Re: [Fsuk-manchester] Future Meetings

[Tim Dobson]

Matthew Edmondson wrote:
> Thankyou.  It has been a pleasure to be on this list.

Pleasure to have you here, its even better when you contribute to it!

> Tim Dobson has done some excellent moderating without moderating.

I just try and keep the peace between people on our side.
There are people who aren't on our side whom it makes more sense to

Regarding moderation without moderation, in my view:

Debate is good.
Heated debate is good.
Personal attacks immediately lose you what ever debate you are trying to 
have by showing you have little respect for the other persons views.

If you see a rapidly inflaming situation I would encourage one to step 
in and try and calm things down if one feels like you can take an 
impartial position in the mud slinging.

Anyway, back to the actual topic:

> Comments inline.
>
> # Manchester Free Software
> ## Minutes of Meeting on 2008-03-18
>
> No fixed agenda.  The topic was a very general “what are we going to do
> and how?”
>
> _Attendees:_ Tim Dobson (TimD), Andy Halsall (AndyH), Alex Hudson
> (AlexH),
> Rob Kendric (RobK), Dave Page (DaveP), Simon Ward (SimonW), and others.
>
> Minutes taken by SimonW.
>
> ### Other Free Software Groups
>
>   * AHa mentioned getting a similar free software group going in
>     Sheffield.
>   * PD said there was a wider goal of getting more free software groups
>     going around the country.
>
> ### Free Software Groups vs other groups
>
>   * Less technical, more about using and working with free software.
> ME: promote to who? 
TD: this is a good question I do not feel comfortable trying to answer 
on my own. Who should we be promoting to?
>   * Core Aim: Promote free software.
> ME: Does this mean that you want to be less technical?

TD: I *think* (own interpretation) the consensus here was that groups 
like ManLUG do a great job of presenting the technical aspects of 
GNU/Linux - see Paul Waring's upcoming talk on OpenVPN (at ManLUG) as an 
example, however that FSUK-Manchester should focus more on the aims of 
free software, and how free software and issues relating to free 
software such as DRM & software patents relates to these things.
That doesn't mean to say not be technical at all, but just means that 
technical aspects can encompass various free software centric operating 
systems and projects.

> ### Venues
>
>   * MDDA — hears in June about getting more funding.  Otherwise we may
>     need an alternate venue.
>   * RobK said he would ask about a lecture room/theatre at MMU. 
>   * DaveP suggested town hall + Town Hall Tavern.
>
> ME: A "cool" "new media" type place with a small group of delegates and
> a very loose agenda and lots of beer worked really well for me in
> London:-

The problem here is that we simply don't have any money. However if 
anyone has any suggestions about where FSUK-Manchester would be good to 
be held, please tell us!

At the moment, my personal point of view is that MDDA is a pretty 
awesome venue to get for free, and we should stick with it as long as 
possible.

> __ACTION:__ RobK to ask about lecture room availability at MMU.
>
> ME: Who do you want to talk with?  Are tehy the sort of folk who want to
> meet in a the tradional lecture theatre?

Personally i wouldn't, but having said that, it tends to work for ManLUG 
to some extent.

> ### Speakers
>
>   * Need to research.  None felt “in” to the free software world enough
>     to suggest who to ask.
> ME: My first ask was Jono.  He came. quite a few FS advocates came along
> from A-Press, which is pretty nearby. IIRC

cheers for the heads up.

>   * AndyH suggested keeping a list of possible speakers.
>     - DaveP later suggested a public wiki.
> ME: Yay - I like them. Nice one DaveP

right. now to carry though the action.
here's a link to our page on the fsf groups wiki.
http://groups.fsf.org/index.php/Manchester
who fancies spending ten minutes creating the page?

> ### Topics
>
>   * Free software (primary)
>   * Media?
>   * Culture?
>   * DRM?
>
>   * Specifically:
>     - BBC iPlayer person.
>     - Somebody from BBC about Dirac.
>
> ### Free Software Group Tasks
>
>   * Finding people \[to speak/advocate\]
>   * Publicising
>   * Getting people to listen
>
> ### Advocacy
>
>   * Examples: Software Freedom Day events, handing out leflets
>   * DaveP suggested getting together some bootable CDs or similar into
>
> ME: Your own?
>
> ME: Bristol Wireless made quite a nice one.  they only use Debian and
> have got their own repo's : >
>
> ME: They love to be asked to speak at events about
> voip/wireless/community/free software/ltsp in a field/their
> distro/cider.  : >
>
>
>
>   * the Central Library for Software Freedom Day.  \[This has already
>     been [suggested on list][1]\].
>
>     - The aim is to get the public using free software.
>     - Not necessarily setting up an organisation to support, but more a
>       publicity stunt to keep visible.
>
>   * AlexH: Get the low hanging, high impact fruit
>   * AndyH: [things like leafletting, publicity stunts] not a good
>     approach
> ME: agree
>
>   * AlexH: They are not the only things you do.
>
>   * DaveP: Need to get people involved and keep them.
> ME: Docuemnt the group, set the mission.
>   * AndyH: How many people are interested in the first place?
>   * AlexH: Two things needed:
>     1. Enough mass.
>     2. How many … ? \[Illegible\]
>
> [1]:
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/fsuk-manchester/2008-02/msg00005.html
>
> ### Free Software Foundation
>
>   * Poor show in the UK so far.
>   * Not getting involved with something just because of the name (or
>     lack of.  E.g. Linux, without GNU.) — something we might want to
>     avoid.

TD: despite my affiliations, my personal point of view here, from the 
point of view of unity and cooperation, I think we should try to remain 
independent, but friendly with the fsf and fsfe until either of them 
take a proactive role in the UK.
I think we should try and maintain friendly relations with UK "open 
Source" organisations, while asserting that we *do* have ideological 
differences which we will not compromise on but where possible 
collaborate with them in ways that would further the aims(!) of this group.

> ### Business
>
>   * Get interest through Manchester Small Business
>   * Where can I find a directory of businesses supporting or providing
>     free software?
>     - \[name of a directory\] — AndyH thought it was mostly London based
>     - RobK suggests Manchester seems to prefer local business
> ME: In Manchester the ones that I can think of are:-
>
>   -\[short list of local FS practioners\]
>
>
> ### Actions / Responsibilities
>
>   * _ACTION:_ RobK to ask about lecture room availability at MMU.
TD: action started - RobK has started the ball rolling and will give us 
more info when he gets an answer.
>   * _ACTION:_ SimonW to ask Matt about things currently organised.
TD: last I heard was that this was just about to commence, updates from 
SimonW when he is ready.
>   * AndyH — Speakers
>   * TimD — Web site, announcements
TD: /me runs and hides
>   * DaveP — Venues, media relations
> ME: points at the media tart: >



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----
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