The Amateur Computerist grew out of a battle against the cancellation of computer programming classes for hourly workers at the Ford Rouge Factory. The newsletter deals with computer issues and labor issues. The Amateur Computerist is dedicated to support for grassroots efforts and movements like the "computers for the people movement" that gave birth to the personal computer in the 1970s and 1980s and articles about these developments have appeared in past issues of the newsletter. The newsletter has documented the history of the development of the Global Network, of Usenet, and of Unix and the progressive impact of these important breakthroughs. Most recently it has championed the fight to keep the Internet a public communications medium, fighting the attempt by the US government to privatize the essential functions of the Internet and also fighting for public purpose to dominate over commercial uses of the Internet.