overly focuses on details

A nerd or an expert

(US politics) shorthand for a policy wonk

– Definitions from wikitionary.org

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How to follow legislation?

GovTrack.us / OpenCongress.org

Thomas

Various Blogs

Ars Technica

Freedom to Tinker

Public Knowledge

Electronic Frontier Foundation

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When to contact your legislator

Bills go through 3 primary stages:

Drafting

Committee

Full Chamber

(resolution)

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Why doesn't my legislator care?

Enough bills that most can't track every piece

Unless your legislator is on the committee, they won't read the bill until it's in the full chamber

Sometimes your legislator lacks expertise in the area

This is your opening – you are the expert, you can help

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Postal Mail

Most gets read –

Very slow, often filtered (especially at fed)

No guarantee that the correct person will read it

At state level, often the policy maker reads it

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Email

Quick and immediate, but typically isn't weighed as much

Automated systems cause problems with email issues

Gov't systems typically lack robust spam filters

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04/01/0

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05/01/0

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06/01/0

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07/01/0

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08/01/0

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09/01/0

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10/01/0

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11/01/0

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12/01/0

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01/01/1

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02/01/1

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03/01/1

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FCC Complains by Month

24,06817,837

505

179,997

OMGWTFBBQ?

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Phone Calls

Don't expect your rep pick up the phone

Ask for the staffer for your issue

Be patient – limited number of phone lines for calls

Be aware of what time it is when you are calling – lunch break for you typically means lunch break for them

Phone Call + Letter=

Best Choice

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Effective Communication

Write out what you're going to say

Or at least an outline

Have someone else read it

Rewrite what you're going to say

Be “Clean”

Practice

Practice

Practice

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Key Terms

Risk

Benefit-Cost Analysis

Net Present Value

Precedent

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Risk

Everything presents a range of possible outcomes

If possible, be aware of this range:

“Experts estimate there is an 80% chance network neutrality will create more jobs”

Risk is not an abstract term

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Benefit-Cost Analysis

Are the costs less than the benefits?

What about non-monetary costs and benefits?

Lives saved

Productivity increases

etc

Allocation of costs vs benefits

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Net Present Value?

From the Arizona Republic:

For possible sale with a lease-back: Two three-story buildings, constructed in 1960, with a connecting basement, electronic-voting system and reliable, if somewhat combative, tenants.

The Arizona Legislature, in a bid to close up the state budget, is looking to sell the House and Senate buildings and lease them back for as long as 20 years. The move would cost as much as $1.2 billion in lease payments, but give the state some quick cash, possibly up to $735 million.

An increase of 7 percent in the broadband adoption rate in every state, yields an overall economic benefit of approximately $134 billion a year. This would product 2.4 million jobs, saving $92 billion; $35.2 billion in benefits from accessing broadband at home; $6.4 billion from the reduced needs for travel; $662 million in health care savings; and $18.2 million in carbon credits.

http://connectednation.org/research/economic_impact_study/

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Precedents

Establish prior success

Make programs easier to sell

Provide public with a comparison point

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Helping out...In your own geeky way

Visit http://www.data.gov/

Let your local reps know you can help

Contribute to online discussions

Remember the hints from two slides ago