Hi Folks,
Just to remind everyone: the IFSO AGM will be held this Saturday, at
15:30 in the ICS rooms on Mount Street Crescent[1]. Following the
conclusion of business we will make an orderly withdrawal to a nearby
public house.
If you are a member, please come: we need you there.
If you are not a member, but would like to be, this is the ideal
opportunity! Please come along and join!
The venue has been generously provided by the Irish Computer Society.
[1] http://www.ics.ie/main/contact.htm
--
Glenn Strong
We recently got an enquiry about the licensing of ifso.ie content, but the
email had no reply address. Maybe the person will see this mail.
This is a topic that was debated at length at a few IFSO meetings and within
the committee. The solution we agreed on was to offer people two options
for licensing our content. The first is the by-sa-2.5 Creative Commons
licence, and the second is: if you want to use our content under different
terms, just ask.
There's no licence that we all like, but we think it's important to offer a
licence so that people can modify and redistribute our work without having
to ask us (now or in future decades), and using an existing licence ensures
compatibility with other web pages etc.
The person who emailed us said that FSF generally disapproves of the
Creative Commons licence - but this is not entirely accurate. FSF does not
support Creative Commons, but FSF acknowledges that some Creative Commons
licences are free licences (and some aren't, and FSF criticises that they
don't make a clear distinction). Richard Stallman explains their position
here:
http://fsfeurope.org/documents/rms-fs-2006-03-09.en.html#q6
We're careful to say that we use the by-sa-2.5 licence, not "a Creative
Commons licence".
--
Ciarán O'Riordan __________________ \ http://fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3http://ciaran.compsoc.com/ _________ \ GPLv3 and other work supported by
http://fsfe.org/fellows/ciaran/weblog \ Fellowship: http://www.fsfe.org
MS's OOXML ISO application is going to become an issue soon, and this will
raise the profile of ODF and open standards debates.
So I think we should make this a main topic for the next meeting.
At SkyCon this weekend, myself and Gareth Eason will be trying to organise a
small discussion/BOF about this. (BTW, a change since my last mail about
SkyCon is that Stallman won't now be speaking there.)
And on the 21st, I'll meet Mel McIntyre to talk about it, and he might also
be able to make the IFSO meeting.
One idea I'd like to discuss is organising a workshop some day and asking
someone from the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to come and
tell us how best we can participate in the ISO procedure.
--
Ciarán O'Riordan __________________ \ http://fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3http://ciaran.compsoc.com/ _________ \ GPLv3 and other work supported by
http://fsfe.org/fellows/ciaran/weblog \ Fellowship: http://www.fsfe.org
1. FSFE becomes the legal guardian of the OpenSwarm Project
2. Transcript of Richard Stallman on the Free Software movement
3. Windows Vista released - FSFE recommends switching to GNU/Linux
4. Get Active: Join the Revolution!
1. FSFE becomes the legal guardian of the OpenSwarm Project
OpenSwarm is the second project to make use of the fiduciary services
of the FSFE Freedom Task Force. OpenSwarm is planned to be a holistic
set of model-driven software development tools focused on the easy
creation of powerful and business logic enriched applications in the
field of Web- and data-centric solutions. By signing the Fiduicary
License Agreement (FLA) with FSFE, the project allows FSFE to become
its legal guardian.
http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/press-release/2007q1/000165.html
2. Transcript of Richard Stallman on the Free Software movement
Ciarán O'Riordan has compiled a transcript of a lecture given by
Richard Stallman in Zagreb. This speech is certainly a good source of
information about various Free Software related topics.
http://www.fsfeurope.org/documents/rms-fs-2006-03-09.en.html
3. Windows Vista released - FSFE recommends switching to GNU/Linux
FSFE has taken the opportunity of Windows Vista's launch to remind about
the dangers and threats arising from the use of proprietary software. As
many users will have to convert to a new operating system anyway, FSFE
recommends to take the chance to get rid of the chains of proprietary
software and switch to a Free Software solution.
http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/press-release/2007q1/000166.html
4. Get Active: Join the Revolution!
The internship position in FSFE's office in Zürich is becoming vacant in
March, and FSFE is looking for somebody to continue the series of
interested and motivated interns. An internship with FSFE is an
interesting, challenging and exciting experience, and there are few
other opportunities to work with a highly dynamical NGO on an
international level.
http://www.fsfeurope.org/contribute/internship.en.html
You can find a list of all FSFE newsletters on
http://www.fsfeurope.org/news/newsletter.en.html
MS's OOXML was recently presented to ISO for fast-track approval.
IFSO wrote to the National Standards Authority of Ireland about this:
http://ifso.ie/documents/correspondence/20070201iso-ooxml.pdf
The request was rejected:
http://www.computeractive.co.uk/personal-computer-world/news/2174199/micros…http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=2007020614562…http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/iso_won_t_fa…
I just got off the phone with the NSAI. I was told that the reason Ireland
wasn't among the 19 countries that voiced objections to ISO about this
application because NSAI didn't have a mandate from it's members.
I was also told that 90% of the submissions they received were off-topic.
This is like the software patents issue - on one hand we have to research
the procedure and the issue so that we can make a useful contribution, and
on the other hand we have a deadline and we don't know how we're doing at
any particular point in time.
One thing worth remembering is that this time, the deadline was for when
NSAI will stop discussing the issue. Most people probably treated it as a
submission deadline. So NSAI got nothing to base a discussion on for the
first while, then suddenly got too much to read (and continued getting
submissions even after the vote was over).
At least IFSO's submission was a week before the deadline, thanks to Glenn.
I was also told that this was the hottest topic the NSAI had seen in a year,
and before that the last topic of similar scale was 5 years ago. The guy I
talked to also explained the JTC and ISO procedure. For next time, he
mentioned that in future it would be better if we submitted our objections
in "the ISO format" - I'm not sure what that is, it's probably not hard to
find on ISO's site.
--
Ciarán O'Riordan __________________ \ http://fsfeurope.org/projects/gplv3http://ciaran.compsoc.com/ _________ \ GPLv3 and other work supported by
http://fsfe.org/fellows/ciaran/weblog \ Fellowship: http://www.fsfe.org
http://www.eff.org/global/europe/
EFF Tackles New Role in Europe
EFF Europe Office Opens in Brussels
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) opened a new office in Brussels
today to work with various institutions of the European Union (EU) on
innovation and digital rights, acting as a watchdog for the public
interest in intellectual property and civil liberties policy initiatives
that impact the European digital environment.
The new EFF Europe office, made possible by the generous support of the
Open Society Institute and Mr. Mark Shuttleworth of the Shuttleworth
Foundation, will allow EFF to have an increased focus on the development
of EU law. EFF also plans to expand its efforts in European digital
activism and looks forward to working with many groups and organizations
to fight effectively for consumers' and technologists' interests. EFF's
new European Affairs Coordinator, Erik Josefsson, will be an
on-the-ground analyst, activist, and educator about critical
intellectual property and civil liberties issues.
"In a networked world, protecting innovation and digital rights must be
a global effort," Josefsson said. "We hope this new office in Brussels
will increase awareness of European developments and enrich the policy
debate."
Josefsson was previously the president of the Swedish chapter of
Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII.se). FFII was
instrumental in defeating the proposed Software Patents Directive, which
would have brought an expanded software patent scheme to Europe.
Josefsson has also worked with European Digital Rights (EDRI) and other
European groups in fighting against the European Parliament's adoption
of the Data Retention Directive, which threatens to undo the existing
pro-consumer privacy protections in Europe. In recent months, Josefsson
has been part of a team of committed FFII activists opposing the
proposed second Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive
(IPRED2), which will impose harsh criminal sanctions and prison terms
for violation of intellectual property rights, stifling technical
innovation and imperiling consumers if not amended.
"Europe is at the forefront of policy developments that threaten
Internet users' freedom, from unwarranted copyright term extension to
mandatory data retention," said EFF International Affairs Director Gwen
Hinze. "We welcome the valuable European educational and activism
expertise that Erik brings to EFF Europe, and we are excited about this
new opportunity to represent the public interest in the formative stages
of European policy development."
Joseffson will be supported in EFF's San Francisco office by Danny
O'Brien, EFF's Activism Coordinator, whose past experience includes
digital rights work in the United Kingdom. Josefsson will be succeeded
as president of FFII Sweden by Jonas Bosson, who was one of the founders
of the organization and will continue to fight new attempts to make
software patents enforceable in Europe.
FYI... :-)
----- Forwarded message from Gareth 'bigbro' Eason <bigbro(a)skynet.ie> -----
Subject: [ILUG] PotD, Dublin...
From: Gareth 'bigbro' Eason <bigbro(a)skynet.ie>
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2007 15:32:33 +0000
To: ilug(a)linux.ie
Hi,
There shall be a PotD in the Long Stone, Townsend Street, Dublin,
Ireland - starting from 7:00pm (Irish Time) on Wednesday 7th Feb.
This shall follow an ILUG Committee meeting starting at
6pm (Irish Time) in the same place.
There is a number of reasons for this:
1. I have some Sybase goodies to give away. They shall be distributed by
some kind of raffle to people who are in attendance on the evening.
Probably about 8pm to allow the latecomers to join us.
2. It's my birthday today so I want beer.
3. I'm no longer on anti-biotics so I'm allowed drink again. Yay!
4. I'm back in the country after a week in sunny Romania, (using Linux,
naturally :-) )
5. Because out last PotD was before the PHPUG, and we can't let them
think they can just have a PotD without us retaliating and having our
own ;-)
(All PHPUG members are of course, invited and very welcome to join us :) )
Best regards,
-->Gar
--
Irish Linux Users' Group mailing list
About this list : http://mail.linux.ie/mailman/listinfo/ilug
Who we are : http://www.linux.ie/
Where we are : http://www.linux.ie/map/
----- End forwarded message -----
--
Ken Guest
Irish Linux Users' Group webmaster, www.linux.ie
Mobile: +353 86 8252 141 http://blogs.linux.ie/kenguest/
All,
Representing only my personal opinion, I sent the following email to RTE following their inclusion of the Vista release on the main evening news at 9o'clock. As yet, I don't know (because I didn't see) if the request to cut the item from subsequent broadcasts was done (offhand I'd suspect not). But I felt that without representing any organisation, I should make the point I made, knowing what I know.
As I write, two days later, there has been no response other than the scrap I've attached below, but I think it's important that we challenge the sources of [mis]information, ideally collectively. Going to be biased here and ask, did they cover gNewSense? Opensoursing of Solaris? Software Patents? Anything else we stand for?
Maybe we need to be more aggressive as an organisation on this front, in the same way that Geldof challenged Governments and not individuals with Live8!!
Something to think about and possibly discuss.
Mel
OK - Here's what I sent on Wednesday... (from just myself)
Subject: Shame on RTE for promoting Windows Vista
Dear Sir/Madam,
It is bad enough that Microsoft have so corrupted the supply channels that vendors will not tell their customers about "free software", and as a result of their appalling products, spawned both the Anti-Virus and Anti-spyware industries, and yet, they have their predatory business practices advertised for free on the main evening news. Where was RTE news when the battle against Software Patents in Europe was in full swing? Where are RTE news now when Microsoft are attempting to fast-track their non-standard OO-XML through the international standards organisation vetting procedures? Microsoft lawyers are the best in the world, otherwise the company simply wouldn't exist, and have used their influence to corrupt and distort public opinion.
They don't need the help of RTE news. RTE news would serve it's viewers far better by visiting http://ifso.ie/ and listening to (in particular) the talks by Richard Stallman, and by educating themselves by viewing http://ffii.org/ in particular http://webshop.ffii.org/ - and subsequently cease and desist from advertising the arrival of new resource-hungry spyware. I hope there is somebody within your newsroom educated and competant enough in these matters to effect an immediate cessation to advertising this anti-consumer menace, preferably before the late-night news broadcasts.
Kind regards
Mel McWeeney
PS: If nobody still working in the studio is informed about these issues, please cut this item from subsequent news. And if still in doubt, search Google for the keywords "Microsoft FUD". My search, one minute ago revealed (on a standard Google Search: "Results 1 - 10 of about 1,410,000 for Microsoft FUD. (0.21 seconds)". I will leave you to work out what FUD stands for, but for many it's a real word. If almost 1.5 million posts have been made about an issue, the public should be told, or at least, the perpretrator not freely advertised!!
Subject: RE: Shame on RTE for promoting Windows Vista
From: "Complaints Review" <complaints.review(a)rte.ie>
Date: Wed, January 31, 2007 5:09 pm
To: "Mel McWeeney" <different email account>
Cc: "Newsdesk Account" <Newsdesk(a)rte.ie>
Priority: Normal
Options: View Full Header | View Printable Version | View Message details | View as HTML
Dear Mr McWeeney,
Your e-mail is being forwarded to the RTÉ Newsdesk for information.
With best regards
Nina Ward
RTÉ Information Officer