Sunday July 26, 2009 ☞ Links for July 26th
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I was asked for a way to see how a flight is progressing - this site lists three approaches.
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Looks like the Pirates need some consulting on how copyright and Free software actually work as their stated policy take a populist but wrong approach.
Posted by webmink
( Jul 26 2009, 07:30:22 AM PDT )
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Friday July 24, 2009 ☞ Wonderful, but missing the point
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Bezos apology is wonderful, and a great leadership example that is to be welcomed. It doesn't change the fact, however, that the Kindle/DRM combination is orthogonal to freedom. What happens when Bezos and his like are not the boss? I still don't want a Kindle (etc).
Posted by webmink
( Jul 24 2009, 09:35:34 AM PDT )
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Wednesday July 22, 2009 America Needs Open Source
Today sees the launch of a new coalition of businesses (large and small), organizations and individuals to speak up for Free and open source software in Washington DC. Open Source for America brings together a diverse alliance drawn from every corner of the software freedom movement. The Board of Advisors (on which I'm honoured to serve) brings together community, commercial, political and military voices, and the membership has been the easiest to recruit of any activity I have known. That's because at the heart of the organization you'll find the principles of the Free Software Definition, which themselves form the core beliefs of almost everyone supporting free and open source software.
The Freedoms at the heart of the alliance create an unparalleled opportunity for governments:
- Open source puts government in control of if and when they spend money on software, since the it guarantees the right to use without limitations
- It means that government IT investment is mostly spent locally with local experts since everyone is free to study and modify the code.
- It ensures that all - government, suppliers and citizens - can freely access the software needed for government engagement without toll or tax from a vendor since everyone is free to distribute the original and changed versions.
Whatever other lessons we can learn from this new initiative, I note that it was easy and rational for people from all the apparent factions of the free and open source software movement to come together. It's time to set aside the urge to fight over semantic differences and recognise how far we have come and see how much we can achieve when we pull together. Join Open Source for America now!
Posted by webmink
( Jul 22 2009, 08:43:14 AM PDT )
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Saturday July 18, 2009 links for 2009-07-18
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No, this is not from The Onion. Big Brother did just demonstrate why Kindle is the worst thing to happen to knowledge in a long time. Imagine what happens under the future Palin administration in the US when books about abortion become illegal and Amazon "recalls" them all?
Posted by webmink
( Jul 18 2009, 07:30:35 AM PDT )
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Thursday July 16, 2009 ☝ Marketing In The Connected Age
Readers here may be interested in the article I just posted on my personal blog.
Posted by webmink
( Jul 16 2009, 07:17:38 AM PDT )
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Wednesday July 15, 2009 ☞ Open Journal
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A good development - peer reviewed, web delivered, free of charge. I'll be keeping an eye on it.
Posted by webmink
( Jul 15 2009, 07:30:38 AM PDT )
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Tuesday July 14, 2009 ☞ Marketing and Exploitation
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More scientific research which tells us what we would already know if we weren't so busy anthropomorphising.
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"Taken individually, these dubious actions might be dismissed...taken together they suggest a consistent philosophy" -- Yes, yes, I've seen MiniMicrosoft saying they have "turned the corner" but this episode suggests the underdog self-image is alive and well. Microsoft's military assault on the standards world deserves a written history; this is a good start.
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I'm a Zipcar member and they have a scheme where anyone who joins up via a member referral can get $25 or £25 free usage of the service (as well as the member getting the same). If you ever need a car for a few hours in a major US city or in London, Zipcar may well interest you.
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This is a brilliant video - great, catchy song, amusing video, restrained yet direct message. It deserves to be a chart hit. I want to buy a copy so I can listen to it while I'm flying United...
Posted by webmink
( Jul 14 2009, 07:31:02 AM PDT )
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Monday July 13, 2009 ☞ Growing Pains
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Brilliant piece by Anil Dash. It took Microsoft until 2005 to start to grasp the issue he frames here, and they still aren't over it yet. IBM faced the same issue and almost died from it in 1992. Does Google have the flexible maturity to recognise and deal with the issue, or will it too build an impermeable membrane round the company to deflect criticism?
Posted by webmink
( Jul 13 2009, 07:30:33 AM PDT )
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Thursday July 09, 2009 ☞ Woot on Chrome
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Woot has made these lists into an art-form and this one is a classic.
Posted by webmink
( Jul 09 2009, 07:30:47 AM PDT )
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Monday July 06, 2009 Lula's Free Java Ring
The Brazilian economy is powered by the Java platform - even their new Free digital TV standard uses it. They took the decision to use Java for so much in part when we (Bruno, myself and a number of others) assured them, a number of years ago, that there would be Free implementations. The story ever since has been snowballing investment in Java skills and an economy capable not only of supporting its own needs but also of exporting skills - they've been making Java a priority for years.
When I was honoured to be invited to meet the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at this year's FISL event in Porto Alegre, I naturally accepted. I decided to give him a Java Ring, a wearable Java-powered computer, as a symbolic token of the deep symbiosis between Brazil, the Java platform and Free software.
He took it enthusiastically, put it on straight away - and it fit him. He said that having a computer on his finger made him feel like James Bond and he posed for photographs with it.
Landmarks
The visit by the President of Brazil to (probably) the largest Free software event in the world is a landmark for the Free software movement. In his speech at the event, Lula recognised especially the work of Sergio Amadeu (once Lula's advisor on IT and the man Microsoft tried to sue for being honest about their strategy) and commented on the years of work that had been involved "preparing the meal" on which the country was now able to feast. In response to Marcelo Branco and the many others who had been lobbying him since he arrived at the event, he also too the opportunity to set his face against the terrible internet laws being proposed for Brazil.
The visit was a landmark in at least three ways:
- It represented the first visit I'm aware of to a Free software event of a head of state - in this case the head of the 14th largest economy in the world
- The speech demonstrated the key role Free software leaders like Sergio and Marcello have had in shaping the IT strategy in the country;
- The deprecation of the internet laws demonstrated that the Free software community actually has a powerful lobbying voice.
What was also fascinating was the regard in which Lula - and his ministers - held Richard Stallman. When the Finance minister came along the line-up before Lula arrived he commented on seeing Stallman "I know you!". Lula himself gave a warm and firm welcome to Stallman. Free software has been over 25 years in the making, but in Brazil it took place as a recognised force in affairs of state, in a way I am sure will be repeated globally in coming years.
Posted by webmink
( Jul 06 2009, 01:01:03 AM PDT )
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Saturday July 04, 2009 ☞ Three Frees for Independence Day
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Great analysis of the folly of the laws proposed in Brazil that makes President Lula's decision to block them, announced at FISL, seem obviously right.
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The Free Software Foundation in europe bids farewell to their founder and forms a whole new leadership team. Georg has done great things and has been a pleasure to work with, so the new team has a high benchmark set for them.
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Gladwell has the same class of questions as I did when I read the article in Wired that Anderson expanded to make this book. They are "but what about infrastructure costs", "who pays to have it made in a world where people don't trust extended effects". He misses my question "doesn't the 'Free' in software refer to liberty rather than cost and isn't that what drives the power curve?" I'll still have to buy & read the book though (it's not free).
Posted by webmink
( Jul 04 2009, 07:30:33 AM PDT )
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