R.I.P. Bark
Sunni Maravillosa appreciates the contributions of behind-the-scenes activists. Bark was one of these. He quietly created the Mental Militia and Claire Files sites, where others could make noise. [sunni]
Some people's activism is easy to see. They write books, or give speeches, or create songs that inspire others. They lead protests or go off to live the simple life, and share their successes and failures so others will benefit. Whether they like it or not, whether they want it or not, by the actions they choose, they get noticed by others.
Other people's activism can be very difficult to see, particularly if the person makes little effort to be noticed, or actively tries to avoid notice. The guy who's always in the back row, always quiet -- but who donates generously to help the visible activists when they have an Imperial Entanglement or otherwise run into hard times. The coder who puts together the cool web site for the forum or the store front for the author's books. The tech guy who keeps domain names renewed, servers going, software updated. It's easy for many to look past these contributions, and the people who make them, in order to catch sight of the more visible activists. But without them, how well could we see those visible ones?
Previous Posts:
The Digital Universe
"Bark" is gone. Friendship remains
The End of an Era: The Last of the Winchester Model 94
Al Gore is right, for once
Amtrak Antics
The Backhoe: A Real Cyberthreat
The Scanner Photography Project
Harebrained Pot and Wheat Decisions
Why a paper ticket if an SMS will do?
Compare and Contrast