[Wylug-discuss] RMS visiting Leeds - help required!

[James Holden]

All,

(I'm sending this to wylug-discuss for greater visibility)

RMS is coming to Leeds to give a talk. It appear that I have become the point
of contact.

We have OBH happy to host the event on the 23rd of August in the evening.

I could use a hand in organising this, in particular:

1) Somewhere for him to stay. Hotels are fine, with requirements on ID-less
check-in, internet access. A couch or floor is better though. I can host him,
but I'm in Morley so somewhere closer to the centre may be better placed to
help.

2) Publicity. I do not have contact details for the right people at the
universities, but I can get the YEP onto it and involve other interested
groups, such as GeekUp and so on.

3) Funds. We will need to raise up to 350 GBP (max) for the event, with a
surplus going to the FSF. This is to cover train travel and a share of his
flight to the UK. I think this can be achieved by donations on the day, but
sale of his books can help too, which would need some organising.

4) Selecting a talk. RMS has various talks prepared. He can give his "standard"
free software talk, or one of the others listed below. As many people will have
seen his free software talk already, a different talk may be nice. If anyone
has any preferences, please let me know as soon as you can because I need to
reply, and also publicise it.

There is no need to make elaborate arrangements for hospitality, large meals
out etc.


Best regards,


James



The talks he most often does are listed below:






The topics I speak about are

    Free Software and Your Freedom
    (alternate titles:
     The Free Software Movement and the GNU/Linux Operating System,
     Free Software in Ethics and in Practice)

    Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks

    The Danger of Software Patents

    The GNU General Public License
      What we've changed in version 3, and why

    A Free Digital Society
    (alternate title, What Makes Digital Inclusion Good or Bad?)

These topics take about an hour and a quarter in English,
plus time for questions, photos, signatures, etc.  I suggest
allowing at least two hours.

Each topic takes substantially longer in other languages.

I can also possibly speak about some other topic if you suggest one.


Abstract:

For a speech about Free Software, you can use this abstract:

    The Free Software Movement campaigns for computer users' freedom
    to cooperate and control their own computing.  The Free Software
    Movement developed the GNU operating system, typically used together
    with the kernel Linux, specifically to make these freedoms possible.
 
or

    Richard Stallman will speak about the goals and philosophy of the
    Free Software Movement, and the status and history of the GNU
    operating system, which in combination with the kernel Linux is
    now used by tens of millions of users world-wide.

For Copyright vs Community, you can use this abstract:

    Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed
    to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing
    press.  But the copyright system does not fit well with computer
    networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.

    The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying
    for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers,
    while suppressing public access to technology.  But if we
    seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of
    copyright--to promote progress, for the benefit of the
    public--then we must make changes in the other direction.

For The Danger of Software Patents, you can use this abstract:

    Richard Stallman will explain how software patents obstruct
    software development.  Software patents are patents that cover
    software ideas.  They restrict the development of software, so
    that every design decision brings a risk of getting sued.  Patents
    in other fields restrict factories, but software patents restrict
    every computer user.  Economic research shows that they even
    retard progress.

For The GNU General Public License

    Richard Stallman wrote the first GNU General Public License in
    1989, and version 3 which was completed in 2007.  He will discuss
    the philosophy of the GNU GPL, the changes made in version 3,
    and the reasons for those changes.

For A Free Digital Society

    Activities directed at ``including'' more people in the use of digital
    technology are predicated on the assumption that such inclusion is
    invariably a good thing.  It appears so, when judged solely by
    immediate practical convenience.  However, if we also judge in terms
    of human rights, whether digital inclusion is good or bad depends on
    what kind of digital world we are to be included in.  If we wish to
    work towards digital inclusion as a goal, it behooves us to make sure
    it is the good kind.



-- 
--
James Holden                     Developer, SEO, Technology Consultant
http://jamesholden.net/                          Leeds, United Kingdom
http://twitter.com/jamesholden                            07989 702968
PGP key fingerprint: 32C9 A76F 3CFE A06C 1B00 5AAB 9877 4742 8358 863A
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