[GNUz] [Fwd: [SFD-TC] Fwd: Tshirts and balloons sent!]

[Rik Tindall]

Thanks Nick, and Sue, for picking up the thread.

It is correct to keep things in context, and not be derailed by 'little 
bumps along the way' - gosh knows there is actually nothing but! I'm 
tiring, and it shows; SFD support grows steadily each year, but should 
still be much more. Can we convince you to please start promoting it 
positively to CLUG Nick? - that's the biggest contribution you could 
make, in getting SFD the user support it needs. We know we'll get past 
the t-shirt thing practically, like everything else, without too much 
concern. We are just processing this glitch such as to get a specific 
and important general point across, in a way that is easily understood 
and quickly resolved. To clarify:

Software Freedom Day is in it's third Christchurch year now, for one 
fundamental reason - it has allowed those involved to use and articulate 
FOSS. That's the only reason I, personally, can find the energy for it - 
because it speaks the most international *nix community truth. But this 
year, we're being ankle-tapped - by the proprietary faction wanting to 
promote FLOSS instead(?) I'll substantiate my disagreement with this 
term another time[1], but suffice to say, in arguing this, *the FLOSS 
faction is spoiling our "Fun"* (Just For.. L.Torvalds). So it's a 
hostile approach to what we have already been doing, and will be 
repelled in the very same tenor: the argument is a major distraction 
that we are far better off without. It needs only be taken elsewhere, in 
the same general direction as Don Powerpoint Gould. *We are not here to 
argue the value of FOSS internally, and that is the end of the matter.*

Refs: http://foss.in/2005/ + http://www.foss.bg + 
http://foss-means-business.org +http://www.foss.lk ...

For the purposes of _this_ local project, FLOSS is an undermining and 
destructive term that will only confuse our literary output. And just so 
we're clear, the most likely outcome of pushing FLOSS any further will be:

1) immediate loss of an $800 advertising budget (in favour of a 100% 
community-based event)

2) immediate cessation of pursuing politicians' input at our event - in 
SFI's competition terms.


1. I see the main problem as being one of restraining the influence of 
registered proprietary brands over our field of social development work 
- namely, for example, "Linux" (over GNU/Linux), and Linux Australia(? 
over pure Software Freedom).

We will continue going our own way, asserting our legitimate right to 
promote FOSS as a cohering simplification, and truncating any 
debilitating argument over our right to choose how to express this 
licensed freedom of ours.

Nick Rout wrote:
> On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 12:20:01 +1200
> gayton.gardens wrote:
>   
>>  Also Rik dontates a large portion of his time to get this event off the ground, and all these niggly things interrupt valuable time.
>>     
>
> Thats why its important not to sweat the small stuff!
>
> I am sure no one will mind paying a few extra dollars for a t-shirt.
True, somehow we'll solve IT.

Cheers & hth, see you at our exciting-looking webcammed SFD (:

http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/gallery/2006/Christchurch

-- 
Rik