Be A Wonk

Be a Wonk! Patrick Wagstrom Ohio LinuxFest 2009 September 26, 2009 patrick@wagstrom.net http://patrick.wagstrom.net/

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.

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

Why should FLOSS projects care about Policy?

Why should I care about Policy?

OFAC Embargoed

ITAR Controlled

Any Notable Restrictions

Teh internets

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!

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

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

Who makes policy?

Your workplace/university
Local (town)
State
Federal
International Organizations

Know the Agencies

FTC
FCC
EPA
WIPO
Numerous other TLAs

Who doesn't make policy?

MPAA/RIAA/IFPI
Law enforcement
ISPs
Trade organizations
Individuals

Types of Policy

Largely experts in opposition

Tariffs

Largely experts in favor

Climate change

Experts conflicted

Net Neutrality
Privacy
Cryptography

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

WONK K O W N

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

How to follow legislation?

GovTrack.us / OpenCongress.org
Thomas
Various Blogs

Ars Technica
Freedom to Tinker
Public Knowledge
Electronic Frontier Foundation

When to contact your legislator

Bills go through 3 primary stages:

Drafting
Committee
Full Chamber
(resolution)

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

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

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

FCC Complains by Month 24,068 17,837 505 179,997 OMGWTFBBQ?

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

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

Key Terms

Risk
Benefit-Cost Analysis
Net Present Value
Precedent

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

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

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/

Precedents