"NZ takes global software project lead" Education innovation addresses IT skills shortage. Media release: Software Freedom Day 4, Team Christchurch. 17th September 2006. The fourth annual Software Freedom Day has arrived a year early, for one IT educator team. The global celebration of computing independence is growing steadily, with 180 teams from over 70 countries taking part in 2006. Australia has claimed the title for the most teams in one country, at 15, after a big contribution to the year-old Software Freedom International organisation. New Zealand had seven teams registered, but the Christchurch team, uniquely, is extending SFD 3 into its second day. The significance of the milestone was explained by the SFD Christchurch team leader, Rik Tindall. “Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) is the main component on which the Internet runs. As such it is hidden, along with its importance, from general public view. But a far deeper technical insight has great priority for every modern society - perhaps the greatest. For example, both Labour and National's websites are run on FOSS, and Green Party policy is very much tending to promote it. Nandor Tanczos reportedly joined the Auckland SFD event. It is now a matter of joining the dots for the rest of the country,” Tindall says. “The facilitation skill-set FOSS delivers is unique.” “We live in an addicted society, overburdened by health and policing costs as a result. The place to start breaking addiction is our own computer screens. FOSS multiplies information choice. The core difference from deploying FOSS is changing the concept of computers from consumer appliance to communications tool. By empowering the user, visual capture by commercial product is broken. Healing of mind, body, and spirit can thereafter begin. This isn't an abstract cause, because if politicians, educators, journalists, and the rest of society's leaders were wishing to retain what respect they have from the young generation, they would be acting upon this today. Christchurch SFD team has invited the general public and news media to participate in a live demonstration of computing liberation, at its fourth Software Freedom Day,” reports Tindall. FOSS will be used and explained for a further SFDay, at the South Learning Centre, South Christchurch Library, 66 Colombo Street, Beckenham, from 12pm to 4pm, Sunday 17 September 2006. Training centres on the Ubuntu GNU/Linux operating system distribution, and software running consistent with that. A secure, virus-free work environment is created, increasing productivity. From this stable platform is offered an alternate course, for how computer users' number one bane will be solved – that of spam junkmail. “At the moment we are locked into a treadmill by which our productive output is being eroded daily, through unsolicited advertising broadcasts to our Inboxes,” Tindall advises. “Computer monoculture is to blame. Expect in the near future to see proprietary software offering a filtering solution at the operating system level, that monitors every email communication and adds a small charge for each legitimate item to the user. Free and Open-Source Software is the better direction because it substitutes the spam platform itself, in infinite meaningful ways,” Tindall concludes. “The way forward is to show how each individual can grow with computing, once their minds – and their desktops - are set free from commercial servitude. The nature of work has been changed forever by the ICT revolution. But it is up to each of us to now ensure that this change becomes an improvement.” Ends WHAT: Software Freedom Day - international Free and Open-Source Software festival. WHEN: 12pm to 4pm, Sunday 17 September 2006 WHERE: South Learning Centre, South Christchurch Library, 66 Colombo Street, Beckenham, Christchurch. CONTACT: Rik Tindall sfd@infohelp.co.nz Ph 03-332-1069 or 027-406-0077 EVENT: http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/gallery/2006/Christchurch regards, -- Rik Tindall, InfoHelp Services <http://www.infohelp.co.nz> on virus-free Ubuntu GNU/Linux 6.06 freeOS, 2.6.15-26-686 kernel, GNOME 2.14.3 desktop OpenOffice.org 2.0.2 suite, Mozilla.org Firefox 1.5.0.5 web browser and Thunderbird 1.5.0.5 email, gEdit 2.14.4 web editor, gFTP 2.0.18 fileXfer