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

Software freedom activist Aaron Swartz dies at 26
by Ben Finney 15 Jan '13

15 Jan '13

Howdy all, Today I am saddened to learn that the prolific young activist for software freedom, Aaron Swartz <URL:http://www.aaronsw.com/>, was found dead on 2013-01-11. His death is reported as a suicide. Aaron was a co-founder of what became Reddit. He released as free software the web framework ‘web.py’, and the framework of the Open Library project. He was influential in the early years of Wikipedia <URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:RIP#Aaron_Swartz_.28AaronSw.29>, Creative Commons <URL:https://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/36298>, and notably the Demand Progress site <URL:http://demandprogress.org/>. His friends Cory Doctorow <URL:http://boingboing.net/2013/01/12/rip-aaron-swartz.html> and Lawrence Lessig <URL:http://lessig.tumblr.com/post/40347463044/prosecutor-as-bully> are vocal about the role in Aaron's suicide of the US government in their overbearing prosecution of him as a felon on 13 charges, with US$4 million in fines, and over 50 years imprisonment. The stakes are high in the struggle for software freedom, and sometimes in the face of unchecked power wielded by the unscrupulous, the young and the bright burn out early. They pass the flame to us to carry on in their stead. -- \ “My girlfriend has a queen sized bed; I have a court jester | `\ sized bed. It's red and green and has bells on it, and the ends | _o__) curl up.” —Steven Wright | Ben Finney

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Re: [free-software-melb] [free-software-melb-announce] linux.conf.au free software conference this month
by Sven＠GMX 10 Jan '13

10 Jan '13

On 07/01/13 13:42, Ben Sturmfels wrote: > If you can afford the time and cost, I'd definitely recommend attending. > Get your registration in quick though, tickets are nearly sold out. > All organized (I think as early as October last year ;-) and ready to go. I will fly in Friday after work to make the most of the w/e. I booked accommodation at the YHA which I think is quite reasonable and of good quality. Has anyone else organized to go yet? Sven

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Fwd: [OWOOT] Do you want a free ticket to DrupalCon Sydney (Feb 6 to 9)?
by Bianca Gibson 09 Jan '13

09 Jan '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Mary Gardiner" <mary(a)puzzling.org> Date: 9 Jan 2013 12:51 Subject: [OWOOT] Do you want a free ticket to DrupalCon Sydney (Feb 6 to 9)? To: "Oceania Women of Open Tech" <owoot(a)lists.owoot.org> Cc: Linux Australia is giving one away. You need to apply for it by TOMORROW (Thu Jan 10). See http://lists.linux.org.au/pipermail/linux-aus/2013-January/020311.html for how to apply. -Mary _______________________________________________ owoot mailing list owoot(a)lists.owoot.org http://lists.owoot.org/listinfo/owoot

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Blender meeting tonight
by Alex Fraser 29 Nov '12

29 Nov '12

Hi all, Sorry about the ridiculously late notice, but I think I said I would write to this list about the Blender meetings - of which there is one tonight! http://melbourneblender.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/tutorial-and-talks-on-the-… Feel free to come along. It's at the same time and place as our free software meetings. Cheers, Alex

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Free Software discussion group this Thursday 15 November
by Ben Sturmfels 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

Hi Folks, Join us for Free Software Melbourne discussion group this Thursday night. We'll hear about Adam's experiments in running his own free software network services and Ben F. will teach us about Super Cookies. I'll also be baking some Super Cookies. Yum. Look forward to seeing you! Regards, Ben ---------------------------------------- Free Software Melbourne discussion group ---------------------------------------- Thursday 15 November, 6-9pm VPAC Head Office Training Room (see website) http://www.freesoftware.asn.au/melb/ Agenda: - Running free network services from your home including email, chat, microblogging, code hosting and media sharing (Adam Bolte) - Maintaining your privacy on the web (Ben Finney) - Gold-coin donation for a free software project. I suggest we vote on one of the projects Adam or Ben F. mention. - Tasty dinner at a nearby restaurant

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Raspberry Pi opens up
by Sven＠GMX 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

people having one will love that, so do I: http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Raspberry-Pi-opens-its-ARM-graphics-… Is there actually anyone else in the group having one? Sven

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Selfstarter - open source fund raising software
by Chris Samuel 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

Hi folks, Interesting article on the Selfstarter fundraising software project which also touches on the Mediagoblin fundraising drive. https://lwn.net/Articles/522142/ cheers, Chris -- Chris Samuel : http://www.csamuel.org/ : Melbourne, VIC

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ATO, Tax and Linux
by Chris Samuel 29 Oct '12

29 Oct '12

Hi folks, After the last talk I thought this might interest people, the link was sent in response to @piawaugh on Twitter: http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.aspx?doc=/content/00325407.htm&pc=0… It's a transcript of an audio grab by the Tax Commissioner Michael D'Ascenzo from around July this year from the look of it, and it says: # [...] but really in the next couple of years we're hoping to # develop a platform that is application agnostic, in other words # rather than whether you've got a Mac or you've got a Microsoft # platform it'll apply on your tablet, it'll apply on your Linux # system, it'll apply on a whole range of other web based # interfaces. So I think that's the way for the future to allow # all the new digital devices to work rather than just specific # platforms. So promising words, but not a firm commitment from the look of it. cheers, Chris -- Chris Samuel : http://www.csamuel.org/ : Melbourne, VIC

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Donating to free software: Dreamhost & FSF
by Chris Watkins 28 Oct '12

28 Oct '12

Subject was: Donating to free software (was: GNU Media Goblin crowd-funding campaign) Not sure if anyone else has a Dreamhost account, but for each 3 month period they have a nominated charity, where they quadruple your donation. For the rest of October and November it's the Free Software Foundation. I need to get organized, finish a contract and get paid - hopefully in time to be generous to FSF. If you're not a customer but you have someone you really trust with a Dreamhost account, you could always get them to donate for you. I'd offer, but I hope you're all too sensible to trust a stranger posting to a public email list :-). -- Chris Watkins Appropedia.org - Sharing knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives.

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Notes from recent discussion group
by Ben Sturmfels 28 Oct '12

28 Oct '12

Hi Folks, Thanks for coming along to the discussion group on the 18 October! Notes are below. The next discussion group is on 15 November. Adam Bolte will be telling us about his explorations in running free software network services from home, including email, chat, microblogging, code hosting and media sharing. Ben Finney will be telling us how to avoid being tracked on the web. On 20 December we're having an evening BBQ, probably on the banks of the Yarra. We realise that it's a busy time for many, so this will be very casual. On 17 January we're holding a games night to follow-up from our highly successful event a little while back. I'm really looking forward to the next few months! Regards, Ben Notes from discussion group 18 October 2012 ------------------------------------------- - Ben demoed Media Goblin for hosting photos and videos and his use to host baby photos - Discussed the Media Goblin crowd-funding campaign - goals to build federated replacement for YouTube/Flick etc. - choice to use FSF infrastructure rather than Kickstarter - experiences with crowd-funding, fund-raising and grants - Ben's annual urge to free the E-tax income tax software - most present use an accountant - small number use E-tax or complete tax return on paper - standard free software approach of just rewriting? - could we do better than just clone E-tax? - our chances of connecting to ATO's network services to eg. submit return? - perhaps just printing return would be big step - contacting the ATO? it might save work for them - getting the API details under "freedom of information" - what is the future is for desktop E-tax? - ATO could well be building a web-app - ABC iView - ABC's cease and desist on Jeremy Visser's python-iview - Discussed upcoming meetings/events (see above) - December/January is busy but decided to hold events anyway

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