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Free Software Day Around The World 210

Posted by timothy from the join-in dept.
depechemodem writes "In a follow-up to Microsoft Leaves U.N. Standards Group, it appears that it may have been in reaction to the UN's sponsorship of the 1st annual Software Freedom Day in which its International Open Source Network (IOSN) will educate Asian users on the benefits of Free and Open source Software (FOSS). FOSS promotes several high-profile applications including OpenOffice, Mozilla, MySQL, and Apache." An anonymous reader says of the U.N. effort, "Events will be organised in Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam on Saturday, August 28th." According to another anonymous reader, "Go Open Source, funded by the Shuttleworth Foundation and HP, expects up to 10,000 visitors at the various Linux install-fests around South Africa this Saturday, says the Mail & Guardian."
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Free Software Day Around The World More

Free Software Day Around The World

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  • Everybody sing along now! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:31AM (#10076600)
    Join us now and share the software;
    You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
    x2

    Hoarders may get piles of money,
    That is true, hackers, that is true.
    But they cannot help their neighbors;
    That's not good, hackers, that's not good.

    When we have enough free software
    At our call, hackers, at our call,
    We'll throw out those dirty licenses
    Ever more, hackers, ever more.

    Join us now and share the software;
    You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
    x2

  • Tradition (Score:4, Interesting)

    by LiquidCoooled ( 634315 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:32AM (#10076603) Homepage Journal
    I instinctively cringe whenever I see something like this:

    1st annual software Freedom Day

    It might end up being a total flop, and not be bothered with again.
    (I do of course hope its a success)

    Next year I would be willing to consider it the 2nd Annual software freedom day, but lets get past the first one ummmmm first.

    Its just one example of illogical phrases.

    • Re:Tradition (Score:3, Informative)

      by rokzy ( 687636 )
      the problem is, if this is just the "1st", then the next one will be the "2nd", but the "1st annual", and the whole thing gets messy unless you're used to offsetting numbers and counts by 1 anyway.

      • Re:Tradition (Score:3, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        This raises an interesting thought. What about the 0th day? Hmmmm ....

        I hereby declare today to be the 0th annual Naked At Work Day!

        or ...

        I hereby declare today to be the 0th annual Geeks Get All The Chicks Day!

        or ...

        I hereby declare today to be the 0th annual World Peace And Perfect Harmony Day!

        Wow, this is fun!

    • Re:Tradition (Score:5, Informative)

      by Nermal6693 ( 622898 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:02AM (#10076716)
      The 'proper' word for 'first annual' is 'inaugural.' I don't know whether it guarantees a second one like 'first annual' does though.

      • Re:Tradition (Score:3, Funny)

        by pohl ( 872 )
        That explains how, after we inaugurate a president they work for one day, and then ski, golf, and go horseback riding till the next year. Maybe we should "initiate" presidents instead.

    • Re:Tradition (Score:2, Interesting)

      by BiggyP ( 466507 )
      Well, the best thing people can do to avoid it being a "total flop" is to get involved themselves, form a team and help make it work. unfortunately the project's recieved precious little coverage(/. where were you?) up until this point, and we're only 2 days away from the event.
      The response in some areas of the world has been far better than we'd hoped for, in others it's been decidedly lukewarm, but we now know better what to expect next time.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
      Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • Of course we would like to see a 2nd, 3rd, ... nth annual days, but "first" only means that no other came before it, it doesn't necessarily imply that more will follow.

  • Free World (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BoldAC ( 735721 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:32AM (#10076604)
    Sorry... early morning thought.

    What would happen if other things in the world were free? What if budding designers and contractors demostrated their skills by building free pubic buildings?

    Musicians and artists already use the free model to start their careers.

    AC

    • Re:Free World (Score:5, Funny)

      by Errtu76 ( 776778 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:36AM (#10076620) Journal
      What would happen if other things in the world were free?

      i'd be drunk 24/7

    • Re:Free World (Score:2, Funny)

      by frp001 ( 227227 )
      What would happen if other things in the world were free? What if budding designers and contractors demostrated their skills by building free pubic buildings?

      Listen, I NEVER pay for pubic building! Right?

    • Re:Free World (Score:3, Insightful)

      by gnuLNX ( 410742 )
      "What if budding designers and contractors demostrated their skills by building free pubic buildings?"

      While it would be nice. I think that if you look ust a tiny bit past the surface you will see that the monetary cost of a building is huge while the monetar cost of a software project is the cost of th e computer.
      • Also, have you ever seen an architect do the actual physical work to construct the building? I can imagine somebody designing the building for free. But who's gonna put the bricks upon eachother? As long as we all work with money, buy our shoppings with money and can't do anything without money this world will never be really free.

        Hm, did this sound too much like a Star Trek episode? :)

        • Re:Free World (Score:3, Insightful)

          by maharg ( 182366 )
          .. and who will supply the bricks and mortar ?
          • The major cost of 'bricks and mortar' are not the cost of the materials. There are costs associated with making them, transporting them, and finally, the skill associated with assembling them into something that doesn't look atrocious. These are the services you pay for. In an open source world, you would be paid for your services.

      • Re:Free World (Score:3, Insightful)

        by russianspy ( 523929 )
        I resent that. My time is not free. I've got to buy groceries, pay mortgage, student loans etc. I spend a lot of years learning what I know and I do expect to be paid for my work.

        Don't get me wrong, I have nothing agains open source. I have contributed to several projects both on my own time and while getting paid (permission from employer). What I don't like is to be forced into giving my work away for free.

        Ideas are cheap to duplicate, but expensive to invent (cost of doing research vs. buying a book).

        • Re:Free World (Score:5, Interesting)

          by torpor ( 458 ) <ibisumNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:31AM (#10076814) Homepage Journal
          What I don't like is to be forced into giving my work away for free.

          Nobody is forcing you to do anything. If there was force involved in "Free Software", then it wouldn't be "Free", it'd be "Enforced" software.

          What you should be saying is, "I don't like being forced to pay out the nose for software that should be free", such as the operating system, without which your hardware is essentially useless. When you buy hardware, it does nothing until you've "bought" software to make it run.

          Ideas are cheap to duplicate, but expensive to invent (cost of doing research vs. buying a book).

          This is not an absolute. Some idea's are extremely cheap, some are very difficult (and thus costly) to realize. In the end, though, software idea's don't go anywhere without the hardware ... and it is this fact which brings about the free software movement; the notion that expensive computer hardware is essentially useless without a second, easy-to-produce (and duplicate) commodity, namely software.

          Software is easy to produce. Compare what it takes to write software with what it takes to fabricate silicon. This comparison cannot be made without the conclusion that software is *always* going to be cheaper than hardware. It is simply a natural law, alongside the other 'obvious' natural law that states that software is useless without something to run it on.

          Free software is an attempt to embrace that natural law. $oftware which co$ts is an attempt to refute it ... and involves a degree of ignorance, nay naivete, on the part of the purchaser, like all capitalist systems ...

          • Re:Free World (Score:2, Insightful)

            by GrumpyDeveloper ( 613950 )
            "I don't like being forced to pay out the nose for software that should be free", such as the operating system, without which your hardware is essentially useless. When you buy hardware, it does nothing until you've "bought" software to make it run.

            Gee, isn't that like saying gas should be free since my SUV is useless without it? Or the electricity to make my computer run? Or nails for my hammer?

            This has got to be the worst arguament I've ever seen for "free" software...

            • Re:Free World (Score:3, Interesting)

              by torpor ( 458 )
              Ummm... Sofware and computers are not a case of guns and ammo, my friend, and I will tell you why.

              Yeah, okay, it'd be a 'fine argument' to compare computers+software with blade+razor (though it seems you're not even thinking about it, you're just arguing) were it not for the fact that, computers and software are -essential- to each other in a profoundly different way than razors, or gas and stoves, in that they represent an infinite-resource machine.

              An essence exists in the relationship which factually pr

    • Re:Free World (Score:5, Funny)

      by beeglebug ( 767468 ) * on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:40AM (#10076637)
      What if budding designers and contractors demostrated their skills by building free pubic buildings?

      What, like short dark and curly houses?
    • What do you mean by free? "free as in beer" or "free speach"? If you mean the former, than we have already seen this. It was propoused by a guy called Engels.

    • Re:Free World (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Ckwop ( 707653 ) *

      What would happen if other things in the world were free? What if budding designers and contractors demostrated their skills by building free pubic buildings?

      Free as in beer would be kinda strange and other posters have addressed that weirdness. Free as in speech is common place in construction. You have to apply for planning permission which requires submitting the plans to local government. Anyone can request a plan at a small fee. I don't know about you but I think that's quite a free system!

      Artist

      • Yeah, but Stephen King didn't have to start out this way.

        Just the fact that he did it was news, and would attract a lot of people. If I tried it, I'd probably get paid once... perhaps from my Mom... no matter how good it was.

        Word of Mouth isn't quite that powerful... yet!

    • I don't think there will be free buildings (Score:4, Insightful)

      by jesterzog ( 189797 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:46AM (#10076910) Journal

      What would happen if other things in the world were free? What if budding designers and contractors demostrated their skills by building free pubic buildings?

      Perhaps I misunderstand, but my impression was that one of the main points behind the whole free (speech) software movement is that most other forms of information already are free.

      That is to say: Software is in quite an unusual situation, because the machine instructions are not nearly as useful as the source code from which they were derived. This is not the same as something like a book or a song, because even though there may be copyright restrictions on the distribution, those who do get it can still see and manipulate the actual building blocks of the information once they have it... at the very least for their own personal use.

      What the GPL and "free" software movement does among other things is to make sure that if someone distributes the software, then they must distribute the source version at the very least, to ensure that the person getting it has all the same rights and abilities that they would normally have with other types of information.

      An architect or builder probably won't build a free building as you've suggested, because a building isn't information in the traditional sense. (At least if they do, we're talking about something on a fundamentally different level.) But if an architect were to design plans for a building and sell them to a developer, the developer would naturally be able to adjust and perhaps continue re-distribute those plans... at which point whoever gets them can continue to do the same. Something like this isn't automatically possible with software, because it can be distributed in a form that can be used but not easily changed.

      Similarly, some artists are giving their work away under a variety of free licenses, but those licenses aren't revolutionary to art in the same way that the GPL is revolutionary to software... (although perhaps they are in other ways). With or without those licenses, it's still naturally possible (legal or not) to obtain a song or an artwork, and derive something else from it. This is not so easy with closed source software.

      I think the difference is that software information is directly used by computers whereas other blocks of information (at least those that are normally associated with distribution and trading) are directly used by people. You have to understand the words in a book to make use of it, but you don't have to understand the machine instructions in a software application... so the readable edition can be held back. Many software developers/businesses take advantage of the extra control-by-obscurity over the information that this technicality gives them. If we all had logic brains and could easily understand and manipulate the compiled software that was bought off the shelves, it wouldn't be as much of an issue. Among other things, the GPL attempts to remove that technicality and make software like most other types of information.

      I'm not exactly a strong advocate of free software besides using it for most things. If anyone thinks I've missed something important, please elaborate.

    • What if budding designers and contractors demostrated their skills by building free pubic buildings?

      I volunteer for anything if these pubic buildings are going to be in the female form.

      On second thoughts though,change it to almost anything.

    • Re:Free World (Score:2, Insightful)

      by suezz ( 804747 )
      you can't build a building in your basement now can you. there are other people involved in the process. that is what so powerfull about software is that you can do it anytime and anywhere - it is free thought and should be free of patents and such. you should be able to code what and when you want without worrying if you are going to get sued on patent infringements. patents are stupid - it is a systme based on ignorance - for example if you try to look and see if someone has done something already and
    • What would happen if other things in the world were free?

      With artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, we will arrive to that point sometime in this century. We just cannot imagine what the consequences will be, but expect a lot of teeth-gnashing. Imagine a world where you have everything you need, but everything you have is worth nothing. OK, I suppose some things may still have value, such as some metals and real estate. But it's interesting that few writers have even tried to imagine what kind of so

  • Embrace don't Destroy (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:33AM (#10076609)
    The fact that Microsoft hasn't seen the future just shows that they resemble the record industry in the most simple ways. Both MS and the record industry don't want to understand that soon they may have to change their buissness model, so they're trying to fight tooth and nail to keep the old one, they don't care about the cost to consumers or the economy.

    Just more proof that if you don't adapt you die.

    (PS: First Post)
    • The fact that the F/OSS community isin't targeting MS's biggest cash cow, corporations, but having free events in underdeveloped countries and claiming victories over MS is silly at best. What business model would you like to see changed? The one where people do things for free and the goverment provides them with their needs. Might need to pick up a book on Marxism to support that one. This is just more proof that if you never figure it out then you'll never have anything to adapt to but die anyway.

      • Re:Embrace don't Destroy (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward
        First of all, developing countries need free software. Until they can use software to develop infrastructure and businesses, they can't afford to pay for software.

        Secondly, I think companies are fed up with more than just Microsoft's prices. A quick perusal of past /. articles shows that. I said this in response to the moron that suggested Microsoft should start OSS software efforts: Microsft needs to change their business practices, not their software development!

        Thirdly, this whole issue about claiming

        • First of all, developing countries need free software. Until they can use software to develop infrastructure and businesses, they can't afford to pay for software.

          I think something that most slashdotters fail to fully comprehend is: In most of the developing world, all software is (nearly) free-as-in-beer, because piracy is so rampant, and there is little interest at the government level to do anything about it.

          If you want a copy of Windows 2K with a nice photocopy of the activation key, head down

    • Microsoft doing a 180-degree turn would take a little more time than they had known about this conference. It's kind of ridiculous to expect them to change their entire business model and strategy overnight. They pulled out because they'd be directly working with their corporate enemies. They're a business, with shareholders and profit margins. You can't really expect them to take up ideological matters at the expense of profit. I'm all for open source, but MS is a business after all.

      Saying MS is like

  • Around the world? (Score:3, Informative)

    by HerbieStone ( 64244 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:37AM (#10076627) Homepage
    It is right in the linked article:

    UN organizes open-source software day across Asia

    When will anyone at slashdot start to check even the most basic stuff?!

  • actually here: http://softwarefreedomday.org/

  • Developing nations. (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Events will be organised in Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

    I think it's a good thing that they are focusing on poverty-stricken developing nations where computers are rare... like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and New Zealand.

  • Indonesia Goes Open Source Award (Score:4, Interesting)

    by rahard ( 624274 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:42AM (#10076647) Homepage Journal
    Tomorrow (Friday, August 26, 2004) here in Indonesia
    there will be an Indonesia Goes Open Source Award (IGOS [igos.web.id]) 2004.

    -- budi

    • Tomorrow (Friday, August 26, 2004) here in Indonesia

      Do you count dates differently in Indonesia? Is it because you are closer to the international date line? Here in Europe, this Friday is the 27th and the tongue is in the cheek.

  • Singapore? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:48AM (#10076670)
    One name is especially missing - Singapore, the country with the second fastest technological adaptation in the world, close seconds to the United States and Japan.

    And that's the problem - everything in Singapore runs on Microsoft (our "world's first" automated train system [blue screen...!], traffic surveillance, etc etc). Nobody has a plausible explanation, but as a citizen I'm sorely disappointed.
    • ...considering that Singapore is an optimum mix of authoritarianism and capitalism, both arguably in excess.
    • Oh, might as well mention this:- the local LUGS believes all MRT screen-thingies (those LCD panels that announce when a train is coming) have Red Hat (9?) installed on them, but I remember seeing a pic of a BSOD at Raffles Place; don't know if it was a photoshopped piece of art or not.

      But I suppose the most amusing photo-op was when MS.sg released Windows XP at Takashimaya; some dude held up a lone sign saying Windows sucks or something to that effect. Singaporean police being what they are, couldn't resis

  • Go Mark! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Rico_za ( 702279 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:49AM (#10076675)
    Isn't it great to see people like Mark Shuttleworth [markshuttleworth.com] (second space tourist, and the First African in Space [firstafricaninspace.com]) investing in these kinds of worthy programmes?
    Now if only someone can convince the SA government that cheap internet is VERY important to the economy. At the moment communication in South Africa is controlled by Telkom, a monopoly. They charge more than R800 (about US$120) per month for ADSL, and they cap your bandwidth to 3 gig a MONTH. There's a good reason for the so called "digital divide" in South Africa, it's the prohibitive cost. There's a great site highlighting the grievances against Telkom, called Hellkom [hellkom.co.za].
    • I'm really proud that a fellow South African is doing something constructive for the country. I would be even more proud if Thabo and co realised the dangers of relying on Microsoft and the plus points and ease of Linux in schools, where porting the software to whatever language you want is a real possibility.

  • LUG Cape Town (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    LUG Cape Town is already busy discussing the details of the coming install parties.

    http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/photos/AF RB EACH.JPG

    For more info please visit:
    http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/spe cies_not es/bf.htm

  • Every day is free software day (Score:5, Funny)

    by Vandil X ( 636030 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @06:52AM (#10076689)
    I hate to say it, but with BitTorrent and other various programs, every day is "Free Software Day".
  • Microsoft leaving the UN standards group and the International Open Source Network organising a team (one of many) for Software Freedom Day are two very separate things. Who put these things together? timothy? :)

  • Free software is not just Linux (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:12AM (#10076745)

    It amazes me to no end how many people talk about "Linux apps" and Linux. We have the BSDs (which aren't encumbered by the GPL), we have other OSs like Syllable, NewOS, OpenBeOS, ReactOS. But it's always GNU/Linux that gets all the hype and press notes.

    Mike Bouma, Amiga, Inc.

    • Not to mention FreeDOS, if it comes to that, and all those old DOS programs, including graphical shells and games, still work.

      FreeDOS, the 100% Microsoft compatible Open Source operating system.

      Roger Wilco, over and out.

      KFG

    • It amazes me to no end how many people talk about "Linux apps" and Linux. We have the BSDs (which aren't encumbered by the GPL), we have other OSs

      There is a reason for that, those other OS's dont have the GPL, linux's "secret sauce" which makes it advanace so much faster than other free os's.

      You'll cease being "amazed" and start to grok the situation better when you realize its not so much "burdened" with the GPL as it is "blessed" with it.

    • I don't agree with your view of the GPL "encumbering" software. The GPL liberates it. It keeps it liberated.

      My view of the BSD license is this: OK, I busted my ass on this great piece of software, you can steal it, change the name and sell it.

      Give you an example. I use NetDisco. Amazing package for switch management written by Max Baker. Max is a BSD user, and has licensed NetDisco using the BSD license. Someone popped up on the netdisco users mailing list asking about the license (they had missed it in t
      • My view of the BSD license is this: OK, I busted my ass on this great piece of software, you can steal it, change the name and sell it.

        But my view of the BSD license may be: I busted my ass on this great piece of software, you can use it if you wish, change the name if you wish and even try to make money out of it if you think you can. Good for you. I still have my software and so does everyone else who wants a copy for whatever reason.

        Perhaps users of the BSD license are more philanthropic than those w

      • OK, I busted my ass on this great piece of software, you can steal it, change the name and sell it.

        Actually that's not true, because YOU didn't write the software. According to your anecdote, it was someone named "Max Baker".

        So let me rephrase your objection: "OK, you busted your ass on this gret piece of software, and now I am bitching about because you don't care if other people change its name and sell it." Sounds like a classic case of busybodyism if you ask me.

    • It amazes me to no end how many people talk about "Linux apps" and Linux. We have the BSDs (which aren't encumbered by the GPL), we have other OSs like Syllable, NewOS, OpenBeOS, ReactOS. But it's always GNU/Linux that gets all the hype and press notes.

      Yes, the should be refering to them as GNU/Linux apps or better GNU apps.*

      As for BSD's, it is unfortunate for them that they are not freed by GPL. Otherwise they would be more popular.

      *The GNU system often runs the Linux kernel.

      • Otherwise they would be more popular.

        This doesn't explain Syllable, NewOS, OpenBeOS, or ReactOS, which are GPL and mentioned in the granparent post. Neither does it address the issue of why the Free Software community behaves as if there was one and only one Free Software operating system.

  • It is not UN sponsored! (Score:5, Informative)

    by helarno ( 34086 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:22AM (#10076775) Homepage
    Dudes, no! That article is in error and the people in charge of IOSN have been desperately trying to correct them before it got into really wide circulation. They are giving publicity to Software Freedom Day which is the brainchild of someone else and can be found here:

    www.softwarefreedomday.org

    Note that there are no interviews with the staff of the IOSN or the UN in the article. No direct quotes. Some reporter just looked at the web site and jumped to the wrong conclusion.

    Don't believe me? Email the IOSN people. They can be reached at sunil [at] iosn.net or khairil [at] iosn.net. They are the current torch bearers at the IOSN.

    The UN is not "sponsoring" this. That implies far too much and is too dangerous a position to take. You can't imagine the UN would take such a controversial stance would you? However, the Free and Open Source Software section of the UN can widely publicize FOSS so long as they do not claim it is the UN's official position.

    • Re:It is not UN sponsored! (Score:4, Informative)

      by golisoda ( 463612 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:42AM (#10076876) Homepage
      Please see clarification from the author and UNDP

      -----Forwarded Message-----
      From: David_Legard AT idg.com
      Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 10:50:30 +1000
      Headline and first 2 pars altered as requested.

      -----Forwarded Message-----
      From: khairil [at] apdip.net
      Please correct the title and the lead.
      We are not organizing Software Freedom Day.
      It is organized by SoftwareFreedomDay.org team, and the events
      throughout the world are organized by Free and Open Source Software
      advocates in their respective countries. This is a grassroots movement.
      The International Open Source Network, in line with it's support of
      wider Free/Open Source Software usage in the Asia Pacific region is
      simply promoting the event and giving it coverage.
      • I hate making this kind of requests, but if anyone with mod points sees this post, please mod the parent post (from golisoda) up. That's sunil [at] iosn.net / sunil [at] apdip.net. The original article that caused this whole mess apparently comes from David Legard at idg.com.

        Don't waste mod points on this post.

    • UNESCO is very pro-free software (Score:4, Informative)

      by KjetilK ( 186133 ) <kjetil AT kjernsmo DOT net> on Thursday August 26, 2004 @08:58AM (#10077489) Homepage Journal
      Thanks for the clarification.

      However,

      You can't imagine the UN would take such a controversial stance would you?

      In fact, they have, for long. For one thing you have the FSF/UNESCO Free Software Directory [fsf.org], and UNESCO has had a Free Software Portal [unesco.org], AFAIK for many years. Full with gnus and penguins. There are many people who really Get It in UNESCO, who realize that Free Software is all about promotion of Education, Science and Culture, and proprietary software is not.

      Furthermore, they (I think it was the UNESCO, couldn't find the link), issued a very critical report on DRM, exposing it for the pending cultural disaster it is.

      Unfortunately, this understanding doesn't penetrate throughout the UN. On the other extreme, you have WIPO, which is completely dominated by a *cough*superpower*cough*, takes their orders from entities like USPTO, is not open to debate and works tirelessly to strip away the rights you thought you had to participate in the cultural and scientific advancements of society.

    • Well, if the UN isn't sponsoring it, I guess I'll go ahead and celebrate Free Software. The UN isn't about freedom, so if it ever officially supported Free Software, they would only be doing so with a strangely bizarre definition of freedom.

      I've seen the UN talk about Free Software, and it seems to me that their definition of "freedom" means "collectivist enforcement of sharing". They want involuntary copyleft reciprocation instead of voluntary giving. To them it's not about removing artificial government

  • So, give away latest "GnuWin II" on Free S/W Day! (Score:3, Informative)

    by ivi ( 126837 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:29AM (#10076805)

    A new release just came out (2 CD-ROM's)
    on 12 August 2004.

    The idea is to give folks a chance to "try"
    free software that's made for Windows...

    Once they see how much better it is, they
    just might give a free OS a try, later.

    "Don't cause pain, give pleasure!"
  • How about a /. sponsored free software day, where we try to get all those /. readers still using *cough* windows *cough* to switch to something more open?

  • It could also be in reaction to this - (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Snart Barfunz ( 526615 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:38AM (#10076851)
    'A United Nations-funded organization has produced a Linux desktop manual for novice PC users as part of an effort to encourage developing countries to use open-source software.' - ZDNet (http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5322002.html)

  • Can someone PLEASE tell me... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by gosand ( 234100 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:40AM (#10076864)
    In a follow-up to Microsoft Leaves U.N. Standards Group, it appears that it may have been in reaction to the UN's sponsorship of the 1st annual software Freedom Day...

    OK, somebody PLEASE tell me how these things are connected. Seriously, this is a pretty pathetic attempt to spin a news story. This is a follow-up how? Are these two events connected in any way? If not, then please just report the stories. Or perhaps the tagline should be changed to "Speculation for Nerds".

    • I agree. I think this is an extremely spurious connection. Perhaps Slashdot could adjust the story please? And you might want to link to the actual site [softwarefreedomday.org].

  • MS == "free" in Asia (Score:3, Insightful)

    by YouHaveSnail ( 202852 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @07:52AM (#10076969)
    in which its International Open Source Network (IOSN) will educate Asian users on the benefits of Free and Open source Software

    That's kinda funny. From what I hear, Microsoft products are all "free" (as in beer) in many parts of Asia.

    You'd think that Microsoft would be thrilled to replace its products with FOSS ones on Chinese computers, for example. With a piracy rate over 90% [com.com] in China, Microsoft must be "losing" billions of dollars there every year. If Chinese users simply switch over to Linux, they'll instantly become legitimate, fully licensed users instead of software pirates, Microsoft will no longer "lose" billions! What enterprising business wouldn't like to stick its rival with a market where piracy is rampant?

    Erm, no, I guess that won't work. Chinese users switching to Linux means Microsoft suddenly loses control of the largest emerging market in the world, and the only thing it'll actually lose is the opportunity to wring as much money out of China as it can. And since you can't lose what you don't have, Microsoft doesn't actually lose money in China, it just doesn't realize all the potential sales. Microsoft would likely lose more sales in China if users there rampantly copied someone else's product than it does now with users rampantly copying Microsoft products.

  • Please correct the story (Score:5, Informative)

    by kanaka ( 9693 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @08:19AM (#10077163) Journal
    The story is wrong, wrong, wrong and needs corrections.

    I know the founder of Software Freedom Day, it is not the IOSN, they are simply supporting and organizing several teams. The correct site for Software Freedom Day is here:
    www.softwarefreedomday.org [softwarefreedomday.org]

    Also, please provide a source for the speculation that Microsoft withdrew because of this or retract the article. I think it is simply unhealthy speculation.

  • Software economics (Score:3, Insightful)

    by DarkOx ( 621550 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @08:37AM (#10077305) Journal
    Software should be free because of its availibility and no-existant costs of production. I am considering production to be separate from development. Production is nothing more then running the ftp server so poeple can download it. Software is so cheep to manufacture it really should be gratis. Development on the other hand costs time and money. Licensing it is and always will be a stupid scheme because its always going to be pirated and or you will not at some point be able to compete with your previous versions. People simply won't want to pay to upgrade any more.

    FOSS has done alot of great things but the gratest projects were born out of need and then generously gifted to the rest of society so that others can enjoy the work.

    So what if your business is software and as such you have few specific needs? Then create your own market. Other industries have figured this out. For example: Make an inexpensive cartoon show, that can't likely sell enough advertizing time at first for you to break even. Get people hooked for a little while. Start selling card games and books, and posters related to the cartoon. Profit!

    Software firms should be able to do the same. Make a hopefully killer app. Give it away create installed user base. Let companies and individuals pay $$$ you to implement feature X or customization y for them. Wait a release or two an d fold those features into the mainline(you have to get your userbase to upgrade so you not stuck maintaining really old trees). Repete above untill interest in the product dies off, then start on something new. Being open source can't individuals and companies implement stuff on their own and leave you out of the loop. Sure but if your app is of good quality and is substantial enough to be "commercial quality" chances are nobody can do a better job as quickly or cheaply as you can. The other reality is that if some third party does create a valuable patch you can fold it into your mainline imediately, takeing away any third party market for forprofit development on your product insuring you will have a monopoly withing the sphear of your own product.

  • UN distro: "UN-ix" (Score:5, Funny)

    by ewg ( 158266 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @09:12AM (#10077597)
    Maybe the UN should sponsor their own Linux distribution. They could call it "UN-ix".

    Oh, wait a minute...
  • Early adopters not being able to shake the infastructure that they have built, and the people who get on later get the best stuff.

    To me the FOSS situation is just like the telco & cable situation. Here in the good old USA we have an infastructure that is old and needs replacing (maybe wireless or fiber) and we know how it do it but can't shake loose the change. But in developing countries they are puting in the current best fit.

    Here in corp. USA we are saddled with MicroSnot and some mentality which
  • Hey UN,

    Last I checked India, philippines new zealand etc were already AWARE of free software... Dare say, in India free software awareness is more than that of some US states who are still clinging on to MS software for no reason (apart from hand warming from MS).

    Better spend some money on educating developed countries too that there ARE alternatives to some crapware from MS.

  • PostgreSQL (Score:2, Insightful)

    by bobsledbob ( 315580 )
    I know this is a bit off topic, but why is it that MySQL gets attention that PostgreSQL doesn't? MySQL, as a database, sucks ass compared to postgres.

    I'm sure there are lots of other examples like this. Does it have to do with the fact that there's a more commercially oriented company behind the MySQL development? If this is the case, what does this bode for the future of FOSS projects that don't have some commercial backing?
  • Right, I thought I'd be generous and give you all a break from the "Microsoft decade" and "Proprietary century", so enjoy it while you can, kids.

    Now back to work, punks!

    - Bill Gates

  • Tollhouse Cookies are Open Source (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bokmann ( 323771 ) on Thursday August 26, 2004 @10:35AM (#10078699) Homepage
    Sometime in the 1940's, Nestle Corp approach Mrs. Ruth Wakefield, and purchased her famous 'Toll House Cookie' recipe. They named it the 'Nestle TollHouse Cookie."

    Even though they paid handsomly for the recipe, they started printing it on the bag of chocolate chips, and giving it away. Why would Nestle do this?

    Nestle does not make money by selling cookies, and they do not make money selling cookbooks. they make money by (among other things) selling Chocolate Chips.

    By giving away the recipe, people not had a reason to buy their chips. They made money, indirectly, by purchasing that recipe and giving it away.

    In a very real sense, they 'open sourced' this recipe. Since recipes are not patentable, all they could do was 'trademark' the name 'TollHouse'. If you look at a bag of Hershey's chips, Ghiardelli chips, etc, they all have the same recipe, just named differently.

    You can use this recipe with no obligation... you could break up your own favorite chocolate bar, and not have to buy any chips. You could leave the chips out entirely, and add M&Ms if you want. If you can make your own cookie for about 15 cents, why would you go to a store in a mall about pay a dollar for a cookie (US Currency)? You are paying for convenience, labor, expertise, etc.

    This is how Open Source makes money.

    Now, information is fundamentally different than tangible property. With tangible property, you don't have it once you give it to someone. Information is not like that. So how does this change the equation?

    Lets say I'm building a house. I may have to pay for the bricks and mortar, but how much does that really cost compared to the price of the house? The material for an individual brick is cheap (but not free). BUT, it takes labor, time, and expetrise to move it to where it needs to be, and assemble many of them into a structure. THIS is the majority of the cost. If I were to own the brick factory AND be the bricklayer, it might be 'worth it' for me to give away the bricks in order to charge for my time.

    Open Source philosophies are not new... they just seem to be thought of as new because of the impact they are having in a relatively new marketplace.

    -db

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