[Lancaster] MFS Talk. Tues, 15 March. "BCS OSSG", Graham Oakes & Mark Elkins.

[Michael Dorrington]

Please feel free to forward this to those that would welcome it.

* Talk: BCS OSSG (British Computer Society Open Source Specialist Group)
        http://ossg.bcs.org/
* Speakers: Graham Oakes & Mark Elkins (Chair, OSSG)

* Location: Madlab. (Manchester Digital Laboratory). Upstairs.
* Address: 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester. M4 1HN.
"(Between Thomas St and the Craft Centre, opposite A Bar Called Common)"
  http://madlab.org.uk/
* Date: Tuesday, 15th March 2011 (3rd Tuesday of the month)
* Start time: 19:00
* Finish time: 20:30

Details
-------
Don't worry, Manchester Free Software is still a Free Software group and
not an Open Source group! We still stand for software freedom and
believe that Open Source misses the point. Still given that, we think it
will be great to hear what the OSSG have to say. And its a chance for
MFS to explain Free Software to people who know Open Source but haven't
heard of Free Software, and as RMS says in "Why Open Source misses the
point of Free Software"
<http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html>:

    "We in the free software movement don't think of the open source
camp as an enemy; the enemy is proprietary (nonfree) software. But we
want people to know we stand for freedom, so we do not accept being
mislabeled as open source supporters."

About the BCS OSSG <http://ossg.bcs.org/about/>:

    "The BCS Open Source Specialist Group exists to help demistify open
source practice and its implications, to illuminate the pros and cons of
open source and to act as a centre of expertise within the BCS. Through
lively debate, presentations and leading by example, we aim to showcase
the potential of open source software development and the impact it may
have on software engineering in the future."

In the talk the BCS OSSG will present:

* Their role.
* The work they do.
* Their take on the state of Open Source and Free Software in the UK
government and business.
* What can be done to increase education about Open Source and Free
Software in the UK.

In addition the speakers will also present their personal take on Open
Source and Free Software. The speakers are:

* Mark Elkins
      o Chair of the BCS OSSG Committee

* Graham Oakes
      o Member of the BCS OSSG Committee
      o Principal of Graham Oakes Limited

    "Graham Oakes helps people untangle complex governance, processes,
relationships and technology. He works with organisations such as Oxfam,
Greenpeace, Amnesty, the Open University, Skype, Vodafone and Sony to
define strategy and hence set up projects to deliver it. His book
"Project Reviews, Assurance and Governance" is published by Gower."

The event will include a Q&A session, discussion and then lively debate
in the pub afterwards.

Location
--------
The meeting will take place at the usual time, 7pm, at Madlab on Edge
Street in the Northern Quarter. "(Between Thomas St and the Craft
Centre, opposite A Bar Called Common)". We will be located upstairs. The
venue provides wifi. The talk is followed by an informal discussion in
the bar opposite (A Place Called Common
<http://www.aplacecalledcommon.co.uk/>).

Transport
---------
Parking: Around the venue there are parking meter bays that become zero
cost after 6pm on Tuesday but get full up. There are paid parking lots
around the venue, the light blue P in this OpenStreetMap centred on
Madlab
<http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=53.48427&lon=-2.23652&zoom=15&layers=M>.
A lot of them, perhaps all, are are owned by NCP
<http://www.ncp.co.uk/>. If you can't decide otherwise then park in
Manchester Arndale <http://www.manchesterarndale.com/directions.aspx>.

Public Transport: Manchester Victoria (MCV) train station, Shudehill
tram station and Manchester Piccadilly bus station are all fairly close
to Madlab, see OpenStreetMap centred on Madlab
<http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=53.48427&lon=-2.23652&zoom=15&layers=M>.
Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) train station and Manchester Central Coach
Station are not too far either.

Further details at <http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Manchester/2011-03-15>.

More Information
----------------
General information about Manchester Free Software meetings can be found
on our website.

* http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Manchester/Meetings
* http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Manchester/2011-03-15

If you would like five minutes to tell us about something, please
contact us at <fsuk-manchester-team at nongnu.org>.

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