The Family Guide to Digital Freedom

Our quality of life depends more and more on which software is being used around us and on how it is being used. This is true even for those of us who can still afford to live without ever touching a computer, including children. Many people are just overwhelmed by the perceived complexity of these issues, when they see them at all. In spite of this, no parent, teacher or politician can escape questions like:

• "My daughter "shares files" with her friends: does that make her a criminal? Or maybe it depends on what software and music she shares?"
• "Which school will give my children the best computer education?"
• "Is my government doing its best to protect my children's future jobs and my current one, as far as Information Technology is concerned?"
• "Is e-voting a solution? To which problem?"
• "Are my Bank and Local Administrations charging me as little as possible for computer-related expenses?"
• "Can I do everything I want with the movies I made with my own camera? Will this still be true five years from now?"
• "We have a 24/7 Internet connection. Do we still have some privacy?"
• "Am I really free to use the software programs which are best for me?"
• "How can I really tell if all the software programs I run are legally usable?"
• "How can software cost more than hardware, or force my family and company to replace computers every few years?"
• "There is some so-called Free Software which is given away: can it be any good? I'm not a programmer: is it really the solution to any problem I might have?"

This is the purpose of the Family Guide book and website: to give ordinary people all the information they need, in one place, when they make the decisions which today are impossible to avoid: decisions on the best use of digital technologies in their family, business, or State; the same decisions that they are already making, even if they never personally use computers, without even realizing it.

There's a lot of stuff happening now to ensure that very powerful interests in these fields, often very different from family interests, are protected. Everything is happening legally, in plain sight, counting on the fact that, until now, almost everybody was in such a state of ignorance, disinformation and bliss that one could basically get away with murder.

The Family Guide to Digital Freedom is here to change this situation, allowing you to protect yourself and the future of your children. Both the book and the website are usable by everybody. No previous knowledge of software is required.