I got a commitment out of 5 people, 2 of whom pledged to get a few of thier friends. I’ll be back on Saturday to do more.

I’m focusing on what I can do to help. If anyone is in southern NJ don’t be affraid to jump in.

One more idea: Party at the Polls

Boost neighborhood pride and increase voter turnout with community-oriented celebrations.

Sign up today.

Dammit, I forgot that one. Next week, I promise.

RevDeb @ 57

Valley Girl @ 55

I think Blogger is down again. I just tried CTBob’s site, and got the same Internal Server Error.

If that’s the case we are screwed on election night.

I know I keep bringing this up, but this is another reason to have a txtmob group. It’s a back-up communications plan.

Uptown, I totally agree about the value of the txt mob tool! I love txt mob for sharing info “outward” from a single point.

Cujo359 brings up the idea of mailing lists – that sounds to me like another great tool when/if we have to work around website disruption.

As long as people have dial-up net access, pre-established email lists would allow us to have fallback contact in real time. The messaging isn’t as attractive as the Lake, but we could still share our thoughts.

An even more basic level of computer contaact works even without ‘net access. The old BBS (bulletin-board systems) of the 80’s were computers connected to dial-in modem banks. Users called into a central number (or numbers) to connect – through the modem – to a central computer which acted as an electronic “bulletin board”. Users would type out comments for all to see and others would respond.

In the BBS era, one needed a list of phone numbers to call for different BBS operators. The BBS operators often kept their own lists of other sites, so although the connections were distributed (no common physical internet) the information base could be commonly revised and accessed.

Now that dial-up is dirt cheap, fancy software/hardware emulates modem banks, and lots of folks have unlimited long-distance, a combination of internet-dependent email lists together with internet-indepedent BBS discussion sites would provide two successive fallback lines allowing group communications such as that we enjoy on fdl.

Anyone in silly valley with a garage full of BBS equipment seen their dustmops lately?

UptownNYChick @ 2:57 pm (#62)
Valley Girl @ 55

I think Blogger is down again. I just tried CTBob’s site, and got the same Internal Server Error.

RevDeb @ 57

If that’s the case we are screwed on election night.

I know I keep bringing this up, but this is another reason to have a txtmob group. It’s a back-up communications plan.

Is that like a mailing list?

Anyway, Glenn Greenwald’s site is also down. Blogspot’s having some serious difficulties, which might be due to any one of a number of things. Someone pointed out on the Late Night thread yesterday that the last time they did some maintenance, the site was down for a while.

kind of, but text messages on cell phones. so on election night, you could get send out results as the polls close.

The next twelve days and the GOTV effort will be crucial, and I’ll be joining the fdl family in giving my available time and energy to this effort.

The count will also be crucial. Therefore the goopers want to steal and corrupt it.

The Blue Army and the Firedoglake community will have good company for voter protection efforts on November 7th and 8th.

I’ll be hoping for a victory party Nov 7th.

But if we’re taking out the pitchforks and torches that night – or that week – we’ll have powerful allies.

The Ruckus Society – veterans of a decade of successful mass direct action – will be coming to the voter protection party.

If Karl steals this vote, there’s not enough tear gas in America to stop the protests.

So I hope those concerned about voter protection will keep devoting their energy to the election and – possibly – keep November 8 free.

It will be a good day to celebrate democracy – and defend it, if need be.

I think Blogger is down again. I just tried CTBob’s site, and got the same Internal Server Error.

RevDeb @ 57

If that’s the case we are screwed on election night.

I know I keep bringing this up, but this is another reason to have a txtmob group. It’s a back-up communications plan.

Is that like a mailing list?

Anyway, Glenn Greenwald’s site is also down. Blogspot’s having some serious difficulties, which might be due to any one of a number of things. Someone pointed out on the Late Night thread yesterday that the last time they did some maintenance, the site was down for a while.

From Tweety: Cox and Cumulus Corporations (own a lot of radio stations) blacklisted the Dixie Chicks.

And the radio boycott was from being bombarded by Free Republic. I didn’t know that