Re: Ready to get your federal computer license?

["Steven M. Bellovin" <smb () cs columbia edu>]

On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:20:55 -0400
Eric Brunner-Williams <brunner () nic-naa net> wrote:

> randy,
>
> moveon is a maine-based org. it is an effective, fund raising,
> partisan organization. it is much more than a click-and-opine
> vehicle, it puts hundreds of thousands of dollars into competitive
> races, and has a competent political director.
>
> to create a "NagOn" we would have to hire or appoint a political 
> director, and a financial director, and charge each with framing the 
> issue, and executing a seven figure plan, and a communications
> director, to put the message with the money in targeted media
> markets, and finally, to show teeth, drop the margin of error, or on
> the order of high five, low six figures, in targeted congressional
> races, for challengers and incumbants.
>
> in about a year after starting down this path, the "Congressman, its 
> NagOn on line one" conversation would be slightly different from
> today, and in several years time, more so.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

I don't know that a NagOn is the best way or the only way to make
progress.  I do know that the most likely source of that kind of
funding is (many of) our employers, who may not have technical
excellence on the top of their lists.  But I'm even more certain that
if technical people never speak up, their message will never be heard,
except perhaps by accident.

                --Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb