Phoenix Feather #3: Electronic Frontier Foundation

The Electronic Frontier Foundation

This post accomplishes two things I've been meaning to do for a long time:

1. Plug the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the great work they are doing in monitoring Government and Corporate infringement of the people's rights and freedoms in the digital arenas.

From EFF's about page:

From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming
our society and empowering us as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers. When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990 — well before the Internet was on most people's radar — and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. From the beginning, EFF has
championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital
rights.

Free speech and privacy are two issues I've a strong affinity for. Which is why I have added EFF's blue ribbon to my sidebar. I am especially impressed with the work they have done to protect the rights of bloggers. The blogosphere would be a much different place, if it existed at all, without their foresight, dedication and courage. Check out the work they have done on behalf of bloggers, read the litany of blogger rights they have helped establish and protect and if you haven't already, pick up a blue ribbon for your own sidebar.

2. The second thing this post accomplishes is to revive my Phoenix Feathers Project which I'd hoped, when I began it two years ago, to make a regular feature of Joystory. You will find in the sidebar a link list titled Phoenix Feathers. There are now three links where there have only been two for a very long time. I hope there will soon be many more. I have been collecting them all along but have not gotten around to writing the posts and adding the links.

One of the things hindering me was intimidation with working with the HTML in the side bar after one of my early attempts had resulted in making a mess of it. But I rectified that over the weekend by switching my new blogger platform over to the layout option and getting comfortable with using its features.

The Phoenix Feather list is meant to feature links to organizations which are doing work that support progressive visions for communities from the local to the global and champion the interests of the vulnerable against the oppressor. This definition leaves room for the fact that sometimes the 'vulnerable' one is the community while the 'oppressor' could be a sociopathic, egomaniacal or a just simply selfish individual. Which fits with my conviction that the needs and rights of the one and of the many must be like finely tuned musical instruments in order for the individual notes to contribute to harmonious melodies and the melodies to an exquisite symphony that in turn inspires its members to remember that they are a part of something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

A phoenix feather is a symbol of hope and courage and resurrection from the ashes of the refining fire.