---
title: >-
  Important meetings, fun meetings
date: 2011-06-17 12:56
modified: 2011-06-17 12:56
lang: en
authors: rysiek
tags:
 - ancient
 - activism
 - censorship
status: published
pinned: false
---

As always, lots of work, not enough time, late `/me` is late and hasn't got the time to publish on the brag...

And much to publish there is indeed. Last week I had the pleasure of quarreling with the Police HQ and [Fundacja Dzieci Niczyje](http://fdn.pl/) ("Nobody's Children Foundation"; they're whole argument can be summarised in short thus: ["Won't somebody think of the children!"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_interests)) at a meeting in the Ministry of Justice, about Network Censorship; I met Billy B. from [TechSoup](http://home.techsoup.org/pages/about.aspx) (hint: there might be an event co-organised by TechSoup and [Brama](http://brama.elka.pw.edu.pl/), but with Autumn/Spring timeframe); and I had the priviledge of participating in the ["Res Publica 2.0" conference](http://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/dzialalnosc-kancelarii/art,833,prezydent-za-budowa-otwartego-rzadu.html) ([co-organised by Centrum Cyfrowe Projekt: Polska](http://centrumcyfrowe.pl/2011/konferencja-rzeczpospolita-2-0/)).

Some changes are also visible on the site -- slowly working towards enabling missing functionality, like accessing older entries or selecting the preferred language of the entry, where available. Also, have a look at the shiny new [Multi-URL Shortener](/rmus). ;)

## Meeting at the Ministry of Justice

That was Monday, 06.06.2011. In general, I had the feeling that our whole argumentation (of which we had quite a lot with [Panoptykon Foundation](http://panoptykon.org/), [Internet Society Poland](http://www.isoc.org.pl/) and [Kidprotect](http://kidprotect.pl/)) had absolutely no effect on our interlocutors (the Police and FDN). Every single merit-based argument we summoned was duly countered with short "But children!". Temperature went up, voices followed, but still not a step stride was made to resolve the issues.

Either way, the Best Statement of the Meeting goes to... representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure, who sat **completely silent** throughout the whole few hours of the meeting up until when the Ministry of Justice representative asked them directly for their take on the topic. And they did. In two sentences they basically said we're right and the other side is just plain wrong. Game, set, match.

## Tech Soup

...is a very large organisation striving to connect NGOs with technology. Much of that technology is closed and costly, supplied by corporations giving TechSoup beneficiaries huge discounts; still, there are quite a few open solutions in their portfolio.

For about a week [Billy B.](http://www.billybicket.com/) (don't get discouraged by the website) visited Poland, so we took the chance to meet. That was the *fun* meeting, with the talking, and the getting-to-know, and so on. One thing led to another and there might be an event organised together by TechSoup, Brama and [FWiOO](http://fwioo.pl/).

## Res Publica 2.0

What can I say! You get an invitation to the [Belweder](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belweder), you take it! Obviously the conference was more of a media thing than anything else, but then again that was the main aim -- to announce and promote the [Open Government Roadmap for Poland](http://biblioteka.centrumcyfrowe.pl/10/) report. And that aim was achieved.

As an added benefit, please help yourself to a [Find Rysio Photo](/gfx/znajdz_rysia.jpg). Also, the videos are available on [Kamil Śliwowski's website](http://www.problematyka.org/2011/06/10/perspektywy-dla-otwartgo-rzadu-w-polsce-2-0-czy-dalej/) (who was responsible for the videotaping the event for Projekt Polska).