[free-sklyarov] Hacker or Not?

[Keith A. Glass]

> ------------ Original Message -----------
> From: Declan McCullagh <declan at well.com>
> Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 09:34:25 -0400
> 
> At 06:32 AM 7/27/01 -0700, Keith A. Glass wrote:
> >I hate to be all Washington and such, but it's a matter of spin control. .
> .
> 
> Hackerdom is part of this story, like it or not, per my previous message. 
> You can fight over whether Sklyarov should be labeled "hacker" or not, but

Yes, win the accuracy war, but lose the PR war, and leave Dmitry to rot in
jail until some court over-rules the DMCA or 5 years go by. . .

Our opponents use loaded words:  "Hacker"  "pirate"  "theft".  If we use them as well, popular stereotypes will work against us.  To go back to the Vietnam War axiom, to beat the DMCA, we're going to have to win the hearts and minds of the American public.  Let's be smart about how we do this.  It may be a proud and lonely thing to be a Hacker (or for that matter, a Fan), but claiming such does not advance the agenda. . . 

> to say hackers aren't part of the broader Sklyarov story is just plain 
> false. Spin control doesn't equal lying -- except, perhaps, for some 
> congrescritters.

Oh ??  Generally, spin control involves SOME lies, even if just lies by omission. . .

> >At times like this, you have to wonder where the Lone Gunmen are, when we 
> >REALLY need them <g>

> Didn't that series get cancelled? I think I panned it in a review.

Cancelled for now.  Didn't realize you were a media critic as well.