There are a lot of charitable causes in the world. Heaps. Tons, even. The one that gets my support these days is the Electronic Frontier Foundation (”EFF”), “the leading civil liberties group defending your rights in the digital world.” I know, there are a lot of causes out there that might feel more immediate - curing cancer, say, or providing service animals to the blind. That’s easy; everybody can get behind those causes. I can explain to my grandmother that blind people get along better with a dog, and she’ll pony up twenty bucks. On the other hand, if I tell grams that the EFF is behind the lawsuit to hold AT&T accountable for facilitating illegal NSA spying, or that they’re safe-guarding the future of cultural innovation, I’m going to be rewarded with a blank look. So here’s the thing - because I do understand what EFF does, and why it’s important, I’ve got a responsibility to support them on behalf of myself and those that are unwittingly protected by them.
And so do you. At least, I hope you think so, because EFF needs your help. To quote a recent email I received, “[d]ue to the tough economic times we are all experiencing (and maybe folks with spare cash to spend on activism feeling tapped out after the election), EFF is not getting the usual end-of-the-tax-year donation love.” As a result, this non-profit organization that, to the best of my knowledge, never charges their clients for representation, is coming up short. Trust me on this, there are a lot of top-flight lawyers at EFF that are working waaaaaaaaaay below their market value because they believe in what they’re doing, but they (and EFF as an entity) still have bills to pay.
Please consider becoming a member of EFF. You can become a member here and get cool swag to boot, or just buy yourself some cool swag here. My personal favorites include the metal Bill of Rights card to set off airport security (”fun” fact: nobody will tell you under what law you’re being searched at the airport. It’s a secret. Now read the 4th Amendment.) and the mini LED flashlight specially designed to reveal the hidden tracking dots produced by laser printers. Whether you buy stuff or not, though, you really do owe it to yourself (as someone savvy enough to, at a minimum, read this blog) to help support this vital organization. Join EFF!
Bonus for reading this far: I’ll blog more about this later, but read Cory Doctorow’s latest collection of essays (c)ontent, about some of these very things, for free! Cory releases his books under a Creative Commons license, so this is a legal download of the entire book. Some % of you will buy it, of course, which is the point. I say “bonus,” but it’s not like he’s doing this just for me - it’s just something I figure you don’t know about. 
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