Category: Government

For all the mans later disasters, he certainly had some interesting ideas to start.

“The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system; this is an objective law independent of man’s will. However much the reactionaries try to hold back the wheel of history, eventually revolution will take place and will inevitably triumph.”

“We can assuredly build a socialist state with modern industry, modern agriculture, and modern science and culture.”

“The revolutionary war is a war of the masses; only mobilizing the masses and relying on them can wage it.”

Woo hoo! 🙂 Over the last 6 months we have seen a complete turn around of ACS (Australian Computer Society), in large because of the President Edward Mandla who has a rabid interest in Open Source. Edward seemed to feel that Open Source has a great future, without knowing exactly what it is. Enter the community! I was approached to help ACS get some policy on Open Source, and I pulled together some of the Open Source community to advise ACS including people from several LUGs, AUUG, ACS, and some legal support. We published our drafts to the linux-aus mailing list, spoke to several organisations on it, and came up with some suggestions for ACS, as a team. We were happy to work with ACS, and I wish more organisations would turn to the community for their information on Open Source. It is where the expertise is, after all 🙂

The ACS Policy was presented to the public about 2 weeks ago. Enjoy 🙂

The Free Software Act is a relatively new project pioneered by Maureen O’Sullivan in conjunction with the Free Software Consortium. It is certainly an interesting approach to the legal protection of Free Software and Free Software developers. I believe Maureen is very much on the right track, and between Maureen and Lessig, we have a good chance. But… I believe that both only provide part of the solution and both projects should be looked at for what they can do, and how they can be supported. Version 3 of the FSA is currently up, and hopefully version four should include protections for issues such as our patents and anti-circumvention fears.

Rock on Maureen! Good luck!

Just when you think it is all quite wierd, we tumble further down the rabbit hole. So post Howard going on his little “kiss some Bush ass and help strongarm the US-AUS FTA in American political circles” trip, where he has completely! ignored any potential negative impact from the FTA on Australia (the results from the enquiry weren’t even published yet), he does it again. Howard and Bill Gates will be meeting a a secret location to do some sort of negotiation. Now if Gates was coming here to meet with someone in the ICT field, I could kind of understand, but WTF is our Prime Minister meeting with him for? How much do we need to see that corporate interests are driving politics in our ‘western’ cultures. Is Gates making some deal while Howard has some chance in implementing it? I mean Howard is after all completely in their pockets, and he may not be in power much longer (if we have anything to do with it right?). Standing back and looking at the last few years, we’ve seen a steady push away from socialism to corporatism, and in the last couple of years we have seen our democratically elected Prime Minister go completely against the wishes of the australian people several times. How much more will we put up with this blatant abuse of our system…

We all like to believe that at least we are a free politically, but are we, and how would we know.

Note – these are entirely my personal thoughts and don’t reflect on any organisation I am with :)>

I think that it is time we started looking at this more seriously. Why is it that knowledge has become a money maker, why is it that people wanting to teach 4th grade math, or university biology have to pay for the knowledge. I completely agree with paying for the courses, and degree, as teachers have to be paid, but the actual knowledge should be freely available. In Brazil, Free Knowledge has become a really big political issue, and I think it makes sense that we reconsider it. Why should children in richer countries have an educational advantage, I’m considering helping out on some of the projects already doing this, as it would also be a good platform to have a single repository for case studies, slides, how to public speak ad all the advocacy tools we need to make a difference. Each package (such as the case study package) could have a maintainer and then everyone has someone central to commit their information tob.

I have a lot of thoughts on this, but right now I’m going to travel from Christchurch to Dunedin in NZ with Glynn for some sightseeing, before catching up with the NZ crew (Mike Beattie and that) before I go home to Aus.

Maddog was the last and I was so glad to meet him. I’ve been missing him at several conferences, and we had a great chat about all things 🙂 Many people are worried about the patents issues, and frankly I’m worried too. We seriously need to make sure there is sufficient information out so that the US-AUS FTA doesn’t pass in government. We will be in so much trouble, as will Australian industry if it does. I think the problem is one that will come up inevitably anyway, but the FTA compounds the matter.

Maureen O’Sullivan has come up with some interesting thoughts. That authors of software should be protected against litigation of unknowledgable infringement of copyright or patents, and that free software should not be subject to software methodology patents, as it is in the best publics interest. An interesting argument, akin to the council being able to put a highway thought your garden if it is in the best interests of the public. Ownership not being total 🙂

Going to Sao Paulo now, to give another talk. Am quite happy with how everything has gone, and will blog in a few days of everything. Simply no time!

Bdale has said he’ll come to the wedding in November if it is middle to late november 😀 YAY!

I have to say, that I was not so impressed with Lessigs talk, it lacked any real substance, although I understand he only just got there before his talk. Maureen however, had a legal talk that rocked everyones world 🙂

ROOOOOCCCKKK!!!!!

OK, so I have been at the conferences in Brazil for 6 days now. I managed to catch the last few days of DebConf, which was awesome. Saw some talks, met the SSDP (Super Secret Debian Project) crew and lots of people I have so much respect and admiration for, some I had known online before and many kewl dudes I had not 🙂 I met up with Mako, Enrico, Thom (!), Martin, and my elected mentor, Bdale, who still rocks and inspires me. I also met up with some of the SkoleLinux guys, (playing ‘Liar’, a card game till 5 in the morning), and some more of Jeffs work mates, who were a great group and a lot of fun! I’ve had a Brazilian BBQ, pizza (they bring you slices of everything imaginable, including banana! Sweet!)

I learnt 3 new card games, including one I’m sure if I speak about it, the mafia or someone will be after me. I keep expecting to get in trouble now, so thankyou to that group of people for my induced paranoia. Whoops! Speaking! 😉

I met two awesome people, Lalo and Mai. They are an interesting pair, who used to be married. Mai has shown us so much kewl stuff of Brazil, of its people and night life. She is such a giving person, and we certainly owe her for showing us all a good time! 😀

There were some amazing women there too which was pretty kewl. Erinn Clark – a debian chick, Bielle – an anthropologist, Mika – interested in Medical and software patents, & Maureen O’Sullivan who is staying in my hotel (and is a crazy fun Irish woman, she rocks 😉 As well of course as the many Brazilian women. A big part of this years FISL was a women in free software track, organised in large part by Fernanda and Loimar. The track has been successful so far, but the welcome and warmth of these women, coupled with their excitement to see people like Erinn, Amia (sp?), Maureen, and myself around has been amazing. I have had so many pictures taken it is unbelievable. It is awesome to think I am helping these people, a little scary in part, but wonderful to be part of a happening and positive movement.

I truly believe we in Australia have a lot to learn from these people. They are so open and warm, so interested in their rights both politically and socially, so proud of their heritage and culture.

Sorry, this is a long blog, but so much is happening! So come FISL, and so much to do! I saw Enrico, Mako, Bdale, and a few other talks today, I spoke yesterday to over 300 people, who loved the talk (phew), and I’ve met Sulamita and Joice which is great 🙂 I’ve met some big names like Maureen, George Greve, Sergio Armedeus (amazing man!), Marcelo Branco, Larry Lessig (almost), & Maddog (finally! we kept missing each other at conferences, he is just as kewl as I thought ). It has been a great day!

To finish today off, we all went to a concert by Gilberto Bil, the Minister of Culture here is Brazil. He is so good, and the music is great. He also spoke today on Free Software, and the man really knows his stuff. Maureen is in heaven 😉

Well, my first day anyway 🙂 Debconf has been going for several days now. Caught up with several people, and met Erinn Clark, who is pretty kewl. She’s doing a talk on Women in Debian which should be interesting, and I spoke to her about GNURIAS and LinuxChix. Who knows, maybe we’ll start something really positive 🙂
Saw an rocking talk by Mako and Enrico, it was AWESOME, all about how how to take over the world using Custom Debian Distributions 🙂 Enrico is such an active speaker, a funny dude 🙂 More to come…

So after almost 22 hours travelling I arrive in Porte Alegre, almost miss my lift with Fernanda as I don´t see her, and then make our way to my hotel. I can honestly say I already love the place! The myth about meals being huge is all true! Massive 1 person meal, enough to feed me three times 🙂 I´m going partying tonight with Fernanda, and apparently all the Debconf gang, should be fun. My talk is in a few days so I have time to make it rock, I am looking forward to this heaps!

I have forgotten to mention I am attending this years International Free Software Conference in Brazil. I was invited there last year, but unforseen cirsumstances (ie – hospitalisation) stopped me going. It also stopped me meeting the President of China, Hu Jintao. I was not a happy pipka at the time 🙁

Anyway, I was reinvited this year, and will be speaking about how the culture is inclusive to all peoples, and has a low barrier to entry making it a wonderful diverse place of opportunity. I’ll be throwing in some observations about code Vs culture in Open Source, and why both need to be adapted for full benefits. A Brazilian friend of mine, Cesar suggested the name “Is Free Software a Macho Man thing” and I thought that was pretty kewl 🙂 I owe several Brazilians Aussie wine and beer, customs are going to love me 🙂

I’ll be dropping in on Debconf for at least a little while, so I’ll probably have to take more alcohol for that 🙂 It will be kewl to catch up with some wonderful people I’ve met both online and offline, as well as many of Jeff’s workmates, all of whom knew about the engagement before me 😛 Particularly looking forward to meeting Sulamita, Cesar, Mako, Martin (& all the Debian crew!), Bdale if he comes, and of course Marcelo.

I’m hoping to drink lots with Marcelo!, the Brazilian LPI contact, who is one of the funniest people I’ve met in ages. He introduced me to some Brazilian fruits while we were in Geneva, and I’m keen to further sample the many spirits they have 😉 The entire LPI group that worked together in Geneva were wonderful, and it was a priviledge and pleasure to meet every one of them.

ROCK ON!!! Excited Pipka! 😀