Letter to the EFF

[kiba]

We could always pick another recipient. I vote for Stephan Molyneux.

While he is not the eff he is the pre-eminent liberty philosopher of our time.

ESR might be willing to accept bitcoin donations.

He is both a hacker and anarchist and he would fit right in with the bitcoin community.

[1714941680]

1714941680

[BrightAnarchist]

In the future we should not do donations in this manner. We should request that they put up a donation box, and say that IF they do this then and only then will we donate coins.

In any event, I'm going to go ahead and send some sort of follow up to the EFF this weekend.

[BioMike]

I'm not a supporter of donating something and then later (when they are not interested directly) saying, well then give it back. Especially because many people donated to their cause, not some other organisation. How do you think (let's stretch it a bit far) if people donated for the WWF and saw their money going to the PETA, because the WWF was not interested but the PETA is.

Personally, I see two options that I can feel happy with:
1) Keep the account with the bitcoins for a few years and send an automated mail to the EFF yearly. If bitcoin really catches the market they might become more interested.
2) Contact one of their sister organisations in other countries, asking if they are interested.

<edit>For point 2, mail the EFF with an ultimatum for the EFF to collect the coins.</edit>

[BrightAnarchist]

2) Contact one of their sister organisations in other countries, asking if they are interested.

<edit>For point 2, mail the EFF with an ultimatum for the EFF to collect the coins.</edit>

Ultimatum? I don't understand ...

[BioMike]

2) Contact one of their sister organisations in other countries, asking if they are interested.

<edit>For point 2, mail the EFF with an ultimatum for the EFF to collect the coins.</edit>

Ultimatum? I don't understand ...

"If we don't hear from you before <some_date> we assume that you are not interested in the donation and we will find an other organisation that might be more interested in this donation."

Or something like that.

[kiba]

2) Contact one of their sister organisations in other countries, asking if they are interested.

<edit>For point 2, mail the EFF with an ultimatum for the EFF to collect the coins.</edit>

Ultimatum? I don't understand ...

"If we don't hear from you before <some_date> we assume that you are not interested in the donation and we will find an other organisation that might be more interested in this donation."

Or something like that.

Well it's kinda impossible at this point. I already hand them the mybitcoin account.

[BioMike]

Well it's kinda impossible at this point. I already hand them the mybitcoin account.

Ah. I was under the impression that we still would have access to the bitcoins (because, other people mentioned to donate them to some other organisation).

[FreeMoney]

Well it's kinda impossible at this point. I already hand them the mybitcoin account.

Ah. I was under the impression that we still would have access to the bitcoins (because, other people mentioned to donate them to some other organisation).

None of the coins in the account were ever mine so I don't really have standing here.

But I think you could interpret the interaction thus far as you holding your hand out offering a bag full of coins for 3 weeks and not even getting a nod. You are not stealing if you pull back the bag. They had the ability to take them for a long time and didn't do it.

[mizerydearia]

Reminds me of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PayPal#Criticism_and_limitations in September 2005 when PayPal tried to instead divert the donations to a fraudulent charity instead of the Red Cross as Something Awful members had anticipated.

Of course this issue is different in that Kiba is not freezing any funds, however each individual funder should have a say in whether their funds are returned to them, to be preserved in donation to EFF or any other action.  I wouldn't change the course of action for the funds as a whole without permission from all donaters.

[BrightAnarchist]

Okay, I sent a brief follow-up today.

"Hi [name omitted]! I haven't heard back from you so I wanted to do a quick follow-up. Did you managed to get control of the mybitcoin account?

Thanks,
[BrightAnarchist]"

I'll let you know if I hear back.

[mizerydearia]

Hmm, is there a reason to censor their (Aaron Jue or Mitchell Kapor) name?

[silverman]

Know everything you can about your customers:

http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/10/04/1454231/Free-Software-Foundation-Turns-25

[kiba]

Know everything you can about your customers:

http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/10/04/1454231/Free-Software-Foundation-Turns-25

Stallman is less receptive than Raymond simply because Stallman is just a moderate socialist. Raymond is an anarchist and he's already siting on the fence about IP abolishment.

Nonetheless, I don't know if the free software crowd would be receptive to bitcoin and ciphergeeks and anarchistic hackers that surround it.

[silverman]

Oops! I confused the FSF with the EFF. Sorry!

[MoonShadow]

Know everything you can about your customers:

http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/10/04/1454231/Free-Software-Foundation-Turns-25

Stallman is less receptive than Raymond simply because Stallman is just a moderate socialist. Raymond is an anarchist and he's already siting on the fence about IP abolishment.

Nonetheless, I don't know if the free software crowd would be receptive to bitcoin and ciphergeeks and anarchistic hackers that surround it.

Individuals aside, I'd wager that Bitcoin is already fairly popular among FS/OSS types whom are aware of it's existance.  I am such a free software geek from long ago, even though I'm not a coder.

[kiba]

No email from the EFF? 

Maybe ya need to send a letter until it get noticed by the EFF people.

[kiba]

No email? 

[BrightAnarchist]

No email? 

Nothing, no response

[kiba]

No email? 

Nothing, no response

Try again?

[BrightAnarchist]

No email?  

Nothing, no response

Try again?

Maybe someone else should try?