Re: [Fsfe-uk] Just a Minute

[Simon Waters]

Martin Coxall wrote:
> 
> RMS made it quite clear that he thought these concerns are trivial....

Largely in agreement, although trivial implies unimportant,
given the relative security history of the products I think it
has some importance, but that is an issue more of concern to the
IT staff in question, than ourselves.
 
> My favorite RMS quote of the night: "There are more important issues
> than free software."

Of course, but what specifically would you expect a national
free software organisation to focus on?

I've suggested we aim specifically to persuade the UK Government
to making it's own software developments Free Software.

Patents/ cryptography/ other intrusive or badly thought out
legislation is a fair target.

Infrastructure protection issues are important, but other than
where free software can assist this, I'm not sure the AFFS
should campaign. So it is fine to say "Apache is easier to
secure than certain commercial products" and lobby the
government to review it's use of less secure products where free
alternative are available. But I'm not sure we should address
issues of say newsgroup filtering by UK ISPs, which a "freedom"
term might cover.

Personally I think a whole lot of Intellectual Property law in
inadequate or inappropriate, and would be fair game for the AFFS
to approach.

Issues such as the various wiretap bills are also important to
me, but I'm not clear whether the AFFS is the appropriate place
to oppose them, although it might be the appropriate place to
encourage cryptographic methods to defeat privacy invasion.

Are these the issues you mean? If not what are they?