March 2015 - Free-software-melb - lists.softwarefreedom.com.au

Podcast recommendation reaction
by Michael Verrenkamp 18 Mar '15

18 Mar '15

Can I retract my recommendation? :P if you want people recommending almost every DRM platform available then it would be a great podcast. Doesn't really belong here -- Sent from my GNU/Linux-Libre box. Run free. http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html Come Visit Free Software Australia - http://freesoftware.org.au/ jabjabs(a)fastmail.com.au

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A local podcast focusing on Free/'open source' news and issues.
by Michael Verrenkamp 17 Mar '15

17 Mar '15

This was posted on Reddit a few hours ago, I haven't listened to it yet but at least the run down on the website sounds promising. http://systemau.net.au/ Check it out when you have some spare time. -- Sent from my GNU/Linux-Libre box. Run free. http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html Come Visit Free Software Australia - http://freesoftware.org.au/ jabjabs(a)fastmail.com.au

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Citizenfour at Cinema Nova, Monday 2015-03-16 midday session
by Ben Finney 15 Mar '15

15 Mar '15

Howdy all, I'm going to see the documentary Citizenfour at Cinema Nova, tomorrow afternoon (Monday 2015-03-16), arriving around 11:30 for the 12:05 session <URL:http://www.cinemanova.com.au/movies/9374.php>. Late notice, during the day on a weekday; yeah, but I happen to have the day off, and Monday afternoons are the cheap tickets :-) Who's in? -- \ “Odious ideas are not entitled to hide from criticism behind | `\ the human shield of their believers' feelings.” —Richard M. | _o__) Stallman | Ben Finney

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Defending Free Software Against Privatizers
by Patrick Sunter 13 Mar '15

13 Mar '15

Interesting article about the Software Freedom Conservancy planning to sue VMWare http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/defending-free-software-against-privatizers/2…

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Gnews notes & recent discussion topics
by Scott Junner 13 Mar '15

13 Mar '15

Hey guys. I'd like to express my enthusiasm for getting a hold of the Gnews notes. I just joined this list assuming this is where they will be posted. But in case not, where will they be? Also, I took the liberty of calling the department of education in Victoria to get a feel for what it would take to get Free Software in schools. They directed me to http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/infrastructure/Pages… On the left hand side of that page you can see links to other related areas. But they did make it clear to me that these sorts of things are handled by the actual school. That is to say what the school buys for their students and staff is up to the school, no the department. The department provides guidance but not final say (though you can see the bias fairly clearly). So it could be worth talking to a few principals to understand how they think. From there a trial presentation/demonstration can be put together, get a room full of them and just get some feedback so that a solid project could begin with some focussed direction. And lastly on the topic of workshops for getting started contributing to free software projects. Yes please. Give me one job to do to that will get that ball rolling. Coz I wants it. There are things I would like to contribute to but don't know where to begin (or more truthfully feel like I have nothing to offer). Cheers. Scott.

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Re: [free-software-melb] Free-software-melb Digest, Vol 53, Issue 7
by Michael Verrenkamp 13 Mar '15

13 Mar '15

At least if we elect another Ben then there will be no need to change anything on any paper work, if there is any :P As for Libre Planet Boston - do us all proud! Show that the movement is getting its roots here as well. -- Sent from my GNU/Linux-Libre box. Run free. http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html Come Visit Free Software Australia - http://freesoftware.org.au/ jabjabs(a)fastmail.com.au On Thu, Mar 12, 2015, at 05:00, free-software-melb-request(a)lists.softwarefreedom.com.au wrote: > Send Free-software-melb mailing list submissions to > free-software-melb(a)lists.softwarefreedom.com.au > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.softwarefreedom.com.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/free-software-… > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > free-software-melb-request(a)lists.softwarefreedom.com.au > > You can reach the person managing the list at > free-software-melb-owner(a)lists.softwarefreedom.com.au > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Free-software-melb digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Nomination for committee (Ben Sturmfels) > 2. Re: Nomination for committee (Ben Finney) > 3. Re: Nomination for committee (Ben Finney) > 4. Re: Nomination for committee (Scott Junner) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 13:21:54 +1100 > From: Ben Sturmfels <ben(a)stumbles.id.au> > To: free-software-melb(a)lists.softwarefreedom.com.au > Subject: [free-software-melb] Nomination for committee > Message-ID: <5500F842.7050509(a)stumbles.id.au> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hi Folks, > > I'm heading off to LibrePlanet in Boston so won't be at the upcoming > meeting, but I'd like to nominate for President in the elections. > > It's been a great last 12 months for Free Software Melbourne - very > successful Software Freedom Day, lots of interesting meet-ups and > dinners, some international guests, a new website, reaching out to new > people through Meetup.com as well as early discussions about a "get > started contributing to free software" workshop and about a LibrePlanet > Sydney starting up. I'm keen for more. :) > > Regards, > Ben > >

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Nomination for committee
by Ben M 12 Mar '15

12 Mar '15

Hi all, Just announcing my intention to run for the position of Secretary in the committee elections coming up this month. FSM is a very unique group with a great open discussion format, interesting topics and passionate members. I'm looking forward to helping support the group going forwards. Cheers, Ben.

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Nomination for committee
by Ben Sturmfels 12 Mar '15

12 Mar '15

Hi Folks, I'm heading off to LibrePlanet in Boston so won't be at the upcoming meeting, but I'd like to nominate for President in the elections. It's been a great last 12 months for Free Software Melbourne - very successful Software Freedom Day, lots of interesting meet-ups and dinners, some international guests, a new website, reaching out to new people through Meetup.com as well as early discussions about a "get started contributing to free software" workshop and about a LibrePlanet Sydney starting up. I'm keen for more. :) Regards, Ben

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Mozilla launches WebRTC-based video chat, Firefox Hello
by Ben Finney 07 Mar '15

07 Mar '15

Howdy all, What would be the software freedom requirements for a video chat system? Does “Firefox Hello”, included in recent versions of Mozilla Firefox <URL:https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/hello/>, satisfy the requirements? The protocol WebRTC <URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC> has an open specification <URL:http://www.webrtc.org/> with free-software reference implementations. Are there patent holders who could threaten users and/or implementors? So long as the communication is using standard WebRTC, any conformant client can communicate with any other. The Mozilla Firefox and Google Chromium browsers are licensed under free-software conditions. Both are a WebRTC client by default if I understand correctly <URL:https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebRTC> <URL:http://www.webrtc.org/blog/seeyouontheweb>. What's also needed is a WebRTC server to receive client connections, and to manage sessions. The WebRTC project has a demonstration server at <URL:https://apprtc.appspot.com/>, but I think it's not meant to be a full-fledged service for public use. That also requires users to understand that there's a third party involved: the WebRTC service provider, mediating the connection between the parties who want to communicate. That's a significant learning barrier for many people. Firefox Hello appears to be a way of hiding the fact that a third-party server is involved, in order to make the user experience simpler: it has already chosen the WebRTC server and you don't need to understand that in order to use it. It's in Mozilla Firefox version 35 or later, which I don't have (I'll wait for it to enter Debian Jessie), so I haven't tested it. What software-freedom implications are there? Can the client easily choose to use any WebRTC server? Do the connections get logged by some third party? Are the Terms of Use problematic for software freedom <URL:https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/legal/terms/firefox-hello/>? Does using it require the running of any non-free code (e.g. JavaScript without a free software license)? -- \ “I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too | `\ much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.” | _o__) —Thomas Jefferson, 1791-12-23 | Ben Finney

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Interested in giving a talk at Linux Users Victoria?
by Andrew Pam 06 Mar '15

06 Mar '15

As current president of LUV, it occurred to me that the interests of the Melbourne Free Software Interest Group overlap with ours to some degree. Are there any members of the Free Software group that would be interested in giving a talk to LUV this year? Our meetings are at Melbourne University on the first Tuesday of every month, and we also have beginner meetings at RMIT on the third Saturday of every month. Regards, Andrew

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