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Re: [LUG] Happy Software Freedom Day

 

Neil Williams wrote:

>Tom Brough wrote:
>  
>
>>As we haven't done anything as a group to mark software Freedom day 
>>(16/09/2006), I just thought I would wish you all a happy software 
>>freedom day 2006.
>>
>>    
>>
>
>Well, no, we haven't done anything "as a group" but individually lots
>(all?) of DCGLUG members are contributing to free software and software
>freedom in one way or another.
>
>Which is more important - contributing to the goal or contributing to a
>banner that promotes the goal?
>
>I've never quite grasped what SFD was trying to achieve. Hundreds of
>charities and organisations declare certain days/weeks as "Save foo
>week" or "Foo awareness week" but these events are all just one sided
>promotional gimmicks. Anyone can declare a day/week as whatever they
>feel like but unless others accept it as such, it's pointless and
>meaningless. I get dozens of notifications like that at work - a week
>for asthma, or diabetes, whatever. Those involved do what they can and
>the rest of the globe just "moves on by".
>
>Even when an event does catch the wider public mood, the moment is gone
>all too soon - nothing attracts less coverage than "old news".
>
>SFD is a good idea and worth supporting when it coincides with other
>events or issues but on it's own, it isn't effective.
>
>The goal is more important than the day - the easiest things to promote
>are those that "Just Do The Right Thing". Fixing the bugs in free
>software will, in the end, give everyone a system that promotes itself.
>
>The only reasons commercial entities need to advertise are:
>1. The product is genuinely ground-breaking.
>2. The product is struggling and/or the company is desperate for cash.
>
>That's it.
>:-)
>
>Case 1 doesn't happen often (and doesn't need to last beyond the initial
>announcements if the product is any good - the global media circus will
>take care of the rest).
>
>The most successful "products" are those that don't need to be
>advertised, they promote themselves just by doing TheRightThing.
>
>  
>
I think the most important thing is not to project a "view" that we are 
an apathetic community. I  know we are not , and I would hope every 
member of this group feels the same. I also understand and appreciate 
the efforts made by all the members of our community.  On the other 
hand,  to the "outsider", our lack of interest in global  events such as 
SFD  might be taken the wrong way.

What is the point of lighting a candle and then putting under a bucket 
where no one can see the light ?

And just because a product is deemed to be "good"  or "better" doesn't 
automatically follow it will be market leader tomorrow, (beta max 
anybody ?).

We all do our own thing to promote free software, GNU, Linux etc. But 
think about the potential we could achieve if we co-ordinated our 
efforts a little. I don't want to get regimental or structural, but I 
just think it would be nice to showcase the many diverse things that our 
community contributes towards under one heading (DCGLUG).

Please don't take my earlier comment as criticism. It was not intended.

Tom.


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