rae@alias.UUCP (Reid Ellis) (04/26/89)
larry@zeus.UUCP (Larry Philps) writes: |Anybody else agree? Maybe I will send a copy of my tirade to my MP. His |garbage can is probably empty :-) Actually, has anyone given consideration to the idea of putting our illustrious MP's and MPP's "on the net" so to speak? Then we could send all our harangues off to brian@pmo.p-hill.ottawa.on.ca :-) Reid
pavel@dgp.toronto.edu (Pavel Rozalski) (04/27/89)
In article <296@alias.UUCP> rae@alias.UUCP (Reid Ellis) writes: >Actually, has anyone given consideration to the idea of putting our >illustrious MP's and MPP's "on the net" so to speak? Then we could send all >our harangues off to brian@pmo.p-hill.ottawa.on.ca :-) > Reid I think it would be scary. The bureaucracy would of approve of naming conventions that allow domain names like pmo.p-hill.ottawa.on.ca :-). Pavel Rozalski pavel@dgp.toronto.edu
edhew@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew) (04/28/89)
In article <296@alias.UUCP> rae@alias.UUCP (Reid Ellis) writes: >larry@zeus.UUCP (Larry Philps) writes: >|Anybody else agree? Maybe I will send a copy of my tirade to my MP. His >|garbage can is probably empty :-) > >Actually, has anyone given consideration to the idea of putting our >illustrious MP's and MPP's "on the net" so to speak? Then we could send all >our harangues off to brian@pmo.p-hill.ottawa.on.ca :-) > Reid Yes. Here's a copy (I really shy away from a repost, but it's applicable) } From: eah@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew) Sat Mar 11 02:29:19 1989 } Newsgroups: can.politics } Subject: Access to our Political "Leaders" via the Net } Summary: ... and why can we talk to them on the Net anyway? } Message-ID: <1963@egvideo.UUCP> } <original reason for this followup posting omitted> } I wish you weren't joking! For the last couple of years (well maybe 3 or 4) } I've been of the opinion that if we _did_ have access to our politicians via } the "Net" in it's various incarnations, better communications could not help } but result. } } As a citizen, I have on occasion spoken directly to my MP (and MPP, as the } case warranted), but have always found it a bit difficult to reach the } "powers that be". How much simpler it would be if only we *could* simply } address our opinion to brianm@uottawa!parliament!toryvax. !! (Purists, } please forgive my mixing of bang paths and internet addressing. I know } half the hosts have mailers that choke on such improprieties.) } } It seems that the ability to quickly address a few lines of text to my } MP (or PM) would facilitate communication in a somewhat greater fashion } than having to go looking for a Canada Post mailbox at 2 a.m. } } In that vein, I shall go so far as to here and now offer a can.politics } news feed to every elected member of federal and provincial parliament } in my local calling area. All they have to do is to implement about } $2000.CDN worth of hardware (a simple IBM AT will do), and about another } $1000.CDN for a decent o/s. That's a lot less then I see constantly wasted } by these same politicians on other items I consider more frivolous. } } I'll forward email to/from them as well. Sometimes (often) it seems that } the only times they concern themselves with "public opinion" is when an } election is in the offing. Perhaps we can change that. Am I being somewhat } too idealistic? } } Would anyone else controlling a nethost care to get involved in such a } project? If so, I will gladly accept email on the topic, and if sufficient } interest is shown post a summary to the net. } } [Now I have to print this out, do a covering letter to my MP, and (yuk) } use Canada Post to get it to him!] --ed } } {edhew@egvideo.uucp -or- ....uunet!watmath!egvideo!edhew} } Well, in the 1.5 months that have elapsed, I have had 0 (count 'em) responses, and tend to conclude that perhaps there is a rather low interest factor on this topic. I would very much prefer the opposite. Perhaps apathy ate my original posting and SnailCan ate my hard copy? My offer still stands. --ed Ed. A. Hew Technical Trainer Xeni/Con Corporation work: edhew@xenicon.uucp -or- ..!{uunet!}utai!lsuc!xenicon!edhew home: edhew@egvideo.uucp -or- ..!{uunet!}watmath!egvideo!edhew # I haven't lost my mind, it's backed up on floppy around here somewhere!
danny@yunccn.UUCP (Danny Zabelishenesky) (05/03/89)
In article <2003@egvideo.UUCP>, edhew@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew) writes: > In article <296@alias.UUCP> rae@alias.UUCP (Reid Ellis) writes: > >larry@zeus.UUCP (Larry Philps) writes: [deleted] > >Actually, has anyone given consideration to the idea of putting our > >illustrious MP's and MPP's "on the net" so to speak? Then we could sendall > >our harangues off to brian@pmo.p-hill.ottawa.on.ca :-) > > Reid > > Yes. Here's a copy [deleted] > } [offering free can.politics newsfeed to any elected politician in > } the area who is willing to invest about $3,000 in hardware & software] > Well, in the 1.5 months that have elapsed, I have had 0 (count 'em) > responses, and tend to conclude that perhaps there is a rather low > interest factor on this topic. I would very much prefer the opposite. > > Perhaps apathy ate my original posting and SnailCan ate my hard copy? > > My offer still stands. --ed One political party which would probably _welcome_ this idea is the Green Party. In fact, Greens have had to use computer networks to get their national and international associations going. This saves transportation energy (fewer conventions), and saves money as well (election laws are notoriously bad at compensating minority parties in many places). Many Greens in Canada are using the Web system, run by Toronto's Nirv Non-Profit. Many are also using Telecom Canada's Envoy100, and the FIDOnet system. Here are selected Green contact persons reacheable by email, mostly based on _Canadian Green Parties Contacts_, March 4, 1989 Edition (email me for a copy): -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- _National_ Networking Coordinator: Michael Tegtmeyer rgpo@web.UUCP Envoy100: green.log Executive Secretary: Steve Kisby Envoy100: steve.kisby Election Coordinator: Seymour Trieger Envoy100: seymour.trieger [Editor's Note: Seymour Trieger was actually our "National Leader" during the 1988 Federal Elections. The quotation marks signify the Greens' general unease with the "Leader" concept which the Canada Elections Act forces on us. We're for participatory democracy, you see, and have a natural desire to empower _everybody_ to participate on the decision- making process. If the proverbial Martian landed on our ideal planet and asked "Take me to your Leader," he/she/it would probably be laughed at. "Take me to your General Meeting" would work much better. In the real world, however, we are forced to compromise. For more info, come to any Green Party meeting and pick up a copy of our Constitution, or cotact any person on this list (each one is almost guaranteed to give you a different philosophical view on the "Leadership" issue :-). --D.Z.] _B.C. Greens_ External Liason, Vancouver & Area Chapter: Stuart Hertzog stuart@web.UUCP Ecofeminist Caucus, Nanaimo Contact Person: Helen Martin FIDOnet 1:153/197 user "Helen Martin" [Koyaanisqatsi BBS, Nanaimo, B.C. By Modem: (604) 390-3842] _Alberta_ Northern Alberta Greens Contact Person: Vic Yanda Envoy100: vic.yanda _Ontario Greens_ Toronto Chapter Contact: Chris Lea Envoy100: to.green York University Greens Spokeseperson: Danny Zabelishensky danny@yunccn.UUCP <preferred> dzab@web.UUCP CompuServe: 70307,504 McMaster/Wesdale Chapter (Hamilton): Chapter Electronic Address FIDOnet 148/252 msg area "Politics/debate" subsection "Wesdale Greens" [By Modem: (416) 336-0075, 300/1200/2400 baud] _Prince Edward Island Greens_ P.E.I. Greens Contact Person: David (Lobie) Daughton holland@web.UUCP <indicate "c/o David Daughton" in the message body> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Spring 1989 issue of _Ontario Green News_ contains an interesting article on computer democracy. Please email me for a copy (I could upload it to the net if there is sufficient interest). --Danny Z. P.S. I will be away from any net.access point between May 5 - approx. June 16 '89. Please send all responses (or copies) to my email address, and I promise to answer them all when I get back. -- NOTE: The views expressed in this article are my own, and do not necessarilly represent those of anyone else.