In talk.politics.crypto, ptupper@direct.ca (Peter Tupper) wrote:

A Symbol for Information Freedom

by Peter Tupper <ptupper@direct.ca>

1996 is off to a discouraging start when it comes to the future of information freedom. The American Congress seems determined to impose censorship on the Internet. The legal status of strong dual-key cryptography is still in debate. Telephone companies, cable TV services and publishing services are all eagerly trying to seize control of the Internet and eliminate the many-to-many nature of the medium. The accidental wonder that is the Internet seems to be threatened on all sides, in danger of being destroyed or denatured before reaching its potential.

My proposal is only a small contribution to the solutions to this problem. I believe a symbol is needed; a simple yet recognizable item that will communicate to others that you are: -for freedom of speech and expression in all realms, particularly via computer mediated communications. -against the imposition of arbitrary community standards by centralized authority on communications. -for making access to communications available to everyone. -against the violation of individual privacy by wiretapping, intercepting computer communications, compiling dossiers by government or commercial organizations or other forms of surveillance. -for making strong, dual-key encryption programs without back-doors available to the public. -against building surveillance measures into communications and financial infrastructures. -for a future of communications that is by, for and of the people, not the state or the market.

The symbol I have chosen is the paper clip. Why a paper clip? There are many reasons:

Pragmatic: Paper clips are readily available for practically nothing, all over the world. They can be applied to collars, lapels, scarves, pocket edges, suspenders and neck ties without damaging them and without risk of the pin breaking the skin. Aesthetic: The paper clip is a simple, elegant design that is easily recognized the world over. It can be rendered in many colors or plated with precious metals. Symbolic: The paper clip is a simple but effective piece of technology. An individual uses it to bundle together documents from disparate sources to create a unified document upon a given subject, which may be dismantled and remade for another topic. Furthermore, a paper clip may be bent out of its regular shape and used as an improvised tool for any number of purposes. Historic: During the German occupation of Norway in World War II, Norwegians wore paper clips on their collars as a sign of solidarity against the invaders. Commercial: While anybody can obtain a plain paper clip with little trouble, funds for Information Freedom can be raised by marketing electroplated or designer paper clips.

The cause of awareness of and activism about AIDS had a simple, readily recognized symbol, the folded red ribbon. Just as every celebrity who wears a red ribbon, no matter how trite and self-promoting it is, is a reminder to those watching that AIDS is happening and that many people are concerned, celebrities appearing at the Academy Awards or Grammies with a designer, gold-plated paper clip on their outfit reminds the world that information freedom is under fire and that people are concerned. It will make the Internet community a visible reality in the public sphere. It will bring these issues into the public eyes, and give those involved a rallying symbol. It will make a small difference, but it will contribute to the greater good.

Advertising couldn't hurt.