Cyberpasse Manifesto

by

                           Don Webb
                        Chief Propagandist

This has no Copyright, and may be reposted at will.

We have long awaited the moment to release our
manifesto, so that we would not appear guilty of the sin of
vanguardism.  Since Bart Nagle has noted that book
publishers now note books bearing the suffix "Cyber" in the
title passe, we realize that it is time to strike while the
iron is cooling.  The Cyberpasse movement began on October
8, 1966 when the BBC aired *The Tenth Planet* -- part of
their popular %Dr. Who% series.  The Cybermen have replaced
their natural bodies with plastic and thus have become
disease free and nearly immortal.  They represent the ideal
of the Cyberpasse movement.  Cyberpasse will overtake
cyberpunk, because we created it as a front.  The movement
has great wealth and power, and is an open conspiracy.  Any
number may play, provided that they obey the Cyberlaws.  We
are the rulers of the world, the makers of the zeitgeist,
and the oatmeal of reality.

These are the Cyberlaws, the key to Cyberpasse:

1.  You must own a computer.  It must be a boring
computer with lots of capacity for upward and downward
networking.  You favorite phrase is "The computer is a
tool." You must pretend incompetence with your computer, so
that people explain things for you, and do things for you.
Thus you learn to tap the skills of lots of experts.

2.  You must belong to a frequent flyer plan.  You'll
travel a lot to see other Cybermen.  You must own a futon to
put up traveling Cybermen.  You must make your visitors look
as boring as possible, so as not to tip off your neighbors
that you are a planetary ruler.

3.  You must appear dull.  This is essential.  Everyone
must view you as a harmless amateur.  You must practice
perfect manners, so you don't get thrown out of places for
being too dull.

4.  You must foster a myth of a long-term illness.
Thusly you can call in sick for work, whenever a learning
opportunity presents itself.  Knowledge is power.

5.  You must You must place yourself in the middle of
various webs of information.  Always share information, but
always filter to extend the Cybervalues of logic, and of
slow and steady change.  You must deny that you are trying
to improve the world, as always appear to be a shambling
slow witted machine that just happens to pass along the
correct information at one time.  Remember humans are
hostile to change agents.

6.  You must make sure that they're a lot of cutting
edge movements around to draw fire.  As a long term way to
secure this, be sure and strongly support civil liberties
issues.

7.  You must always deny the importance of new
information technologies.  This is not to stifle, but to
make people think they are harmless. Always argue that there
is nothing new going on.  This will make people, less likely
to fear/resist certain changes.

8.  You must act every day to bring about the change
into a cybersociety.  Each act must may be downplayed, but
it must be constant and quiet.  Accumulate power to make
your actions a little stronger.  Afterall the boss can OK
the T1 phone lines for the business, and she can allow
personal Email accounts.  Always have a boring explanation,
economy, efficiency, whatever.  But be sure you never allow
a step backward.

9.  You must deny there is an organized Cyberpasse
movement.  Even to your self.

10.  You must seek allies in all areas of society.

11.  You must never act in anger, but only with logic
and harmonious feelings.  Our battles are not the day to day
battles of the news.  Our battle is that of the vegetable
empire vast and slow.