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indoordin0sauryesterday at 6:38 PM4 repliesview on HN

Those concerns have evolved away from their original mission. Not an unusual situation for organizations like this as a they shrink and lose relevance.


Replies

kbelderyesterday at 11:49 PM

It reminds me a bit of the ACLU. If nothing else, they were always respectable in their vociferous defense of the 1st amendment and free speech. But they got caught up in other ideological battles, and transitioned to a more partisan organization... defending speech they politically agreed with, not worrying about others. Generally, becoming more small-minded.

The ACLU was always considered a leftist organization, and I'm sure that in general most of it's staff was so; but their mission was scoped to certain issues, and anybody who agreed with that mission, despite their other politics, could support them. Once partisanship takes over, though, it isolates them.

If the EFF isn't careful, it is going to be an organization not for those who support certain digital freedoms, but for Leftists who support certain digital freedoms. That'll do nothing but make it more difficult to accomplish their original goals.

I expect it'll also come with a loss of focus, similar to what happened at Mozilla.

Arubisyesterday at 8:08 PM

My sibling in sin, I have an EFF tee from about 2001-2002 that reads, in boldface, “FREE SPEECH HAS A POSSE”. They have always been broadly political.

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Barbingyesterday at 8:13 PM

Sad to hear. Can you help me understand its shrinkage and loss of relevancy?

archagonyesterday at 6:46 PM

What makes you think they are shrinking and losing relevance, other than feels?

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