On Sun, Jul 08, 2001 at 04:20:40PM +1200, Hamish MacEwan wrote: I've read some of the discussion at, http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/07/07/0132226 and wonder if anyone has any reassurance to offer about the NZ bill? There is a global trend form politicians to take things they don't understand (i.e. words with more than two syllables and in general any kind of technology) and pass laws constraining how the industry is required to behave, without fully understanding any of the implications of what they are doing. New Zealand is no different, it is probably worse in many respects. I wish I could blame Labour, but the current government is only marginally more inept than the previous one. The real problem is that as a society we tolerate these total utter clueless cretins to 'govern the country' --- and when they do the most ludicrous inept things, sure, we get upset, for about two months, but come election day, The Disgusting Maggots Of Power are back. Leave now. While you can. Just leave! Don't walk, RUN! For those with families and such like who cannot escape the clutches of ineptitude and taxation based oppression, and for those who know it doesn't get much better elsewhere! The best you can do is contact you local politician (call early Monday, insist they talk to you, pretend you are an old friend from school, say you used to share needles or something, that often works) and ask of them what their position on the issue is (they will probably not have much to say here, maybe mumble something about poverty in their electorate and that being the biggest concern). Find out from there whom to contact and how with regards to what committees are looking at such things, and hopefully, if enough people do this, a few politicians will actually take and interest and help work with US (the people who technically do have a few ideas) and the select committee in not making a complete mess of things. Things to remember if you do want to talk to them: -- Call Monday, many send Tue -> Fri in Wellington -- Make sure they hear you name, what you do, and why you are concerned. Let them know you will be a thorn in their side if need be. -- Remember, when it comes to technology, most of these people have no education beyond what they got at school --- and for some of them, that was quite some time ago. -- Find out as much as you can from them of what is happenning, somewhere there will be a committee looking into this. Try to get documents on what they are presently doing and find out how to particiapte. Find out who is on the committee (usually what are supposed to be industry representatives, often people like former senior IT managers and we know how many clues some of them have). Or, just leave. Its easier. Really it is. --cw --------- To unsubscribe from nznog, send email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz where the body of your message reads: unsubscribe nznog