Table of Contents of the Family Guide to Digital Freedom, 2007 Edition

(Paywall-free popularization like this is what I do for a living. To support me, see the end of this post)

The 2007 edition of the Family Guide to Digital Freedom consists of less than 60 chapters. Almost all of them are very short (the printed version was slightly above 200 pages). Some of the longest chapters have been divided in two parts for this online version.

Before reading the Guide, please read its announcement and disclaimer. Please also note that these days I teach online the same topics in the Digital Citizens Basics course

  • Preface: What is Digital Freedom, and why should I care?

  • Structure Of The Family Guide To Digital Freedom

    1. The Big Picture

    2. A Potential Future: Dinner talks in 2030

    3. How much of my life is digital?

    4. Who owns information, ideas and fun?

    5. How much do we all pay for software?

    6. Digital Dangers

    7. Privacy

    1. [Are our governments spying on us? How much?](/2007/07/are-our-governments-spying-on-us-how-much/)
    
    
    2. [Do we still have some privacy?](/2007/07/do-we-still-have-some-privacy/)
    
    
    3. [What are Biometrics and RFID?](/2007/07/what-are-biometrics-and-rfid/)
    
    1. Culture
    1. [Should all the computers and computer programs of the world be equal?](/2007/07/should-all-the-computers-and-computer-programs-of-the-world-be-equal/)
    
    
    2. [Do We Still Need Papyrus?](/2007/07/do-we-still-need-papyrus/)
    
    
    3. [What Do I Really Lose Without Net Neutrality?](/2007/07/what-do-i-really-lose-without-net-neutrality/)
    
    1. Education
    1. [Are computers really needed in (basic) education?](/2007/07/are-computers-really-needed-in-basic-education/)
    
    
    2. [Is it OK for a School or Charity to accept software donations?](/2007/07/is-it-ok-for-a-school-or-charity-to-accept-software-donations/)
    
    
    3. [My child wants to be a hacker. Should I worry?](/2007/07/my-child-wants-to-be-a-hacker-should-i-worry/)
    
    1. Entertainment
    1. [My children "share files" with their friends: are they always criminals?](/2007/07/my-children-share-files-with-their-friends-are-they-always-criminals/)
    
    
    2. [Can I Publish My Own Movies?](/2007/07/can-i-publish-my-own-movies/)
    
    
    3. [What is this DRM thing I keep hearing about?](/2007/07/what-is-this-drm-thing-i-keep-hearing-about/)
    
    
    4. [What Is Trusted Computing?](/2007/07/what-is-trusted-computing/)
    
    
    5. [When Is Fair Use Fair Enough?](/2007/07/when-is-fair-use-fair-enough/)
    
    1. Environment
    1. [Does Software pollute?](/2007/07/does-software-pollute/)
    
    
    2. [Does software waste energy? Yes, of course!](/2007/07/does-software-waste-energy/)
    
    1. Money
    1. [Does Fighting the Digital Dangers Destroy Jobs?](/2007/07/does-fighting-the-digital-dangers-destroy-jobs/)
    
    
    2. [Would all the other businesses and jobs suffer be better off without the Digital Dangers?](/2007/07/would-all-the-other-businesses-and-jobs-suffer-be-better-off-without-the-digital-dangers/)
    
    
    3. [The tax on future, alleged guilt](/2007/07/the-tax-on-future-alleged-guilt/)
    
    1. Politics,People Rights and Security
    1. [The Digital Troubles of politicians and the Military](/2007/07/the-digital-troubles-of-politicians-and-the-military/)
    
    
    2. [Is E-Voting a solution? To which problem?](/2007/07/is-e-voting-a-solution-to-which-problem/)
    
    
    3. [Can freedom of speech and participation be actually practiced?](/2007/07/can-freedom-of-speech-and-participation-be-actually-practiced/)
    
    
    4. [What Is Web Usability, And Why Should I Care?](/2007/07/what-is-web-usability-and-why-should-i-care/)
    
    
    5. [Does it make sense to buy a computer and not install software on it?](/2007/07/does-it-make-sense-to-buy-a-computer-and-not-install-software-on-it/)
    
    
    6. [Is it technically possible to block or restrict Internet Access?](/2007/07/is-it-technically-possible-to-block-or-restrict-internet-access/)
    
    
    7. [Online identities: is that really you?](/2007/07/is-that-really-you/)
    
    1. Digital Communications
    1. [Are digital communications safe? Can they be used without hassles?](/2007/07/are-digital-communications-safe-can-they-be-used-without-hassles/)
    
    
    2. [When does Internet Telephony Make Sense?](/2007/07/when-does-internet-telephony-make-sense/)
    
    1. Causes of the digital dangers

    2. The causes of the Digital Dangers: preface

    3. The need to control the future

    4. Software and copyright fanatism and opportunism

    5. Ignorance and Lack Of Interest

    6. The Solutions

    7. What to know

    1. [How to tell if all the programs and games inside my PC are legally usable](/2007/07/how-to-tell-if-all-the-programs-and-games-inside-my-pc-are-legally-usable/)
    
    
    2. [What in the world is this "source code" anyway?](/2007/07/what-in-the-world-is-this-source-code-anyway/)
    
    
    3. [What is "Free Software"? Is it legal?](/2007/07/what-is-free-software-is-it-legal)
    
    
    4. [Must all software, be free, or all proprietary?](/2007/07/must-all-software-be-free-or-all-proprietary/)
    
    
    5. [What are protocols and formats anyways?](/2007/07/what-are-protocols-and-formats-anyways/)
    
    
    6. [What Is OpenDocument?](/2007/07/what-is-opendocument/)
    
    1. What to do
    1. [What must be done to protect privacy?](/2007/07/what-must-be-done-to-protect-privacy/)
    
    
    2. [Must We All Become Computer Programmers?](/2007/07/must-we-all-become-computer-programmers/)
    
    
    3. [What Can I Do As A Citizen?](/2007/07/what-can-i-do-as-a-citizen/)
    
    
    4. [Are Public Websites Done Right?](/2007/07/are-public-websites-done-right/)
    
    
    5. [How Can A Parent Fight The Digital Dangers?](/2007/07/how-can-a-parent-fight-the-digital-dangers/)
    
    
    6. [How to recognize a really good ICT School Program, and why](/2007/07/how-to-recognize-a-really-good-ict-school-program-and-why/)
    
    
    7. [How All Internet Users Can Fight The Digital Dangers](/2007/07/how-all-internet-users-can-fight-the-digital-dangers/)
    
    
    8. [What Are Other Countries Doing to Fight the Digital Dangers?](/2007/07/what-are-other-countries-doing-to-fight-the-digital-dangers/)
    
    
    9. [Living among digits and hackers: survival tips](/2007/07/living-among-digits-and-hackers-survival-tips/)
    
    1. Conclusion: act and spread the word

Who writes this, why, and how to help

I am Marco Fioretti, tech writer and aspiring polymath doing human-digital research and popularization.
I do it because YOUR civil rights and the quality of YOUR life depend every year more on how software is used AROUND you.

To this end, I have already shared more than a million words on this blog, without any paywall or user tracking, and am sharing the next million through a newsletter, also without any paywall.

The more direct support I get, the more I can continue to inform for free parents, teachers, decision makers, and everybody else who should know more stuff like this. You can support me with paid subscriptions to my newsletter, donations via PayPal (mfioretti@nexaima.net) or LiberaPay, or in any of the other ways listed here.THANKS for your support!