Before I saw the credit, I said to myself “that reminds me of the sticker that Bruce Sterling once described.” Speaking of whom, Bruce Sterling still owes me five dollars:
Back in 1994 (which I just realized was 20 years ago), Bruce was invited to speak at the Austin Mac Users’ Group. I didn’t have a Mac (nor that kind of disposable income), but I was interested in attending, which I did. Bruce talked about the efforts of EFF and also mentioned the Clipper chip, and described how someone had printed up a bunch of labels that said “Big Brother inside” to affix to any products that had the chip (this was in the days when (a) the Clipper chip seemed imminent, and (b) there were a lot more retailers where someone could do this, e.g. Computer City, CompUSA, Circuit City, Incredible Universe etc.).
He talked about the EFF (at which time it and EFF-Austin may have been one and the same). He sold me on their cause and he offered to sign up new members. I handed over five dollars (I was earning $6.50/hr at the time) for the membership dues and he took down my name and address. I never heard from Sterling, the EFF, or EFF-Austin and I’m still awaiting the arrival of my membership kit (though, granted, I’ve changed addresses since 1994).
EDIT: Forgot to mention these:
- Bruce also name-checked BoingBoing (the 'zine) when someone asked what he liked to read (they may have asked if he liked Wired).
- When we were talking about EFF and I gave him the $5, Bruce kept giving me these suspicious looks, as though he thought I was a narc or HUAC or something (or, perhaps, the NSA). I guess I’m too Pat Boone-ish. I got the same reaction from Johnny Rat about a year later; he sidled up to me and (without explanation, introduction etc.) said he could smell undercover cops from a mile away.
