Using tech for good as a disenchanted techie

The tech industry has shaken off any pretense of not being evil. As a tech girlie, I’ve found it cathartic to use tech tools for social justice activism.

Here’s something easy and productive you can all do for your own local area, and whatever cause is meaningful to you.

  1. Find your local congressperson’s contact page on house.gov using their lookup by zip code.
  2. Write a letter about something you care about and put it in a Google doc. Don’t forget to make it viewable by “anyone with the link”!
  3. Create QR codes for the contact page and the template letter so people can easily copy/paste. You can use a free generator like myqrcode.com.
  4. Print copies and distribute them on community bulletin boards, or just keep a copy on hand and whip it out when you find you’re talking to a likeminded person.

Writing a congressperson to demand change is relatively easy, but knowing where to start is hard. QR codes reduce friction, which is what tech is all about. ;)

Mine’s attached as an example. It’s part of a packet being distributed in Napa, CA.

The tech industry has shaken off any pretense of not being evil. As a tech girlie, I’ve found it cathartic to use tech tools for social justice activism.

Here’s something easy and productive you can all do for your own local area, and whatever cause is meaningful to you.

  1. Find your local congressperson’s contact page on house.gov using their lookup by zip code.
  2. Write a letter about something you care about and put it in a Google doc. Don’t forget to make it viewable by “anyone with the link”!
  3. Create QR codes for the contact page and the template letter so people can easily copy/paste. You can use a free generator like myqrcode.com.
  4. Print copies and distribute them on community bulletin boards, or just keep a copy on hand and whip it out when you find you’re talking to a likeminded person.

Writing a congressperson to demand change is relatively easy, but knowing where to start is hard. QR codes reduce friction, which is what tech is all about. ;)

Mine’s attached as an example. It’s part of a packet being distributed in Napa, CA.