Re: your dk diary

RC stands for Internet Relay Chat, and it is one of the oldest communication methods on the 'net. As such it's an appropriate venue for our talks, and to some extent, an appropriate example of a successful distributed information system (it was IRC networks that reported through media blackouts during the 1991 Soviet coup attempt and the first Gulf war). Basically, it's a network of chatrooms all across the world. You connect using a special IRC client, just like you used to have to have an email client to use email. You connect to a public IRC server (in our case, irc.freenode.net), which hosts thousands of "rooms" and users jumping around between them. Once you're connected to freenode, you join our room, which is called #projectpm (all IRC rooms start with a #).

Here are some specific instructions for those of you who are new to IRC, on either a PC or a Mac:

1) Download and install the Firefox (http://getfirefox.com) web browser if you haven't already.

2) In firefox, navigate to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/16/ and install the Chatzilla plugin. Chatzilla gives you IRC within the browser. Firefox will prompt you to restart the browser.

3) Once the browser comes back, navigate to i . Note the irc:// at the beginning of the URL! This is what tells firefox that you are connecting to an IRC server, instead of a website. A new window will appear. It takes a few seconds to connect, and it will give you a lot of text while it does so. Once it gets to

End of /MOTD command.

Congratulations, you're connected to an IRC server!

4) Now join our chatroom, by typing

/join #projectpm

into the bar at the bottom of this new window, and hitting enter. Note the "/" at the beginning: this is what identifies it as a command for yourIRC client instead of just a regular message. Your screen will display:

[INFO]Channel view for #projectpm opened.

And that's it! You're now in chat. Type hello and hit enter. :)

If you're brave, you can try this yourself with some more full featured clients. Really what you need to know is that you want to connect to Freenode (irc.freenode.net or chat.freenode.net), and join the channel #projectpm. For PC: I would recommend Xchat or mIRC. For Mac: I recommend Colloquy, hands down.

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On Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 7:46 PM, sharon lynch <sharon.lynch@verizon.net> wrote:

neither stepleftstepforward at dk (don't know his/her actual name) have been able to access #projectpm. we are both interested in working with you. i downloaded ircle for mac osx because it seemed like the most recent. any help you or someone can provide would be great.

On Feb 5, 2011, at 1:32 AM, barri2009 wrote:

Just google irc client. If you're on windows, icechat. If mac, not sure. If you have problems let me know and I'll send you a guide.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
From: sharon lynch <sharon.lynch@verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:03:46 -0500

To: Barrett Brown<barriticus@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: your dk diary

not n the dark ages here but i have no idea how to download an irc client. will google and see what i can find unless you have suggestions.

On Feb 4, 2011, at 9:51 PM, Barrett Brown wrote:

Hi, Sharon-

To get on our IRC, download an IRC client and then type in the server (irc.freenode.net) followed by the channel (#projectpm) when prompted. I'll look into getting this out soon. Thanks.

On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 8:08 PM, sharon lynch <sharon.lynch@verizon.net> wrote:
Barrett,

I just read your diary and would like to learn more about your project and discuss how I and others can support it. A group of us have been working all day to develop a way to distribute this statement to the media:

Statement from the Egyptian Youth

To all Egyptians hoping to spare this nation strife

We are a group of Egypt's youth who had rejected the bitter reality that we had been experiencing under the ruling party's regime, with all its symbols and policies, which have led the country to total collapse, oppression and frustration.

We do not belong to any existing political or religious currents and did not have prior agendas, but believed that certain reforms need to be made.

We were among those who went out and demonstrated in the days of honor 25 and 28 January and the March of Millions on 1 February in Tahrir Square. We agree with the people on the necessity of change and a peaceful transfer of power.

We sense the profound need for unifying our front in order to preserve our rights and the gains we have secured in the last 10 days. We also sense the lack of clarity on how the change we seek could come about and the need on working to develop consensus on the concrete steps for a transfer of power that would be satisfactory to the demonstrators and wide sectors of Egyptian society for moving forward. This need is ever more pressing due to the trying days of anxiety and absence of security the country has experienced due to the treason the Egyptian people have been subjected to and whose intentional organizers must be brought to justice.

This statement is based on the pulse of tahrir and the demands circulated there reflecting the visions of these reformers and converge on the items articulated by Dr. Ahmed Zewail and other reformers and that they point clearly to the desire for a "civil" state and rule of law, accountability, separation of powers, transparent elections and that the steps towards this are best articulated by Dr. Ahmed Zewail's letter to the Egyptian people.

Therefore we call for the following:
Guarantees for achieving the peaceful transfer of power in the coming period.
Agreement on the clear vision and concrete demands articulated in Dr. Ahmed Zuwail's letter and outlining practically applicable steps such as:

I. The Constitution: A constitutional assembly of wise men should be assembled to draft a new
constitution, based on liberty, human rights, and the orderly transfer of power.

II. The independence of the courts must be guaranteed.

III. Free and fair elections must be conducted for the upper and lower houses of parliament and
for the presidency, overseen by the independent judiciary.

IV. Government: A new transitional government of national unity must be appointed. The military
must intervene to keep order and to protect the nation in this transitional period.

Delegating the following names to speak on our behalf and continue to consult with groups of
demonstrators as a nucleus of a negotiation committee, enter into dialogue with Mr. Omar Suleiman as a representative of the existing regime, and take all necessary measures and decisions to deliver the country from the current crisis and put forward a vision for the future.

These are names that we believe: enjoy very broad based support based on our consultation with other youth and protestors; present balanced visions; and represent different political currents, without any one dominating the others.

We ask those who agree with us to sign this statement.

Recommended Names for the Nucleus of the Negotiation Committee:
Dr. Ahmad Kamal Abul Magd
Dr. Ahmed Zewail
Mr. Naguib Sawiris
Mr. Ambassador Amr Moussa
Mr. Gawdat Al-Malt
Dr. Usama Al-Ghazali Harb
Dr. Amr Hamzawy
Mr. Muneer Fakhri Abdul Nur
Mr. Mahmoud Saad

We've had concerns about some of the points and have been trying to research the signers. I noticed there are three signers in common with the statement in your diary. Bottom line, we want to help in a way that will make a difference. I tried to join you at irc.freenode.net but my browser would not take me there.

Sharon
aka conchita

--
Regards,

Barrett Brown
512-560-2302

--
Regards,

Barrett Brown
512-560-2302