[ Date Index ][
Thread Index ]
[ <= Previous by date /
thread ]
[ Next by date /
thread => ]
Now seems as good a time as any to raise the issue of GNU. Recent discussions on the list have reflected concerns amongst a small group off the list (Matt, Simon, Alex, myself and others) - catalyzed by a recent presentation by Richard Stallman: http://www.dclug.org.uk/archive/2004/04/msg00213.html "We are failing to keep up with the influx of free software users, failing to teach people about freedom and our community as fast as they enter it. " http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html Seeing as LUG's are close to the point of entry to GNU/Linux for most users, it would certainly be appropriate if the LUG made more noise about *freedom* and less about "the immediate practical benefits of certain free software". Personally, I regret that we haven't made more of the ethics of free software here. I always had an interest in programming and when I started to write my own code using GNU/Linux and started reading the COPYING documents, reading about the GPL, I started to understand how this whole thing worked. I believe it is imperative that GNU/Linux users understand about freedom, understand that with free software come responsibilities, ethics: "The main argument for the term ``open source software'' is that ``free software'' makes some people uneasy. That's true: talking about freedom, about ethical issues, about responsibilities as well as convenience, is asking people to think about things they might rather ignore. This can trigger discomfort, and some people may reject the idea for that. It does not follow that society would be better off if we stop talking about these things." It isn't scary, it IS essential. If *we* don't protect the interests of those who develop the code for our favourite operating system, free software *will* die. I would urge everyone on this list to consider their contribution to maintaining the freedom of the software they use. 1. Read about freedom at www.fsf.org 2. Understand why it is right that we should make this group known as: Devon and Cornwall GNU/Linux User Group: DCGLUG. 3. Call the system GNU/Linux whenever possible; remember, Linux is the kernel GNU contributed the compiler and most of the base code. A kernel is nothing without a system, just as a system is dead without a kernel. The two work together and Linux is registered as the name of the kernel, NOT the OS. 4. Join the mailing list for your favourite program and contribute. 5. Put content on Wiki's, use a project forum where provided, get involved and make a difference. 6. Refrain from using the phrase "open source" to describe free software. Unless the software license is OSI-certified but not considered Free by the FSF, it is free software and should be referred to appropriately. Source is a meaningless term to most people, but I'm sure most humans understand the concept of freedom, even if they don't understand free software, yet. 7. If you can afford it, consider becoming an associate member of the Free Software Foundation - you can do this at http://member.fsf.org/ (FSF are based in the USA - I can't find out how much it costs without registering, but I think it's around £10-£20.) For a European associate group, try AFFS: http://www.affs.org.uk/membership.html £10. Now that my own programming work has reached a suitable point for a pause, I'll be incorporating more of these themes into the GLUG website, including references to the group as a GNU/Linux user group. References to non-free software, companies that promote non-free software or software that requires non-free systems (ie. Java, or free software for Windows, for example) will be clearly marked non-free. A new website for DCGLUG is in development that will be more interactive and more collaborative than our current one. It's not ready for testing or publicity yet, but with help from a few people here, I hope to have it ready once I get back from Expo. -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.codehelp.co.uk/ http://www.dclug.org.uk/ http://www.isbn.org.uk/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/isbnsearch/ http://www.biglumber.com/x/web?qs=0x8801094A28BCB3E3
Attachment:
pgp00066.pgp
Description: PGP signature