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New project: STACS
by Jonas Oberg 28 Mar '07

28 Mar '07

Hi all, this week we're launching a new project called STACS - Science, Technology and Civil Society. It's coordinated by the Association pour la création d'une Fondation Sciences Citoyennes in France, and aside from the FSFE, it also involves five other partners with various backgrounds from France, Germany, Belgium and United Kingdom. The idea with the project is to bring civil society closer to research and to get some sort of societal relevance to the research projects worked upon. The FSFE is participating in the project to bring knowledge of Free Software to both researchers and civil society. We'll organise a training session on Free Software for civil society, and a workshop that will link researchers and civil society together. If anyone is interested in this project, I would encourage you to first look at the web page I just created for it: http://fsfeurope.org/projects/stacs/ And then get in touch with me if you have questions or want to help out. Separately, I also created a web page for the SELF project that I've written about before: http://fsfeurope.org/projects/self/ Of course, another way to help right now is to also sign up for the Fellowship which has also been previously mentioned here many times :-) Remember though that to participate in the Raffle you have to sign up by the 1st of april: http://www.fsfe.org/en/fellows/raffle/2007/raffle_2007 -- Jonas Öberg Free Software Foundation Europe ( Join the Fellowship ) Tel. +46-31-780 21 61 Mob. +46-733 423 962 ( http://fsfe.org )

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Existenzgruendung als "OpenSource-Firma" - 3. Aussendung
by Roland Haeder 27 Mar '07

27 Mar '07

I would like to write in german because my german is much more powerful than english. Please understand this. And I had some trouble sending with webmaster[at]mxchange[dot]org on your list regardless if I have disabled or enabled my PGP signature. So I have subcribed with an other email address. :) Thanks in advance for your understanding. Ich werde ab Juli Harz4-Empfaenger werden. Das damit inbegriffene finanzielle Aus sollte hoffentlich allen gelaeufig sein, wenn nicht: Harz4 ist auch als Arbeitslosengeld II bekannt. Es wird einem die Miete bezahlt (aber nicht zu hoch darf sie sein, sondern "angemessen") und mehr nicht. Vielleicht noch ein Fernseher samt G.E.Z. Ich habe nun oefters was von den so genannten "OpenSource-Firmen (=OS-Firma)" gehoert. Meine Fragen nun dazu: 1.) Bietet die FSF-Europe Beratungen fuer Existenzgruender an? Also fuer welche, die eine OS-Firma gruenden wollen? 2.) Wenn ja, auch in Hamburg? Ich habe da etwas von einer Niederlassung/Bueroraum (?) in Hamburg gehoert. Ich selber wohne naemlich nahe Hamburg und bin nicht sehr sonderlich mobil. 3.) Und wird die Beratung etwas kosten? Ich muss das dennoch fragen, da ich derzeit mehr Schulden als Einnahmen habe. 4.) Ist mein offener Brief angekommen? Ich habe diesem am 25.02.2007 an germany(a)fsfeurope.org versendet und in meinem unten verlinkten Blog Online gestellt. Ich hoffe auf baldige Antwort und verbleibe, mit internetten Gruessen, Roland Haeder -- Weblog: http://blog.mxchange.org

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Discussion draft 3 of GPLv3 due on Wed 28th
by Ciaran O'Riordan 26 Mar '07

26 Mar '07

Bruce Perens: "Next GPL3 Draft to be Released on Wednesday" http://technocrat.net/d/2007/3/24/16783/ Perens was at FSF's annual associate membership meeting where Stallman made the announcement. Stallman will give a GPLv3 talk in Brussels on April 1st: http://fsfe.org/en/events/gplv3_improving_a_great_licence I've blogged both of these pieces of info: http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/gplv3_draft_… -- Ciarán O'Riordan __________________ \ http://fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3 http://ciaran.compsoc.com/ _________ \ GPLv3 and other work supported by http://fsfe.org/fellows/ciaran/weblog \ Fellowship: http://www.fsfe.org

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Doubts about the Italian Free Software Conference 2007
by Nicola Larosa 21 Mar '07

21 Mar '07

[This message is sent to the conference organizing committee, to the FSF Europe main mailing list, to the it.comp.software.libero newsgroup, and to the Associazione Software Libero main mailing list.] I have a few doubts about the Italian Free Software Conference 2007; i cannot find a dedicated mailing list or forum, so I'll try discussing them here. http://hacklab.cosenzainrete.it/confsl07/ I've been working in information technology for 17 years, almost exclusively with free software for seven, and got my degree at the Calabria University (where the conference will take place); when I got to know about it, I tried to participate, submitting three different subjects related to my professional work. The committee answered reiterating what is written in the "Call for Papers": http://hacklab.cosenzainrete.it/confsl07/index.php?option=com_content&task=… A couple things look peculiar to me. I wholly agree that: "The primary target of the Italian Free Software Conference is to make the point about The Free Software art in Italy." and that: "This Conference wants also to be a gather for everyone who is involved in the Free Software diffusion and use in Italy, like companies, public institutions, universities, developers, researchers and neckers(?) to convey and have collaborations and projects." but how can this be reconciled with: "For this reason the technical level of the conference would like to be high-grade, with strongly innovative contents..." and with: "This Conference has the intention of being the first Free Software Conference of scientific nature..." then going back to the formerly declared aims: "...that involves all the souls of Italian Free Software, and would like to be the first of a series of annual meetings that would further the Free Software diffusion in Italy increasing the consciousness both of technic and economic implication, ethic and philosophic." I am a developer, use free software, take part in its communities, and am interested in its diffusion. I can contribute my experience in study and professional usage of free software, and also in the dynamics of its communities. Unfortunately I cannot deliver "strongly innovative contents", nor did I deal with "Free Software [...] of scientific nature". I find such criteria as damagingly limiting, and in conflict with the other stated objectives stated. I hope someone will help me get a better understanding of such matters. -- Nicola Larosa - http://www.tekNico.net/

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GPLv3 explanatory articles
by Ciaran O'Riordan 20 Mar '07

20 Mar '07

I've started writing a few articles about GPLv3. I'm hoping these articles will either get people thinking about this issue again, or provide a starting point for discussion when GPLv3 becomes topical again. And I'd welcome suggestions on what people think there needs to be articles about. In what situtations do you read something on a blog or a mailing list and you wish there was an article explaining the purpose or implications of some change? I put two articesl online recently, one about the EUCD/DMCA, and one about why additional permissions are removable (links at end of mail). In the next few days, I hope to write further articles on these topics: * Explaining the harms of the Novell deal (I recently met someone who thought it was a good thing because his boss felt safer) * About the length of GPLv3, and how longer can be simpler * What's good in GPLv3 for developers (this might be delayed) http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/why_gplv3_sa… http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/how_gplv3_ad… Suggestions sought. -- Ciarán O'Riordan __________________ \ http://fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3 http://ciaran.compsoc.com/ _________ \ GPLv3 and other work supported by http://fsfe.org/fellows/ciaran/weblog \ Fellowship: http://www.fsfe.org

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3rd Fellowship Raffle to attract more Fellows
by Ciaran O'Riordan 15 Mar '07

15 Mar '07

On April 1st (no joke), FSFE will hold by far its biggest Fellowship raffle yet. The goal is to encourage more people to join the Fellowship, so we're asking for your help spread the word. We've made some graphics if you'd like to use them, and more general information is here: http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/raffle/2007/raffle_2007 If you've been waiting for the right time to join the Fellowship, or if you know people who value free software or intend to join but haven't gotten around to it, now's a good time. The prizes this year are: * 1 Free Software Greenphone from Trolltech * 2 Free Software based routers KWGR614, from NETGEAR * 1 LinSoft BTP-PC amounting to 500 EUR, from linsoft.de * 4 USB smart card readers SCR-335, compatible with the Fellowship crypto card on all GNU/Linux distributions, from kernelconcepts.de * 2 Omnikey PCMCIA CardMan 4040, compatible with the Fellowship crypto card on all GNU/Linux distributions, from xtops.de * 30 German books (among German speaking Fellows only), from linuxland.de * 3 Developer Discount codes for Nokia N800 Internet Tablets from Nokia NOTICE: special conditions apply to the N800 prizes, see: http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/raffle/2007/special_conditions_for_nokia_n800 Everyone that is a Fellow on April 1st, new and old, will be included in the raffle. Since it's launch in February 2005, the Fellowship has been a great success. It's enabled FSFE to interact more directly with the community, it's aided the organising of local Fellowship meetings. In recent years, mostly thanks to the financial support of the Fellowship, FSFE has grown to include 5 full-time and 2 part-time staff doing GPL enforcement, EU/UN/WIPO lobbying, GPLv3 awareness, volunteer coordination, events, and media relations as well as national activities. We want to grow the Fellowship to further increase the work that FSFE does. Finally, we'd like to thank the hardware vendors who have donated the prizes. FSFE is glad to see that hardware vendors see the importance of a future without lock-in and dependency. So please help spread the word: If anyone was waiting to join, now is the time. Putting a logo on your webpages or forwarding a message to relevent mailing lists would a good way to help FSFE. And good luck to all the Fellows, new and old on April 1st! -- Ciarán O'Riordan __________________ \ http://fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3 http://ciaran.compsoc.com/ _________ \ GPLv3 and other work supported by http://fsfe.org/fellows/ciaran/weblog \ Fellowship: http://www.fsfe.org

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RE: 3rd Fellowship Raffle to attract more Fellows
by Sam Liddicott 15 Mar '07

15 Mar '07

You talk perfect sense. Again we have the clash between those who want to filter non-freedom and those who want to provide freedom. To me this is the difference between bombing a prison and opening the doors

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3rd Fellowship Raffle to attract more Fellows
by Sean DALY 14 Mar '07

14 Mar '07

When I booked my flight to Barcelona last June, I filled out a form served by a Windows server. Each phone call I made was on a proprietary-software GSM device, routed through a Microsoft partner telco. The MiniDV camcorder which I used to film the conference has proprietary, closed firmware and the codec is patent-encumbered. I captured the video on a nonfree system before transcoding it to Ogg Theora with Free Software. The calculations were of course performed by a microprocessor designed with proprietary software tools. What I want to say is that we have a far way to go yet to further the cause of Free Software in hardware and embedded systems, so we have to start somewhere. Educating/counseling/encouraging manufacturers ready to make the transition and making gadgets available to developers are, to my mind, good ways to start. All this raffle kerfuffle! I mean, will anyone confuse a raffle with formal certification of a device? Perhaps the marketing needs tuning: "This Device Needs Liberation"

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Re: Delivery reports about your e-mail
by The E-Mail Robot for 14 Mar '07

14 Mar '07

I will be away from the office until March 15th. My email address between Dec. 20th and Jan. 29th will be steve.cande(a)nbp.usap.gov and between Feb. 3rd and March 12th will be scande(a)rv-melville.ucsd.edu Steve

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Re: 3rd Fellowship Raffle to attract more Fellows
by Sean DALY 14 Mar '07

14 Mar '07

>> It is a terrible way to start Alfred - where do you suggest we start? * Lobbying for mandated free software in government-procured hardware? * Boycotting every company which distributes hardware containing proprietary software? * Refusing to use any hardware containing nonfree software? * Raising funds to pay Free Software developers to work on reverse-engineering devices? * Raising funds to buy hundreds of nonfree gadgets for study by Free developers? * Creating a startup on the basis of a revolutionary idea: a totally Free GSM phone or PDA? I believe most companies value the GPL first because it guarantees a level playing field for a superior development methodology, and second because it is the right thing to do. That's the nature of business. Seen in this light, a manufacturer does not operate in a vacuum, but facing competitors. I think great strides could be made if competitors could "disarm" simultaneously. It's what we are slowly but surely seeing throughout the software industry and I feel sure the embedded and gadget industries will follow suit. The near-total absence of Free GSM phones and PDAs is, I think, largely because the manufacturers and their partners the telcos remain better able to make high margins on proprietary gadgets. A successful Free gadget would break the mold, but to be Free, developers need experience. So what's the suggestion?

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