[GNUz] Software Freedom Day

[Rik Tindall]

Hi Dru,

Sorry it's taken so long to reply. - SFD prep etc..

Dru wrote:
> Rik Tindall wrote:
>> Don Gould wrote:
>>> Dru wrote:
>>>> When is software freedom day? Whats the idea and vison behind it?
>>> Upcoming events:  Software Freedom Day - 16 September 2006 - 
>>> http://www.softwarefreedomday.org
>> It's a classically freeform, global movement subset, especially 
>> popular in poorer, high-FOSS use continents - Africa, Asia, South 
>> America - for one synchronised day per year, now settled on the 3rd 
>> Saturday in September. Events take place in Europe & North America 
>> too, but with less saturation. Oz is the exception for enthusiasm in 
>> the developed world. Addition of NZ teams has run so: Christchurch 
>> 2004 (inaugural); Wellington 2005; Hamilton 2006 - Yay! Go Interface 
>> & WLUG!!
>>
>> There's no set format. It's up to local teams to devise their own 
>> means of organisation and FOSS promotion. Some do public outreach 
>> with giveaway materials in the streets; others utilise educational or 
>> netcafe facilities to instruct from. Here we have relied on 
>> commercial sponsorship for a training site and Press advertising. We 
>> had 20 arrive the first year, and 60 in 2005. What binds the event 
>> are free CDs, teeshirts, stickers, etc, distributed by 
>> SFInternational (not a year old yet, with Wiki etc? teething problems 
>> but the best of intent), and a genuinely strong sense of 
>> international FOSS community and solidarity. The OpenCD were the 
>> starter kit, but Canonical have provided major support since SFD2.
>>
>> In all my dealings with *nix/LUGs, I have found SFD to be by far the 
>> most rewarding human experience of all - ahead of any other I've 
>> known in public life too. It's a fun, satisfying day, requiring a 
>> modest amount of work to put on. All are most welcome to join Team 
>> Christchurch and enjoy building Software Freedom Day.
> After reading the site and your information I am feeling a little more 
> informed now.  Thanks.  I think getting a strong turn out from 
> university would be good. Would people bring there pc's in also? is it 
> a more formal day like a convention?
Yes. We're having an Installfest too. Spread over two afternoons / one 
weekend now. Informal, as we have to cater activity according to who 
turns up & what they want to do - not predictable. But (near-)finished 
ad is here:

http://www.infohelp.co.nz/sfd3

Do you want to be in? - 1st poster print run any day now.

> Is this mailing list just about promoting open source software?

It's a community, organising support workshops for that purpose and 
whatever else people want to suggest here that is On-Topic. Q&A in time.

>> Andrew, it'd be amazing to see Treshna gain profile through SFD. How 
>> can we help each other please?
> Not sure yet. I am wanting to get out there and try to promote more 
> free software solutions in the next month or so but every dollar i 
> have spent on promoting fsf though standard print and advertising 
> channels I have found to not work at all. People just dont seem to 
> care enough. Less and less of our marketing material talks about free 
> software now. Word of mouth (both real world and though the internet) 
> i think is the strongest way to spread the idea.

True. Just getting involved & meeting people is a good enough start. 
Come see us on 16-Sept-SFD, if not before.

> Maybe linking to each other sites?  And i try and get out there more 
> and talk to people about fsf.
>> At this point I should thank and introduce Gordon Findlay, of 
>> Avonmore Tertiary Academy, for hosting SFDs 1 & 2. We've agreed to 
>> try something different this year. Thanks too to Kevin Owers, The 
>> Computer Broker.
> Is any of the other linux/open source companies in chch involved?

Were working on it - see the sponsor list on 
http://www.infohelp.co.nz/sfd3 - this will be pasted up around town, uni 
etc, & be published as an ad in the Press. Do you want to be in?

<Emphasis>


      *workgroup*

</Emphasis>

See you there(?)

Cheers, Rik

pp SFD Team Christchurch NZ

-- 
Rik Tindall, InfoHelp Services <http://www.infohelp.co.nz> on virus-free
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