ACTION@EFF.ORG Activism Online Mailing List Summary 1.00 =============================================================== Forum summary for ACTION@eff.org, the Activism Online Mailing List An ACTION Document maintained by Stanton McCandlish Updated: 09/22/94 This document is intended to serve as a brief description of the ACTION mailing list. For more detailed information, see the ACTION Frequently Asked Questions list at: ftp.eff.org, /pub/Groups/ACTION/action.faq gopher.eff.org, 1/Groups/ACTION, action.faq http://www.eff.org/pub/Groups/ACTION/action.faq Outpost BBS: +1 202 638 6119 (8N1; 300-14400bps V.32bis, V.42bis; 16800bps ZyXEL), file area: Activism--Misc, file: action.faq The forum charter is also archived in the above places, as action.charter (action.cht on the BBS). Purpose & Background -------------------- The ACTION (ACTIvism ONline) Internet mailing list exists to serve as a tightly focused, self-moderated forum and resource for online activists, both professional and volunteer. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) hosts this conference, though it is open to all, and is not any one organization's organ or property. The list hosts both news announcements and relevant discussion. However, ACTION is not intended as a debate area or general chat forum, being geared toward networking among activists, planning and strategy, sharing of experience and information, and coordination of efforts. ACTION is an extended outgrowth of the original eff-activists@eff.org list, an experimental list from which much was learned, and improved upon. Rationale --------- * Why does this forum exist? ACTION was created because of a need for activists using online media, be they independent volunteers or representatives of organizations, to come together and pool their resources. * Why a list for online activism in particular? Ensuring the democratic potential of the technologies of computer-mediated communication requires active participation in the political processes that shape our destinies. "Democracy is not a spectator sport." - Craig Wilson Telecommunications are a powerful tool, but a complex one, and mastery of the medium for the activist will require a meeting of minds, a lending of experience between peers. Additionally, the grassroots activist suffers several handicaps, and professional lobbyists typically have advantages that the concerned citizen or volunteer campaigner do not, including funding, visibility, experience, contacts, training, media attention, and social status within the policy/politics realm. For these reasons and more, it is sensible to consolidate online activism efforts when they can be consolidated, to earn for the cyberspace players their proper status in the "game". Objectives ---------- As well as an evolving series of tactical, strategic, and programmatic objectives, goals and projects, ACTION is founded on the following general objectives: 1) to provide an open and comfortable collegial atmosphere to foster cooperation and advancement 2) to gather information otherwise difficult to locate, and pool it 3) to raise awareness of local issues with activists in other areas 4) to raise awareness of issues and of computer mediated communication in the public, in the media, in government, and in the commercial realm. 5) to improve resources for online activism 6) to share activism and networking experience 7) to work toward coalition-building and inter-organization cooperation 8) to extend and enrich civil liberties, offline and online 9) to work cooperatively on volunteer projects to improve activism, virtual community, and access to information. 10) to uphold programmatic, strategic and tactical goals and objectives [listed in the ACTION Frequently Asked Questions and Answers document.] For more detailed information, see the ACTION Charter and the ACTION FAQ.