[GNUz] Media Release: Software Freedom Day serves online democracy

[Rik Tindall]

Software Freedom Day serves online democracy

Media Release: Software Freedom Day Team Christchurch, New Zealand

19 September, 2014


The Christchurch Unix community has its annual technical show this 
weekend, as part of international Software Freedom Day celebrations. 
Personal Computer operating systems derived from Unix offer an 
alternative, to Microsoft desktop security issues and costs, and are 
maintained by a large international community. Main variants of Unix are 
GNU/Linux and Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) operating systems. 
BSD is the core of Apple Computer's OS-X. Licensed free software 
installation discs, install help and tuition are made available to the 
public on Software Freedom Day.

The event is held at South Learning Centre in the South Christchurch 
Library. Talks, demonstrations and videos make the day focused on 
educational sharing. It is a familiy-friendly day of fun for all, with 
computers and related technology as the platform, community driven. Safe 
use of telecommunication devices is the strong emphasis here, helping 
people become independently secure in their online lives.

Other types of free and open-source software (FOSS) can run on Microsoft 
Windows, providing user choice in programs. The Firefox web browser and 
Libre Office suite are popular examples. Firefox has a quarter of the 
desktop browser market alone, to which other browsers such as Apple's 
add to make big competition for Microsoft's Internet Explorer. But the 
industry playing field is not level in what gets promoted, hence the 
need for Software Freedom Day, user support, and publicity around FOSS 
alternatives.

Addington.net is holding an open day as prelude to SFD celebrations, at 
314 Selwyn Street on Friday 19 September: a drop-in session 
demonstrating FOSS programs. The Christchurch Software Freedom Day team 
was the first to get going in New Zealand, at the event's global 
inauguration in 2004, and is the last one still standing in 2014 – the 
eleventh year.

“We want to focus discussion this weekend on solving the problem of 
secure online voting,” team leader Rik Tindall says. “WithChristchurch 
atechnical innovation capital for New Zealand, we can make an important 
world contribution here - this way especially.”

Tindall believes that just as people have secure online banking accounts 
they can rely on now, very soon everyone will have voting accounts the 
same way. He is calling together a mini-conference to set some 
parameters at SFD this weekend, for New Zealand to leverage its honest 
broker reputation to initiate a global democracy service much needed today.

Software Freedom Day takes place Saturday 20 September, from 10am to 4pm 
at the South Learning Centre, South Christchurch Library, 66 Colombo 
Street, Cashmere.

ENDS


Further information may be obtained at SFD Christchurch, or

Contact: Rik Tindall, 03-332-1069 or 027-406-0077 or rik at infohelp.co.nz

Refer: http://www.SoftwareFreedomDay.org
http://wiki.softwarefreedomday.org/2014/New Zealand/Christchurch
http://www.infohelp.co.nz/sfd14.html
http://www.facebook.com/TeamChristchurchSFD