manchester April 2011

manchester@lists.fsfe.org

5 participants
7 discussions

[Manchester] Guardian newspaper education 'Powerpoints'
by Sam Tuke 31 May '11

31 May '11

I noticed in The Guardian's educational supplement last week [1] that the free of charge teaching materials that they make available to teachers are Powerpoint files, and are unnecessarily referred to as 'Powerpoints' rather than presentations or slide-shows: "you can now find a one-hour PowerPoint lesson that can be used both in the classroom and at home" "The PowerPoint gives children the information and vocabulary to devise their own challenging science questions" This presents an opportunity to contact the journalist concerned, and copy in the Guardian's education desk, reminding them of Open Documents, Open Standards, and their particular importance to education. It could also help develop press relations with this important newspaper, which hosts annual conferences on education and public sector technology amongst other things. What do you think would be the best way to approach the issue in our message? Who do you think the message should be from (edu team, UK team)? Please contribute to ideas and the draft itself before the end of this week. Thanks, Sam. 1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/apr/11/space-travel-guardian-teach… -- Sam Tuke British Team Coordinator Free Software Foundation Europe IM : samtuke(a)jabber.fsfe.org Contact the British team: uk(a)fsfeurope.org

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[Manchester] Leaflets
by Sam Tuke 06 May '11

06 May '11

At the first local Fellowship meeting Thursday 7th, we discussed distributing Free Software leaflets at community events, and also leaving them in sympathetic venues like cafes and theatres. I propose using the attached leaflet for this purpose. Please share comments and suggestions (bearing in mind the strict space limitations for text). Proposed locations for leaving leaflets were: - Corner House Cinema - Post Office Deli in Levenshulme (Enrico) - Contact Theatre - MadLab - OpenSpace Please send any other locations that you can think of to the list, preferably ones that are relatively easy to get to, and especially if you are able to deliver them yourself. This is a new flyer, based on one that I gave out at the London protest march a few weeks ago. Please let me know what you think of the content; send constructive feedback to this list. Thanks, Sam. -- Sam Tuke British Team Coordinator Free Software Foundation Europe IM : samtuke(a)jabber.fsfe.org Contact the British team: uk(a)fsfeurope.org *Text of the flyer:* "Software Is For Geeks!" Who Needs Digital Freedoms Anyway? Who Put The Rights Out? Europeans use computers every day. Employers demand it, the state requires it, schools prescribe it. But what rights do we have when using these computers? Often our actions are recorded and the details sold, our data is copied and inspected, our software dictates costly and inconvenient 'upgrades', and our PCs regularly need complete replacement. Computers tell users what they may be used for; each function with a price tag attached. Sharing, studying, or improving the applications that you use is illegal by default. What happened to our rights! Free Software, Free Society Software is an intrinsic part of our culture. Mobile phones, music players, netbooks and even pacemakers are controlled by the code inside them. Equal access to computer technologies is a basic requirement for egalitarian society. When software is expensive, restricted and treacherous, society suffers. Today tens of millions have chosen to demand more from the technology they use. By choosing to use Free Software they retain their rights, and become part of a global community of innovators. Free as in freedom Free Software guarantees our rights to: use (for any purpose), share (with anyone), study (without secrets), and improve. Free Software offers safe, equal, and sustainable computing for the future. A Foundation For Freedom Since 2001 FSFE has been working to create general understanding and support for software freedom in all areas of society. We have successfully fought attempts to legislate away citizens rights over the computers that they use in many European countries. For over a decade FSFE has steered the EU towards publicly owned technology through our campaigns and frequent consultations. Defending Digital Rights The Free Software Foundation Europe And You A Fair Fight Fighting for Free Software is essential if the tools and skills of tomorrow are to be accessible to more than a privileged few. We believe that fairness is worth fighting for. Freedom in the UK The public sector is Britain's biggest buyer of software. Public money spent on software should buy safe, accountable, and cost-efficient solutions. £16bn of UK tax is spent on IT each year, typically on technology which may not be re- used, adapted or improved. FSFE is working with the Coalition government and community organisations to get more rights, more value, and more Freedom from public software purchases. FSFE has organised round-table meetings to bring together British Free Software groups and organisations, and continues to work at a local and national level to promote Free Software in Britain. Get Involved! Contribute your skills to the Free Software movement! Help us with writing, designing, translating, coding, editing and organising: fsfe.org/contribute uk.fsfe.org

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Re: [Manchester] Fellowship meetings
by Sam Tuke 05 May '11

05 May '11

Unfortunately MadLab have informed me that the previously agreed third Monday was also already fully booked. They have now offered the 2nd Friday of each month (see attached message). Does anybody have a problem with this? Sorry to have to change it again, it's not something that I have much control over. Sam. -- Sam Tuke British Team Coordinator Free Software Foundation Europe IM : samtuke(a)jabber.fsfe.org Contact the British team: uk(a)fsfeurope.org

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Re: [Manchester] Drafting open letter to BT re music store
by Sam Tuke 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

Last chance for feedback or comments, final draft ready: http://etherpad.fsfe.org/9FgJJlTXwe I will send and publish this on Monday. I've prepared the news item for fsfe.org. It will link to this letter, with the following text: <title>British Telecom: please include freedom in your new music service</title> <body> As British Telecom plans to roll out their new music subscription service to its 5.5 million broadband customers, FSFE asks them to make user freedom one of the product's key features. </body> Thanks to Brian, Matthias, Guido and Matthias for their help! Sam. -- Sam Tuke British Team Coordinator Free Software Foundation Europe IM : samtuke(a)jabber.fsfe.org Contact the British team: uk(a)fsfeurope.org

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[Manchester] Weekly report for Sam Tuke (week 16)
by Sam Tuke 28 Apr '11

28 Apr '11

== Policy == - Completed and sent first set of contributions to new recommended Free Software for government to Tariq Rashid at the home office (http://etherpad.fsfe.org/zaKDgMacMd) == Web == - Completed first draft of 'Ask your political candidates' campaign box banner - Extended support section with new subjects, images, and formatting. (http://test.fsfe.org/support) == Editors == - Proposed questions for the fellowship to Chris Woolfrey before the interview began - (heavily) edited new fellowship interview, created news item on fsfe.org, dented it from FSFE account - Edited ownCloud sprint report (http://s.coop/15rv) == PDF Readers == - Had lunch meeting with journalist at PCWorld US. Discussed UK press contacts and strategies, discussed article on PDFR campaign in his next article (http://s.coop/15ru) - Proposed new improvements to web team for new PDFR follow up guides, now mostly implemented (http://s.coop/15s4) (thanks Nico!) == Community == - Assisted staff of East Anglia based charity www.re-cycle.org in finding help with their switch to Ubuntu (pointed them to drafting support section) - Attended Creative Commons gig 'Rathole Radio' in Liverpool hosted by 'Linux Outlaws' podcaster Dan Lynch - Attended Manchester Free Software talk by the Pirate Party UK on Tuesday, had discussion with PPUK leader Loz Kaye about digital rights groups in the UK and collaboration between them, also discussed BT issue - Emailed Manchester Free Software group with suggested speaker for one of their talks == Fellowship == - Proposed new regular date for Manchester Fellowship meetings, confirmed it with MadLab - Emailed East Anglian fellow further information about becoming a local coordinator - Fixed problems with Manchester Fellowship list, re-sent all previously sent messages == Other == - Proposed addition of Chris Woolfrey to UK team - Invited various groups to contribute to open letter to BT regarding new music subscription service software, created etherpad instance (http://etherpad.fsfe.org/9FgJJlTXwe) - Invited UK and edu teams to contribute to letter to Guardian newspaper regarding open standards and their use of proprietary formats, created etherpad instance (http://etherpad.fsfe.org/C8mmXFOpuw) == Preview == - Send open letter to BT - Send second set of contributions to Tariq, time and feedback from him permitting - Email Guardian Newspaper about open standards - Try and get more involvement from fellows on Manchester fellowship mailing list - Send introductory emails to new contacts and fellows - Contact Wikimedia UK about grant? - Continue work on support section - Get clearance for 'ask your political candidates' campaign box and make it live - Update leaflet with Nico's suggestions - Investigate new possible syndications of fellowship interviews (may not have time for this - please send suggestions if you have them) -- Sam Tuke British Team Coordinator Free Software Foundation Europe IM : samtuke(a)jabber.fsfe.org Contact the British team: uk(a)fsfeurope.org

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[Manchester] Drafting open letter to BT re music store
by Sam Tuke 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

One of Britain's biggest communications companies British Telecom is planning to roll out a new music subscription service which will initially be free of charge to BT customers [1]. Their service may require the use non-Free Software in order to access it; either in the form of a desktop application (which would be unlikely to support GNU/Linux), or in the form of web-accessible Flash content. I propose that we write an open letter to BT asking them to consider the freedom of their users when developing their new system, and not to lock out users of Free operating systems. Please contribute to this letter - the very idea of it, the planning of it, and the content itself. Drafting the actual letter will take place on 27th April; please submit your ideas before then. Etherpad for ideas and drafting here: http://etherpad.fsfe.org/9FgJJlTXwe Bearing in mind that little concrete information is known about BT's plans at this stage, I propose the following goals of the letter: - to engage with BT on the subject of their new service, and ensure that they take Freedom into consideration as they develop it - to raise awareness amongst BT customers and Free Software activists of the potential threat - to generate community and customer pressure making it difficult for BT to deploy a new non-Free system - to prompt BT to release more information about how Free their system will be - to raise FSFE's profile as a community organisation concerned with issues affecting British consumers Proposed content of the letter: - recognise BT as a major innovator in consumer technology in the UK - recognise their attempt to innovate with this particular service - highlight the need for them to use freedom-friendly software - briefly explain importance of Free Software to markets, innovation, and consumer rights - note the current trend towards open standards in web technologies and wide support and success of HTML5 - remind them of future proof nature of standards based web systems when compared to desktop apps - cite BBC iPlayer? - offer FSFE's help in licensing matters for any new software they publish? Thanks, Sam. 1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2011/mar/28/bt-illegal-filesharing… -- Sam Tuke British Team Coordinator Free Software Foundation Europe IM : samtuke(a)jabber.fsfe.org Contact the British team: uk(a)fsfeurope.org

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[Manchester] Fellowship meetings: 3rd Monday each month?
by Sam Tuke 22 Apr '11

22 Apr '11

Unfortunately MadLab have informed me that they're double booked on the first Thursday of each month. The third Monday of each month is still available however. How would this suit you? Does anybody have a major problem with this? It would mean that Fellowship meetings would always be the day before MFS meetings, which has both good and bad points. I believe that the only other option at MadLab is the second Tuesday of every month, but I'd rather avoid that if possible as I have other commitments on Tuesdays. Thanks, Sam. -- Sam Tuke British Team Coordinator Free Software Foundation Europe IM : samtuke(a)jabber.fsfe.org Contact the British team: uk(a)fsfeurope.org

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manchester April 2011