Ideas

This is going to be fun!

Trust me. ;->

Pretend you're writing an email to a friend.

Make strong statements.

Be brief.

Be positive. Say what's good about the Internet, not what's bad about the people who want to censor it.

No flames, please. Be respectful, of your reader and of yourself.

Talk about who you are.

Relate freedom to your life, your relationships, your work.

Do you use email to communicate with family members?

Do you ever talk about things that other people might feel is indecent?

Is it any of their business?

Do you have children? Are you a child? What do you think?

Have you ever lived in a country with a totalitarian government?

Explain what that was like.

Have you ever had to lie to stay out of jail?

If not, can you imagine what it would be like?

Be positive

Think about it.

What does freedom mean to you?

What does democracy mean to you?

What are your hopes and dreams for the Internet?

Have you ever experienced grace or nobility on the net?

How does the Internet help make things right?

Be angry! That's cool. And be respectful.

Today is George Washington's Birthday. A national holiday in the United States. We celebrate the birth of our founding father. The leader in our war for independence. He was the first president of the United States. The man who, according to legend, could not tell a lie.

Spend at most a couple of hours writing your essay. It's just an email message.

Talk about it with your friends. Share ideas. Listen.

Want to read my latest DaveNet essay? It's called For Emma.

Everyone can help!

Moms & Dads: Ask your kids how they feel about the Internet. Have they made new friends? What have they learned? Did the Internet ever scare them? Make some quiet time. Listen.

Computer users: Be a visionary! What kind of software would you like to see coming from the software industry over the next few years?

Everyone: Have fun! That's what this is about. Be creative. As soon as it stops being fun we stop growing, and that's the end.

Be positive!

Thanks!

Dave Winer