Re: [Fsfe-uk] [Fwd: [Fsuk-manchester] Richard Stallman talk - Manchester (1st May)]

[Tim Dobson]

Jon Grant wrote:
 > RMS would do well to do a talk in somewhere like the Science Museum
> then.

+1 but i can't see it happening and who is it then, aimed at? (The 
museum of Science and industry seems to be forever full of school trips 
and family outings. the best place?

 Manchester Uni is a great location, but I expect many (?) of the
> attendees will already be using GNU+Linux. Which means RMS is rallying
> supporters instead of spreading the word as you say.

I am confident there are enough people who don't value freedom as much 
as us, going.

If they are using "Linux", with VMware & flash and ... actually i don't 
know many non-free applications for GNU/Linux because I don't use them.

If they are using it, like one ardent OS X fan who somehow seems to be a 
Ubuntu fan now after seeing beryl & feisty.

People like him are good people to gently talk to about the Free 
Software  philosophy. Whether RMS is "gentle" or not is a controversial 
issue which will never be resolved on a mailing list. :P

I actually think that secondary schools and 6th form colleges are a 
better way for a wider audience. If you think, rightly probably, that 
"wayne" isn't going to give a shit about RMS's talk because he only took 
computing to go on myfacespacebook, then looking at independent schools 
might be an idea. Private schools always like to look like they are 
doing something "special" and will invite people to come, see this 
person and "admire" their school.

I think getting young people into Free Software is very important, and 
actually easier than you might think. I would also suggest that while 
the newbie-ness will (probably) wear away, the rewards from getting 
younger generations into Free Software are massive and have a large, 
mostly untapped potential.

sorry, rabbited on here a bit ;)

Tim

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