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On 01/05/11 20:53, Paul Sutton wrote: > >> If you don't understand the problem then watch this (730MB): >> http://video.fosdem.org/2011/maintracks/political.xvid.avi My movie player fell down asking for a proprietary codec to play the video. Surely some mistake here? > ok this is fine, however like with windows there are millions of users > of facebook so we have Windows analogy is not appropriate as the main direct network effect of Windows is the amount of compatible malware, but social networks usefulness is more directly related to the size of user base which is why Skype for example is so painful for free software folk, there are alternatives (Gordon sells 'em) but if you can't easily connect with others then the utility is less. > facebook - millions of users everyone has heard of it Strictly speaking if you disable javascript and java in facebook and then use a free browser your access meets the FSF definition of free software (their definition doesn't address the issue of software as a service directly - although I think they'd prefer you used something with free server side software because facebook aren't distributing their server software it could even be under the GPL already and we'd never know). > a sort of conundrum, which i lack the expertise to get round, I think you promote it as best you can. If there are privacy issues with Facebook then this would not be relevant to organising a meeting open to the public unless attendees don't want others to know they are going when they could attend but not say so on Facebook. If Facebook presents privacy issues with accessing other websites, well plenty of marketing companies and web analytics companies got there a long time before them, the difference is FB offer you something of some utility in exchange rather than just watching you. (See that 2o7.net cookie in your cookie jar - that is Adobe watching you go by....). If Facebook were the only, or primary place the meeting is promoted I think it would raise issues, but I hope the primary places are the mailing list, and the DCGLUG website. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq