Lessig08.org

This week Lawrence Lessig, via his blog, launched a new website called lessig08.org. The new site explains two of Lessig’s latest projects — his “Change Congress” movement and his decision about whether to run for Congress.

Stanford professor Lawrence Lessig has taken a leaf out of Frank Capra‘s liberal classic Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939) and is considering a run for the US Congress. Lessig is well placed for this: he has inspired the “free culture” movement that is aligned with open source software, was on the United States v. Microsoft case, and is a clear communicator with the “Lessig method” of rapid-fire phrases and imagery in his public presentations. Lessig has already had a major impact in legal circles for his case reasoning, and has become a major public figure in information technology and civil liberties. A US Congress run could trigger change in Washington DC and inspire others to become involved. Moreover, Lessig’s career and strategy offers Disinfonauts a playbook in how to cultivate influence and become a paragon for progressive change.