Tech helps protesters get creative (calls for NY strike)

[Nambe]

NEW YORK (AP)

Gary Boston and Jeff Adler are just two guys with a dream: shutting down New York City for a day.

What they want is a general strike, with everyone from Broadway dancers to Madison Avenue street sweepers calling in sick Wednesday to protest the Republican National Convention, which begins on Monday. (Special Report: America Votes 2004, the Republican convention)

Both men are in their 30s and have full- time jobs, and neither has any organizing experience. Boston, who had never built a Web site before, put together ShutItDownNYC.com in three days, using Microsoft FrontPage software and the book "FrontPage for Dummies." The site has received more than 22,000 hits since it launched in late June.

"It's pretty amazing the amount of attention we've been able to generate with very simple tools," said Boston, a Wall Street analyst.

Technology has changed how protests are organized. ..

Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[LauraK]

1. I don't like the strike idea. Take their money and vote the big D.

Good that he's working though.

[Toucano]

2. The strike appeals to me.

I hear what you're saying about taking their money, but we all know they chose NYC for one reason: to exploit 9/11.

It would be great if the workers who've been screwed by the administration fought back and inconvenienced them.

[politicat]

3. general strikes work.

Look at G8 a few years ago, some areas of S. America, there's a long history.

It's the publicity the strike earns. Besides, NYC will be doing what you're advocating anyway... just a little different. (Though I hear the city's losing money on it, and Mr. Pcat and I are having some major issues on how much we tax payers are paying in security costs to protect these pissants.)

Pcat