Technology

Sites and organizations dedicated to what I call "freedom of technology"; including everything from protecting rights in the digital age, to alternative energy, to free market & open source technology options and spreading of free information to DIY tinkering, modifying, and project building.

ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION

"EFF is the leading civil liberties group defending your rights in the digital world. " EFF has tirelessly, often single-handedly been fighting for freedom in technological matters since 1990. Whether it's warrantless wiretapping by the Bush Administration, legislation imposing free speech infringement on the Internet, or "big-bully" organizations like the RIAA and MPAA suing their own customers because they refuse to abandon outdated business models, the EFF is on the front lines in defending against technological tyrants of all kinds!

FREEDOM TO TINKER

Here at LSN, we are vocal advocates that once you buy something it is YOURS to do what you want with. FTT's tagline describes that few quite well - "...your freedom to understand, discuss, repair, and modify the technological devices you own." This blog-format site focuses on many issues related to technology and the social implications, such as copyright policy & protection, open gov't, automated voting machines, etc.

FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

OPEN SOURCE INITIATIVE

Open source software is a superior approach in the digital age, allowing a large community of developers to collaborate and innovate in ways corporate giants couldn't possibly imagine. "Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a non-profit corporation formed to educate about and advocate for the benefits of open source and to build bridges among different constituencies in the open-source community."

CREATIVE COMMONS

Another tool allowing new levels of creativity and collaboration: "Creative Commons is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright. We provide free licenses and other legal tools to mark creative work with the freedom the creator wants it to carry, so others can share, remix, use commercially, or any combination thereof."

MIT OpenCourseWare

While you cannot get a degree or certification through this, it is truly a testament to the spirit of freedom of information and 'open source' that is proliferating across the Internet. Who would have thought that one day you could access "virtually all MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) course content" for free on the Internet?? Well, that's exactly what this site is for! And no, it's not some pirates or hackers that are providing it, it's MIT themselves! "MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity."

TEACHING COPYRIGHT

From EFF: "In 2006, California passed a law requiring schools that accept technology funding to educate students about copyright, plagiarism, and the basics of Internet safety. Other states have since considered similar laws. We saw this as an opportunity to help teach students their rights and responsibilities when using technology. But when we surveyed existing digital education resources related to copyright, we were dismayed to find that much of the available material relied on inaccurate generalizations about technology and law. Rather than presenting unbiased facts and encouraging inquiry, the materials focused on drilling students on the prohibitions of copyright. As avid users of technology ourselves, we could not stand by and let this educational opportunity become an excuse to scare young people away from making full and fair use of the digital technologies that will continue to affect virtually every aspect of their lives."

OPEN SOURCE CINEMA

Open Source Cinema lets you create your own videos online, remix media that you have on your computer, as well as remix other people’s media from places like YouTube and Flickr. You can also connect with others by sending personal messages, commenting on remixes, or even joining projects that others have created.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY NEWS

A site which features articles on new and up-coming alternative energy technologies, including forums and Do-It-Yourself projects, coming events, energy-related job postings, and even a large directory of other related websites.

MAKEZINE

MAKE magazine ("technology on your time") has an excellent blog and video podcast that has tons of do-it-yourself projects, from building your own geek gadgets to hacking ones you already have to discover some awesome new-found potential. If only I had spare time from working for "the man" and fighting the "new world order", this is a site I would be visiting much more often...

HACKZINE

Also from the makers of MAKE, HACKZINE is a little more computer-tech oriented, and less nuts-and-bolts DIY. Some very interesting hacks for common consumer devices from your PC or Mac to the Nintendo Wii to the Apple iPhone that "they" surely don't want you to know about! (Void warranties at your own risk! ;-))

2600

Probably the most well-known resource for hackers, the pros and would-be's alike, 2600 puts out a well-respected quarterly magazine (2600: The Hacker Quarterly), as well as regular podcasts "Off the Hook" and "Off the Wall". The website offers links to all these resources, plus code snippets from past articles and info on the semi-regular HOPE conferences where like-minded hackers gather.

HACKADAY

A very ambitious site full of user-submitted DIY technology hack projects for everything from Blackberries to GPS to Xbox. "hack a day serves up fresh hacks each day, every day from around the web and a special how-to hack each week."

HAK 5

In the true "hacker" spirit, HAK 5 video podcasts offer up all kinds of ways to satisfy your "technolust". "Put together by a band of IT ninjas, security professionals and hardcore gamers, Hak5 isn’t your typical tech show. We take on hacking in the old-school sense, covering everything from network security, open source and forensics, to DIY modding and the homebrew scene. Then we wrap it all up with a healthy dose of cocktails and geek comedy. Damn the warranties, it’s time to Trust your Technolust."