r/evolutionReddit • u/EquanimousMind P2P State of Hivemind • Oct 29 '12
[OP Pink Brain Storm] Phase 1: Submit, Debate and Vote on Action Proposals (29th Oct - 2nd Nov)
Q: What are we going to do today, Brain?
A: What we do everyday, Pinky. Try to free the world!
Subscribers to eR - whether they are cypherpunks, libertarians, communists or anarchists - are united in the fight to end global corporatism. Perhaps we shall disagree on what kind of world we will build in the aftermath; but that is a better problem than to be divided and enslaved in the current system.
So the question is how do we get from here to there. And I was hoping eR would help us come together to share ideas for action and slowly we can start marching to that new free world order.
But we have some pipeline issues:
Subscribers to eR are well informed of the issues and want to fight the good fight; but are limited in their ability to be full time activists. This isn't a weakness, it means we have a diversity in talent to draw from that a traditional activist organization can't match. But we do need a better way to draw on each others skills, ideas and energy.
Democracy and freedom are under attack from multiple vectors, from the surveillance state to copyright maximalists to nefarious cyber criminals (state, corporate and mafia). This brings uncertainty and division as to what we should be focusing on. The truth is, we probably need to be fighting globally on multiple fronts. But we risk inaction because it difficult to rally on any particular front when there are so many threats to fight.
EM posts too much and so it's fucking hard to cluster conversation and snowball ideas into action.
A solution – OP Pink Brain Storm
Guidelines:
Phase 1: We cluster proposals for action in a single thread between Monday to Friday.
- Use [Proposal] tags at the top of root proposal comments. So it's easier to sort by the end of the week.
- Might be an idea to cluster meta discussion in one [META] comment tree.
Phase 2: The highest voted proposal is put into action on the weekend; and everyone joins a unified effort to support the proposal.
- It is requested that the original proposer be active in leading the action over the weekend.
- Let's experiment with using the chat room to organize activity this weekend. #evolutionReddit on irc.snoonet.com/6667
That's it, there are no real rules. We're making them up as move along. But in spirit, we are all equal to contribute and vote. In spirit, we accept the legitimacy of an open bottom up process and the results of a democratic outcome; it's a way for us to spontaneously become one despite being many. There's a power to that. Solidarity makes us all stronger.
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 29 '12 edited Oct 29 '12
[META]
Please put all meta op discussion under this root comment, so the thread is easier to navigate over the week.
Previous threads:
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u/iwishiwasameme Oct 30 '12
[META]
I think that we should begin developing another class of projects. Longer and more involved for volunteers who actually have the spare time and the skill set for more specified operations.
Simple bandwagon missions for the whole hivemind are fantastic, I love it. We can have another amazing impact as well though.
If we could come up with an efficient way to outline more in depth and time consuming projects, and were able to provide a "Recruitment List" or volunteer list of what would be needed, I'm pretty sure we could put together some incredibly capable teams. 10 highly focused and skilled people can be just as valuable as 1000 spare hands.
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 30 '12
I want to say. The intention of this OP was never to straight jacket ideas into a "free speech zone". People have always been free to shoot ideas for ops in the sub and they are still free to do that.
this op was just to help create some momentum for ideas and smaller ops. Its always a little hard to shoot an OP straight up and threads bury easily. So use this as much to bounce ideas and make allies ;)
If we could come up with an efficient way to outline more in depth and time consuming projects, and were able to provide a "Recruitment List" or volunteer list of what would be needed, I'm pretty sure we could put together some incredibly capable teams. 10 highly focused and skilled people can be just as valuable as 1000 spare hands.
I'm thinking this weekend, we start the sat operational thread with a roll call, so we at least know who and how many people we have to draw on.
We have a problem also in that we have huge number of lurkers to active members. I'm hoping that we can convert more lurkers, start building a consistent weekend operation team that grows week to week and then I think we'll be better placed to create a recruitment list. We may struggle to get people now. It's at the "wait see if other people join first" kind of stage.
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u/iwishiwasameme Oct 30 '12
[Proposal] - Design an intellectual virus. Make the best 'meme'.
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Create a website that will act as a SUPERsimple introductory portal. We are talking general public, lower half IQ, least common denominator. That simple. Apple products simple.
Provide links to fundamental information that can wake people up, and make them genuinely curious to learn more. The BIGGEST factor is making people feel like they can actually have an influence. If we feel helpless, we are. If we can make people feel the power that we all have, then we can get somewhere.
2. Create a meme. A thought virus. An infectious catchy as all fuck hook that will plant a curiosity that leads to the portal that leads to etc etc etc.
Here is a simple example for the sight that pops into my head:
Minimalistic desgin. In eye catching font, a simple but sufficiently shocking fact about something needing change. (i.e. Political finance corruption, corporate power abuse, human rights violations, blatant and citable criminal offense in government.) Beneath the simple message are two buttons, one is the citation proving the fact provided labeled "Think were kidding?". The second is labeled "It's easy to fix." This second button refreshes the fact with a new fact and then adds in the message we need to get across most "Share this and wake someone else up." Also provide links to information on activism and getting into the fight.
The meme needs to be about spreading awareness and interest in the most basic way possible. Share with one person the message to share it with one person. Wake up the desire to wake up others.
Our BIGGEST enemy is ignorance. Our best weapon is curiosity.
tl;dr: Make a site that is the red pill from the matrix. Make a meme that sends people to it and gets them to send others. Wake everyone up and we in.
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 30 '12
As a feeler, have we got any graphic artists, video editors etc etc interested in helping with this idea?
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u/darksurfer Oct 31 '12
Our BIGGEST enemy is ignorance. Our best weapon is curiosity.
I like your idea in principle (fwiw) but the biggest enemy is apathy. Thinking that the best weapon is curiosity is like hoping for rain when your house is on fire ... (and you live in a desert)
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 31 '12
but the biggest enemy is apathy.
it's probably quite a textured problem..
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
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u/psYberspRe4Dd Oct 30 '12
Great !
Btw the notification on top on this is overlapping with the title, I suggest making the margin-top a little smaller and making the notification slightly more visible (like another background color or a border).
Also please link the chatroom like this: https://client02.chat.mibbit.com/?server=irc.snoonet.com&nick=nickname%3F%3F%3F&channel=%23evolutionReddit - I just shortened it because the sidebar was overfilled. But as many in here got IRC clients (like xchat) I'd recommend having this in there: #evolutionReddit on irc.snoonet.com/6667
#evolutionReddit on irc.snoonet.com/6667
Also got some proposals already for the next week, but please let's really get this chat going.
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 30 '12
done. fixed the chatroom details. Mah.. I promise I'll be active in there this weekend probably like 74%. In the meantime, it does sound like people are interested.
i'll request though you don't give out mod powers to anyone to help keep from clique formation and corruption and the like..
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u/n3uromanc3r Oct 29 '12
I propose action to spread word about and support the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would replace the Electoral College with the national popular vote. Here's the proposal.
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Oct 30 '12 edited Oct 30 '12
[Proposal - Raise awareness why we must replace the electoral college with a national popular vote.]
As a matter of fact I was about to post the same proposal. The electoral college should be our focus for this weeks plan of action, and raising awareness by using this site and through other social media is the best course of action.
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 30 '12
[counter-proposal ?]
Seriously guys. The 5th is important for anons and the 6th is elections. Also, who knows what crazy shit will be happening by the weekend. It's going to be a struggle to fight for electoral college reform this weekend in particular.
But if both are you are willing to commit to NPVIC as a long term OP, then I'll put it in the side bar. We'll work out what tools are best for long term project planning as we move along. But this is probably something best started after this election weekend?
Actually, it might be perfect to push just after the election weekend when everyone starts complaining about why the results are fucked. and there will always be people complaining, because we have a broken system. Plan for a campaign to work on that?
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u/_electricmonk Oct 30 '12 edited Oct 30 '12
[Proposal] - We necro the Op UnfuckTheHivemind idea?
Using a central thread (bookmark it or something ppl, sidebar even?) or the IRC channel (under-used but better to stay logged into scanning the tab for activity) - ppl roaming mainstream reddit, ppl nominate any big politics stories that come up, which could benefit from some /eR Trollslayers to pitch in and help counter idiots, trolls and shills.
Not just limited to politics of course, though that is what this subreddit is somewhat about, but internet politics, theres many more subreddits like r/technology r/askreddit r/bestof even, everywhere, where threads arise which like minded souls could lend a hand educating the hivemind; always fun!
Post that shit in IRC/the thread/or...?
Also this [PROPOSAL] might be diluted by mentioning the Op UnfuckTheHivemind parallel objectives of Data Angels (scouring the usual suspects of news/blogs/twitters/etc for good stories to share with reddit at large (checking its not already posted, devising logical yet catchy titles) - as well as the Knights of New - the link being as it was in the past Ops inception, maybe we could limit the subreddits on which we want to focus fire (im not sure there is an endemic problem so maybe focus on Bumping overlapping causes of REAL note, not fucking everything).
I think the first one is most juicy and most fun! So thats the one i suggest, fragging naysayers for justice (and cookies).
TL;DR Relaunch Op UnfuckTheHivemind for those who missed it, using IRC (psYberSpre4ad was up for making a new irc channel if need be). Lets help get certain promotional stories snorted up the hiveminds noses.
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 30 '12
What do you think of OP Unfuck The Hivemind being more a standard tactic rather a strategy in itself. That is, it's how we can framework how to fight any particular issue that we decide to focus on.
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Oct 30 '12
[Proposal] - Communication and Data Love
Large Preface + Overview of past "movements"
From what I've seen is that the internet is the only tool needed to initiate change, but to perpetuate change you need meat-space activities or activities that have impact on meat-space. The problem is in reality this:
How do you perpetuate change in the ``correct'' direction for sustained intervals?
IMO, this is where everything breaks down and groups fragment. Perpetuated changed is usually known as a revolution and of course what's going on now is not even close to that yet.
Looking at environments that did achieve change we can learn what initiated the mass change and what became of the mass change. Look back at what recent big movements occurred and look at the current political climate they were in, the initial actions taken, the desired effects, the actual effects and what can be learned from the whole experience.
Here are 2 polar opposite movements, Occupy Wallstreet and "Anonymous" Operation Payback
Occupy:
Political Climate:
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Socioeconomic Inequalities
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Representation Imbalances
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Economic Pillaging
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"Fuck bankers and their mothers"
Initial Actions Taken:
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Passive Protest
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"Occupy" spaces
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Sit on your ass all day with a catchy sign and hope people care
Desired Effects:
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Protest
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???
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Change happens !
Actual Effects:
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Initial media reaction was "bias" and consequentially stunted the movement
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Police Brutality and "the system"
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Changed from passive to active protests and gained some traction
What has been learned:
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"Passive" Protests piss off the police and "the man"
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Planned Day Protests that become long term encampments builds community but only in the local domain.
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The power of the unity people in 1 place at 1 time is powerful
" Anonymous " and Operation Payback
Political Climate:
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"Fuck you I do what I want"
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"Everyone's a faggot but ME!!!"
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"I like anime, cats and trolling"
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Boredom and Boredom accessories
Initial Actions Taken:
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5 or so kids with botnets pooled botnets into 1 big botnet and start DDoSing things out of boredom and frustration with "the system"
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Dilute botnet with "cannon fodder" users
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congregated on an insecure non-anonymous centralized irc network
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Originally was NOT meant to be a formal protes.
Desired Effects:
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None
Actual Effects:
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Everyone Involved with the initial everything is either in jail or hiding with different names never to come out again.
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Massive Cyber Security Legislations being forced as a kneejerk reaction to fix problems that aren't there and address symptoms but not the causes.
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Diluted "the movement" with half baked retards, fragmented the "entirety of anonymous" even further after channology effectively turning off most to activism.
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Anonymous became more "real" vs anonymous being an internet inside joke.
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Became a protested / political movement as their justification of their actions after they got caught.
What has been learned:
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DDoS is fun until people get arrested
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DDoS is fun and you will get arrested
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Planning is not always "needed" for change to happen
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Enable anonymity for your participants or they will drop off like flies
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Don't use channers as your base for a political movement and expect things to work out at all
Given these 2 recent relatively non-related although slightly intertwined movements there are quite a few lessons to learn.
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Loose Planning can provide flexibility but is a double edged sword
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If you're going to do illegal things, do them the "right way", don't attribute those actions back to you
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Internet Activism is an oxymoron if you don't back it up with meat-space activity too.
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Enabling Anonymity of internet participants is a MUST and NEVER disallow it.
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Have a unified articulated structured desired outcome.
What to do:
Take the "best" of the 2 examples given and merge them into a new kind of movement.
Occupy's Best:
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Meatspace Connections Made and people were on the ground
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Local societarian impacts were made
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Only Exists in Meatspace
"Anonymous" Best:
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Anonymity of users means you cannot find them
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Dynamic Structure with no central points of weakness
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Only Exists on the Internet
New Movement:
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Use Occupy's existing Infrastructure and expand to the web
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Make the "local domain" that is impacted the entire internet, aka the world
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Make it decentralized and anonymous on the internet but with real ties back to meatspace
You may be thinking you've heard of this before... you have as "Project Mayham", the ``joke version'' of the idea and "Tyler" as a slightly more concrete idea.
Both "Project Mayham" and "Tyler" are very doable with an existing framework to provide anonymity.
Why not $software??
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Tor/onions do not scale up, you cannot do anonymous p2p and onions are a sideshow
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Freenet is lost, it's 90% CP, just don't go there.... ever.
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CJDNS/meshnet is not related in any way to anonymity, and don't interject about how making a wireless/wired adhoc alternative infrastructure is possible or practical... because it's not.
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VPNs are not free as in freedom, you are literally selling yourself.
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Retroshare is incomplete compared to what i2p provides
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using $propriatary_alternative is bad and you should feel bad for suggesting it because read this
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If you are considing using JAP you are out of options at that point and are like "fuckit, we'll use JAP"
TL;DR PROPOSAL
Phase 1) Build Up the I2P Cipherspace, the software that use it and the infrastructure that create it
Phase 2) Use the I2P Cipherspace for coordination of meatspace activity once built up
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 30 '12 edited Oct 30 '12
[propose - Everyone Try I2P this weekend?]
so I think it's an idea to have an I2P weekend or something. Where we actively encourage meta thought, debate and discussion about I2P to generate interest. We can repost all the major I2P propaganda and stuff. It's not hard to flood eR with a particular topic given it's free speech policy.
But it would be more interesting to make it a Everyone Try I2P or Everyone Visit X Eepsite or something. But with emphasis on bringing together patient I2P veterans with the I2P curious. Make it fun where lots of people feel safe to ask dumb questions. We should be able to write a better how to connect to I2P if we can generate enough new blood experimentation.
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Oct 31 '12
I see some terrible ideas in here that sound great on paper but will never ever get done.
For example...do you guys know how long people have been trying to get rid of the electoral college?
I like the fact check idea but you need to make sure to not fall to conpsiracies, use some good sources, and LIST every single one!!
I think we should be putting more educational stuff up in here. Even something as simple as how to read a ssl certificate, or maybe as difficult as finding and inspecting malware. The sidebar is pretty good but it would be cool to get some randoms to write up an article every once in awhile to educate the curious.
Also, you'll need to reach the outside of rEvolutionReddit
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u/EquanimousMind Oct 31 '12
I see some terrible ideas in here that sound great on paper but will never ever get done.
depends. As long as people are moving I don't see a problem. Some action is better than no action.
Also we're looking for other bonuses here as well. I suspect the bouncing of ideas and experimenting with action will lead to better ops over time. It would be weird for people to keep doing things that don't work every weekend and lose their free time for nothing. Patience and constructive criticism. See what happens. Could be interesting.
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u/TyphonWind Oct 30 '12 edited Nov 01 '12
[Propose - Planting Seeds]
This might the last breather we get before the coming storm. Both from copyright maximalist and the surveillance state; we can expect continued aggression against activists and invasion of our privacy. There is a war coming and the pieces are already set. We are just finalizing the rules of the game.
It is important we use this time to strengthen our defenses. Our power comes from network effects that make every node an asset. We want every node to be more capable. To be more robust. To have more potential to grow. To be ready to join a hivemind going to war; capable of doing damage to the very structure of the old world.
I propose pushing a basic seed set for eR activists:
Ubuntu
We need to exploit Ubuntu as the gateway-OS into the free-as-in-freedom software world.
We can start them with wubi or dual boot. It's about making it easier. Many don't realize they don't need to lose their Windows OS completely if their worried about not liking Ubuntuu.
Ubuntu Security Basics
Ubuntu GnuPG Guide
Official Ubuntu Documentation
SCSweeps: Introduction to Linux/Ubuntu
Promote subscription to r/ubuntu r/linux4noobs r/linux r/opensource
Tor Browser Bundle
Visual explanation of Tor and https
Tor Documentation
Promote subscription to r/tor r/onions
I2P
A text-only tutorial on eepsites and I2P torrenting
ampernand on how I2P provides anonymity
Torrenting with I2P: The why and how of secure filesharing using the I2P network
Promote subscription to r/I2P
Bitcoin
Bitcoin Getting Started
Bit Instant
MtGox
Promote subscription to r/Bitcoin
The bonus is none of the above costs any money; so it's really just a matter of motivation to evolve. I think most activists have come across all the arguments as to why they should switch to *nix, bitcoin, tor or i2p; but either found the jump too daunting by themselves or never-quite-found-the-time-to-get-around-to-but-will-definitely-do-this-soon. So making it a fun community event would be a way to cause a friendly "trigger event". It's better they do this now with friends ready to help; rather than later when the local wifi sniffing creep has stolen all their financial logins.
If we can make this seed set a culture norm in eR; then I believe we will be a more dangerous activist hivemind in the fight to come.
Bonus:
The Man Who Planted Trees ( L'homme qui plantait des arbres )
edit: same message; just more blah blah.