[GNUz] Software Freedom Day needs you!

[Rik Tindall]

Thank you to CLUG & GNUz members who attended to make SFD13 another 
success for Team Christchurch. It was great to see good numbers of techs 
there.

SFD13 Christchurch Report:

No working PCs to start with, as an across-the-council-library-network 
BIOS upgrade had been done within the last ten days since we were in the 
lab. This had reset the i5s to the default of password-protected boot 
options. But Christchurch City Council IT/learning depts are really 
onside with FOSS culture, had a course tutor available to help us 
through an early opening, and responded immediately with a password for 
unlocking (by the tutor, who enjoyed the new, under-the-hood 
experience).

The good news is, it was one step back but two steps forward as we've 
implemented USB-booting during yesterday's CD-boot option repair. So 
that's the big change for SFD and monthly Free/Open Software Group in 
this venue from now on - we will transition off CD-based workshops to 
thumbdrive workshops (and waste less plastic, that no longer arrives in 
the mail for SFD). BYO pocket distro please.

Thank you Dave and Andrew for having memory-stick distros ready to 
show. Linux Mint worked well and Point Linux looks very promising for 
our purposes - http://pointlinux.org

With more preparation this event can always be bigger, but the fact 
that we manage it consistently is success enough for me on the day.

A couple wandered in wanting to be able to print a Google Earth pic of 
their pre-earthquake driveway, for their EQC claim, off their phone. So 
we showed them the USB cable connector, got the pic onto an Ubuntu 
desktop, and emailed it to them so they could send it to a printer from 
there. Business software (xls and docx handling on Libre Office) was 
demo'd to a builder tradesman and his wife. Kids played contentedly with 
games. Old hands talked shop. Calm industry prevailed.

Security arrangement has changed, so that once set up in the library we 
locked off the back entrances and opened up the lab front door, for 
direct connection with the library patrons and the community. Once 
again, council staff really helped us with this and signage. It's an 
excellent fit. With library courses available in Blender, Inkscape and 
the like, FOSS is ever-present on the CCC network and growing in 
relevance every day. Dave for NZOSS has more dialogue in process, 
strengthening the local convergence.

Around 25 took part, I believe, but the time just flies and is soon 
exhausted, however many attend. It is partly a mini-conference for our 
own community, and screening of free culture videos is an easy way of 
informing more newcomers of why we are there, for those not working 
one-on-one.

The framework is in place for great synergy around FOSS, and a very big 
splash around Software Freedom Day is always possible one day, if our 
community wants it. Critical is more planning from July. See you next 
year.

Well done and thank you everyone!

Regards,

Rik Tindall

pp SFD Team Christchurch

On 2013-09-21 11:38, Rik Tindall wrote:
> Greetings CLUG and GNUz,
>
> We're at South Library, 66 Colombo Street in Beckenham/Cashmere.
>
> Doors are open until 4pm.
>
> Dave Lane / www.NZOSS.org.nz is here for an hour, looking to the 
> future tasks.
>
> Please do feel free to join us.
>
> www.SoftwareFreedomDay.org
>
> Cheers, Rik
>
> pp SFD Team Christchurch
> _______________________________________________
> Linux-users mailing list
> Linux-users at lists.canterbury.ac.nz
> http://lists.canterbury.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/linux-users

-- 
Cheers, Rik