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Software Freedom Day in Manila Times (Philippines)
by rick Sept. 18, 2008

Sept. 18, 2008

*PROMETHEUS BOUND * By Ricardo Bahague Jr. *Software Freedom Day *ref: http://manilatimes.net/national/2008/sep/18/yehey/opinion/20080918opi5.html* * For the past four years, computer users beginners and experts alike, programmers, NGOs and free software advocates have celebrated every third Saturday of September as Software Freedom Day. This year, over 500 teams all over the world is celebrating the event. It is a public education event held by different groups around the world to promote the use of free and open source software. "Software" is the word for programs and other procedures in your computer that uses your hardware to do the work you require it to do. Proprietary software is the most common kind of many software products that users are allowed to use upon the payment of license fees. Buying a software product like an operating system gives you a license to use it under certain conditions such as installing it only on a single computer, accepting the prohibition not to modify it and not to redistribute the program to others. Unlike proprietary software, free/open source software (FOSS) product owners, developers and/or creators give users the right to use it for any purpose and to redistribute, study, modify and improve it. This is done by doing away with traditional copyright conditions and making the source code of the software itself available to the public. The source code of a software is like the recipe of a dish and the chef would be the software company that produces the software. Using this analogy, the main idea in FOSS is that the recipe is made available to all. Others can modify it to suit their needs and its products can be shared freely, or given away to anyone we like. Most popular proprietary software already have free and open source equivalents. These equivalents are already on a par with their proprietary counterparts. A whole range of high quality and dependable applications that are free and open source can be downloaded from the Internet. It ranges from operating systems to run in your personal computer (such as GNU/Linux), servers that manage websites and your e-mail (Apache, SendMail), office suites such as OpenOffice, Internet browsers like Firefox, graphics design software (GIMP) and databases. An immediate benefit of using FOSS is the reduced licensing and upgrade fees. The giant chip maker Intel reportedly saved $200 million for switching their servers from proprietary UNIX software to open software, while Amazon.com reported a $17-million savings when they migrated to Linux. FOSS in lieu of proprietary software result in significant cost savings of anywhere from 15 percent to 35 percent over a span of three years. A UNDP study has pointed out that using FOSS in the Philippines can develop local capacity in our software industry, reduce our dependence on imports, conserve our foreign exchange, enhance our national security, reduce copyright infringements and enable software to be easily adapted to local languages and practices. Furthermore, reducing the costs of software increases the public's capacity to use and have access to information thus enabling more people to use these in their efforts to achieve overall economic development. A government policy on using free and open source software is the purpose of House Bill No. 1716 or the Free/Open Source Software Act authored by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño. It proposes to require the use of free and open source software in the absence of a clear advantage of using proprietary software. It also promotes open standards and open formats in all government agencies and encourages the use and development of FOSS in the private and public sector. The government is the single biggest consumer of ICT goods and services. It spends billions of pesos to implement systems for public use. Mandating the use of FOSS to government agencies will lower the cost of implementing various ICT programs and projects. Rather than spending on software products that have FOSS equivalents, additional hardware can be acquired instead. The use of free and open source software is the affordable software alternative for a third world country like the Philippines. You can see free and open software in action during the Software Freedom Day to be held on Saturday September 20 at 9:00 p.m. at the University of Makati. The organizers will make available the latest versions of free operating systems that can be freely copied during the event. Aside from the University of Makati and PUP-Taguig events in Metro Manila, there will also be regional events in Baguio, Angeles, Mindanao State University and in Isabela City. The event is expected to bring in more than 2000 advocates and enthusiasts all over the country in line with this year's call for "One Nation: Unity for Software Freedom." More information can be found at www.cp-union.com or at www.sfdphil.org. Know a world where software is free and no pirates exist. Discover free and open software. *[A member of AGHAM, Mr. Ricardo Bahague graduated from physics at UP Diliman. He is a FOSS advocate, developer and coordinator of the Computer Professionals Union.] prom.bound(a)gmail.com.*

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Media release: Software Freedom Day 08
by Rik Tindall Sept. 18, 2008

Sept. 18, 2008

Software Freedom Day 2008 Software Freedom Day is an international festival of computer telecommunications independence, marked on Saturday 20th September. A Christchurch team event is at the South Christchurch Library Learning Centre, 66 Colombo Street in Beckenham, from 10am to 4pm. The GNU/Linux operating system and other Free and Open-Source Software is on show, tutored, and available for the public to take home. Software installation help and DVD screenings also feature. This is an annual social and educational event for the Canterbury GNU/Linux user community, which numbers in hundreds. Similar SFD events will also take place in Wellington, Hamilton, Auckland, elsewhere in New Zealand and around the world. All are very welcome to attend this family-friendly celebration of liberating technology. For more information see: http://www.SoftwareFreedomDay.org http://www.bethere.co.nz/festivalEvents.aspx?id=12747 http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/teams/oceania/nz http://www.greens.org.nz/policy/informationtechnology Contact: rik.tindall(a)greens.org.nz (list candidate) Software Freedom Day Christchurch team leader +64 03-332-1069 or +64 027-406-0077 Canterbury Regional Councillor (ECan), Christchurch East

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Planet SFD - send us your blogs/newsfeeds!
by Pia Waugh Sept. 18, 2008

Sept. 18, 2008

Hi all, we've set up a planet (blog/news aggregator) for the Software Freedom Day website. Please send us your blogs and rss/atom feeds so we can add you to the planet if you are blogging about SFD, software freedom, open standards and other related topics to our community :) http://planet.softwarefreedomday.org/ Currently we only have 3 of the SFI board members, but there are several great posts from Fred about the packaging and sending of goodies to teams, so check it out! Cheers, Pia -- OLPC Australia http://olpc.org.au/ Linux Australia http://linux.org.au/ Open Source Industry Australia http://osia.net.au/ Software Freedom Day http://softwarefreedomday.org/ "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J. R. R. Tolkien

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Re: [SFD-discuss] Packages not received yet
by Leandro Gómez Sept. 17, 2008

Sept. 17, 2008

2008/9/17 Frederic Muller <frederic.muller(a)dexxon.com> > Dear Leandro, > > Same thing happened with your package as did with the teams in Zimbabwe. I > can only apologize on behalf of the forwarding company. No problem, Frederic. Thank you very much for the info. Cheers, > > > Wishng you a happy Software Freedom Day. > > Fred > Software Freedom Day > > > Frederic Muller wrote: > >> morning guys! >> >> If you use a different name to ask for your package it makes it impossible >> for me to find it. Now I did find your team under this new name but it seems >> there has been a delivery problem (from the tracking information). Let me >> clarify this with the delivery company and get back to you. >> >> Thanks >> >> Fred >> >> Leandro Gómez wrote: >> >>> 2008/9/16 Frederic Muller <fred(a)beijinglug.org <mailto: >>> fred(a)beijinglug.org>> >>> >>> Hi Frederic, >>> >>> Dear Norman, >>> >>> I only have one team who registered and click the 'receive schwags' >>> checkbox from Nicaragua and it's not registered under your name. >>> >>> I registered the Nicaraguan team. We were one of the first teams >>> registered this year. >>> >>> Goodies >>> were only sent for the first 300 registered teams before mid-July. >>> >>> Hope that helps you better understand what happened. >>> >>> Fred >>> >>> Norman Garcia Aguilar wrote: >>> > Here in Nicaragua nothing arrived yet :S >>> > >>> > -- >>> > Norman Garcia Aguilar >>> > http://normangaguilar.blogspot.com >>> > Linux user # 444131 >>> > Ubuntu user # 15806 >>> > >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> > >>> > >>> > _______________________________________________ >>> > SFD-discuss mailing list >>> > SFD-discuss(a)sf-day.org <mailto:SFD-discuss@sf-day.org> >>> > http://mail.sf-day.org/lists/listinfo/sfd-discuss >>> > >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> SFD-discuss mailing list >>> SFD-discuss(a)sf-day.org <mailto:SFD-discuss@sf-day.org> >>> http://mail.sf-day.org/lists/listinfo/sfd-discuss >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> SFD-discuss mailing list >>> SFD-discuss(a)sf-day.org >>> http://mail.sf-day.org/lists/listinfo/sfd-discuss >>> >>> >> >> >> >

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BBC World Service Click Program
by Cat Scratch Sept. 17, 2008

Sept. 17, 2008

Hi everyone, Some of you may know that the BBC runs a program called Click on it's World News Service... They have a contact form... would be great for teams to contact them with what they are doing... we may not get coverage before the event - but perhaps it will be of interest to the BBC for a follow up story? http://www.bbcworldnews.com/Pages/ContactProgramme.aspx?id=18 cheers Donna -- Software Freedom Day 2008 http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/melb A world wide celebration of Free and Open Source Software Melbourne event at The Hub@Docklands and the community behind it. 11am - 4pm, Saturday 20 September

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Stuff not yet received
by Mr. R. Simango Sept. 17, 2008

Sept. 17, 2008

Dear Fred, Could you kindly furnish us with tracking information for swag send to: 1. Richard Simango, Tonga Online, Binga, Zimbabwe 2. Austin Njaya, Tinde High School, C/O Tonga Online, Binga, Zimbabwe Please for both Ubuntu CDs and other promotional Material (Stickers, T-shirts etc) Kind Regards, Richard Simango Technical and Operations Manager Tonga Online P. O. Box 47 Binga Zimbabwe Tel +263-15-573 Mobile: +263-11-619322 skype: simangor www.mulonga.net https://wiki.ubuntu.com/OpenIcdl

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SFD Downloads & Resources page
by John Michael C. Bitanga Sept. 17, 2008

Sept. 17, 2008

Hi all, I've just created a Downloads and Resources<http://softwarefreedomday.org/Downloads%26Resources>page for the SFD website. I did this as an initial attempt* to clean up and merge all Artwork created by SFI and the SFD Community since 2004. Actually, I've started doing this last year when I was assigned the Artwork and Collateral development duties. Unfortunately, I didn't make it on time last year to announce this. Now, contents-wise... I think the page is ready for you to grab all the Artwork and other materials that you and your teams may find useful for your local events. I apologize in advance if it's too late for your teams to make use of these now. However, perhaps you could start grabbing all the stuff listed there so that you can prepare earlier for your SFD activities and events next year. ;) Cheers, JM Software Freedom Day *towards the creation of the SFD resource DVD also

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Packages not received yet
by KING Farrel Sept. 16, 2008

Sept. 16, 2008

Hello All, We at Sierra eRiders in Sierra Leone have not yet received out SFD packages. I wonder whether they are still on their way and I hope we have not been forgotten. Farrel ---------------------- Sierra eRiders Freetown, Sierra Leone www.sierraeriders.org

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In the US, at least... tie the event to Constitution Day
by Kevin Cole Sept. 16, 2008

Sept. 16, 2008

Hi, There may be ways to promote Software Freedom by linking it with parallel freedoms granted (in some form) by many constitutions. Particularly, in the United States, where Constitution Day is September 17 -- see http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ConstitutionDay/ I'm not suggesting a change of date or anything, but since the two days are close together, there may be ways to take advantage of that.

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One Nation: Unity for Software Freedom. Celebrating Software Freedom Day 2008 in the Philippines
by rick Sept. 16, 2008

Sept. 16, 2008

Ref: Rick Bahague, Lead Organizer - SFD Philippine Celebration 2008 Computer Professionals' Union Are you tired of frequent spyware and viruses in your computer? Do you want to get loads of fantastic, feature-packed software for free? Join us in celebrating Software Freedom Day 2008 at the University of Makati where ordinary users, geeks, programmers, NGOs and even internet shops have laid out a coordinated celebration of free and open source software (FOSS) on September 20, 2008. Starting at 8 am in the morning with simultaneous events from Luzon to Mindanao, open source enthusiasts will meet and hold seminars and trainings on the use and promotion of FOSS. There will be a live video stream that will allow viewers to join in the events. Aside from the University of Makati and PUP-Taguig events in Metro Manila, there will also be regional events in Angeles, Mindanao State University and in Isabela City. The event is expected to bring in more than 2000 advocates and enthusiasts all over the country in line with this year's call of "One Nation: Unity for Software Freedom". In Makati, there will be a discussion on what is open source software, its use in everyday computing and the Open Source bill filed by Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino in Congress. Breakout sessions will be held inparallel in the afternoon on varied topics such as FOSS for education, for NGOs and advocacy organizations, for developers as well as FOSS for internet cafes and small business. In the spirit of free and open software, the latest versions of free operating systems and applications can be copied and burned on a CD onsite. A CD containing free software for proprietary operating systems will also be available. High quality free software are available for your computer in the office, at home and even well polished games for the gaming enthusiast. Free and open source software is the affordable software alternative especially for a third world country like the Philippines. In 2007, over 330 teams all over the world celebrated Software Freedom Day. Last year's activity was attended by more than two hundred enthusiasts in Manila with other regional events. Attendance in this year's event is expected to increase due to the participation of more schools and groups working to make the event successful. The Software Freedom Day 2008 Coordinating Team is composed of the Computer Professional's Union, IT Society-University of Makati, TXTPower, the PHP Users Group Philippines (PHPUGPH), UP Linux Users Group, IOSN, Bayan Muna, and the Imus Internet Cafe Association. Software Freedom Day is a yearly celebration of Software Freedom and why it is important; our purpose is public education about these important issues. Information about the Software Freedom Day event in the Philippines can be found at http://www.sfdphil.org and we invite you to come along to a fun day with giveaways and information. Know a world where software is free and no pirates exist. Discover free and open software.### If you are not able to view the content below, click here<http://www.cp-union.com/> . [image: http://www.cp-union.com/sites/files/internals/poster2-colored.jpg]

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