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Re: [LUG] SFD - what it is all about

 

Matt Lee wrote:

>On Sun, Sep 17, 2006 at 09:44:00AM +0100, Tom Brough wrote:
>
>  
>
>>For those that think that SFD is just a way for the likes of Red Hat to 
>>promote their products, please take 5 minutes to look at the pictures on 
>>the front page of this website.
>>
>>http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/349585.html
>>    
>>
>
>I find it interesting how many of the countries doing the most for SFD are not
>in the rich West, but instead in Asia. 
>  
>
And Africa ;-). I know my friend in the Cameroon was very busy 
yesterday. But they value freedom and equality more  because they are 
still in many respects trying to get it.  For the first time in history 
they are being given something that is neutral (equal access to the 
source code of computer programs), something that they can contribute to 
freely without trade embargos and IMF rules and regs.

And this is my point, if we do not get involved and raise the profile 
of  the values that GNU/Linux embodies then we (the western world) will 
not advance, and no this does not need to be a "ram it in your face" 
tactic. A little adertising inviting people to come will do a lot more 
good than marching down the street banging drums and demanding equal 
rights for free(dom) software.

>I think we should do something next year, or do something to promote our group.
>Remember we are one of the few GLUGs in the world - most LUGs in the UK and in
>Europe do not speak of software freedom at all. In fact, most do not even
>realise what the system they are using really is. Many people just accept the
>party line that this guy from Finland wrote an entire OS in 1991, but happened
>to find a few tools along the way (like GCC and bash) that saved him a bit of
>time.
>  
>
Great let me know what I can do to help, I'm more of a doer than an 
organiser, so grunt work is up my street :-)
And I agree we need to educate ourselves too ... but if we can bring in 
a few fresh faces in the process all the better.

>As a group, we should do more to reflect free software. We should make sure
>everyone on the list understands the difference between Linux and GNU/Linux,
>make sure everyone understands the difference between free software and open
>source software, make sure newcomers are educated accordingly too. Tomorrow,
>if there were no longer Linux, but something else came long to fill its place,
>and I'm not talking the Hurd, then I'd hope this group would be just as useful.
>
>matt
>
>  
>
Well said thank you matt :-)

Tom.


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