Re: How far to go with GNU/Linux Users groups?

[Frederic Couchet]

>>>>> "Fred" == Frederic Couchet <address@hidden> writes:

    Fred> FYI, this report is not complete (and need some
    Fred> proofreading) but can give some useful informations.

In the report we mention "Linux" a dozen times, because you are
mentioning the names of many other events and groups. RMS suggested to
modify the opening paragraph to avoid misunderstanding about operating
system, Linux and GNU.

The new opening paragrah is :

   Created in November 1996, APRIL isn't aiming to promote the
   GNU/Linux operating system or set up a simple GNU/Linux User Group.
   APRIL aims to promote free software in general, and to a larger
   audience, including companies and institutions in France and all of
   Europe.

Version including the new opening paragraph :

    1. Moral report on activities of APRIL in 2001
         1. Brief history
         2. Economic context
         3. Political context
         4. Year assessment
              1. Members
         5. Working groups
         6. Server Administration and Web
         7. Activities
         8. FSF Europe
         9. Contacts with media
        10. Lobbying
        11. Conclusion and future
        12. Thanks to...
     _________________________________________________________________

                       Moral report on activities of APRIL in 2001

   Activities between 11/11/2000 to 30/11/2001

Brief history

   Created in November 1996, APRIL isn't aiming to promote the
   GNU/Linux operating system or set up a simple GNU/Linux User Group.
   APRIL aims to promote free software in general, and to a larger
   audience, including companies and institutions in France and all of
   Europe.

   APRIL is one of the most important associations for Free Software in
   France, and encourages publicisation and greater awareness of Free
   software in France either via direct action (conferences, installation
   and training days, meetings, debates, etc.) or via action of a more
   indirect sort (meeting in Sénat, regular publishing of papers in
   different media, common action with other associations against patents
   on software, etc.). A strong partnership, strong sympathy with their
   ideas and a privileged relationship exists with Free Software
   Foundation created by Richard Stallman. This helps explain why the
   association attaches great importance to the promotion of the FSF's
   ideas in France.

   Since 1996, the first set of objectives we set ourselves have been
   successfully achieved. From an almost complete anonymity, free
   software (and not just "Linux") is now known to a large audience and
   also companies, journalists, and decision-makers. Of course, this
   success is not only due to the association but we have greatly
   contributed to it.

   Free software continues to become more commonplace, but there are
   still many goals we wish to achieve in the future.

Economic context

   The economic outlook has changed considerably since the last general
   assembly of the association. The computing industry is generally in
   crisis, and the world of free software has also been badly affected.
   Several companies which provided free software services have had
   difficulties, have changed their business model, or have disappeared.
   On the other hand, a few companies that provide free software services
   have proven their maturity in the management of these problems and
   have shown that it is possible to base an economic model on the
   development based on free software (providing that model is well
   chosen).

   APRIL considers it important that economic models based on free
   software succeed.

Political context

   International and national political climate has some impact on
   development and the future of free software in different ways:
     * strong lobbying of big companies (helped by "experts" in
       intellectual property) who are pro-patents on computer software;
     * strong lobbying of companies who want the European adoption of
       laws like DMCA and others;
     * Adoption of laws that limit liberties (see Loi sur la Sécurité
       Quotidienne [LSQ] -- Law on Daily Security).

   In that field, our adversaries are very well prepared and armed.

   The fight against these changes fills a great deal of our action time,
   in collaboration with other organisations (Eurolinux, AFUL,
   LSIJolie, ..). In France, several private bills related to free
   software (closely related to or not far from it) were not accepted.
   Nevertheless, we can note some progress, see for example the Carsenac
   report, creation of ATICA [Agence pour les Technologies de
   l'Information et de la Communication dans l'Administration -- Agency
   for Information and Communication Technologies in the Civil Service],
   ex-MTIC (interdepartmental mission of support for development of
   inforamtion and communication technologies in the Civil Service).

   Note that in France and Europe, free software has got supporters
   (Direction Générale de la Société de l'Information, financing plans of
   IST, ATICA).

Year assessment

  Members

   The association today has around 200 members distributed over several
   French-speaking countries, with a majority of French people. Last year
   over the same period, we had about 130 members. Among these members,
   we find people who work for different companies or the Civil Service,
   as researchers, teachers, students, as well as some people who are not
   involved with computer science.

   Last year, the association modified its rules to accept membership of
   moral people mainly to have a running budget that can allow us to
   think about future actions in a different way (for example, to finance
   permanent members). The association counts one more moral person: the
   free software "technopole" of Soissons. The current economic
   difficulties make us fearful that among the 9 moral persons, several
   may have to leave sometime in future for economic reasons.

   Besides, we are currently looking into the possibility of hiring a
   permanent member for APRIL; however, no progress in this area has yet
   been made.

   One dificulty of an association like ours is the spread of members but
   we have successfully co-ordinated action, particularly via several
   mailing lists. The board of directors has a face-to-face meeting at
   least once per month and follows that up with a public report.

   The way new members are integrated into the association is
   satisfactory. This is due in part to the setting up of an information
   system: a member's section on the web with the archives of the mailing
   lists, documents about the software architecture of the server, howtos
   allowing everyone to take part to the activities of the association, a
   description and progress monitoring of the working groups, a
   task-manager, a shared calendar, automatic management of new joiners
   who receive an automatic e-mail with a whole presentation of the
   association, which allows the new members to know almost everything
   about what the association is doing.

   We can note the joining of people who have not come from the free
   software world, whose activism will be beneficial for the association.

Working groups

   One part of the association's running relies on the notion of working
   group. Working groups are in charge of implementing all actions that
   can fulfill objectives of the association, and are not limited with
   respect to time.

   Since the beginning, the management of each working group has been
   provided by people who also had lots of work to do at the head of the
   association. That is a reason why most of working group leaders have
   chosen to vacate responsibility for their group. We note the excellent
   resumption of the working group on "GNU Philosophy Translation", which
   regularly publishes new translations on www.gnu.org, and new joiners
   have taken charge of working groups "Documentation/Labo". Working
   groups with fixed deadlines, like the organisation for Linux Expo
   stand, have been also well managed.

   The working group called "Samedis du Libre" ("Free Software
   Saturdays") has recently taken off again with the help of GCU-Squad
   and Parinux, and will take place one saturday per month, at the
   Cyberbase of La Villette (the first meeting took place on November
   17th and was a critically acclaimed success).

   The groups "Documentation" and "Labo" ("Laboratory") have been dormant
   since the last time Alain Riffart added documention.

   The group "Press review" was created in June 2001 and appears to be
   proceeding well. Nicole regularly sends newspaper cuttings to the FSF.

   The group "Free Software and scientific research" was created, and
   some dicussion has started.

   The group "Education" will soon revive under the leadership of
   Charlie.

   The other groups are really dormant (Catalog, interviews).

Server Administration and Web

   Lots of procedures have been/are being set up to facilitate the
   administration of the association's server.

   The management of website is provided by CVS/WML, allowing a
   cooperative administration, despite some architectural limits. Lol
   Zimmerli, the current webmaster, has done a very good job, but now
   wishes to stand down (volunteers wanted).

   The association's machine has moved to Easynet's building.

   New administrators joined the team in charge of server administration.
   Incidentally, organisation problems in the team still exist and need
   to be resolved.

Activities

   The association took part in numerous activities on several occasions
   (organisation, event stand holding, meeting, ..).

   We can specially note this year:
     * Linux Expo on February 2001
     * Internet festival 2001 (with Parinux) at La Villette (from 27/02
       to 04/03)
     * Free Software Saturdays (with GCU) by Internatif: multimedia
     * address@hidden, Paris, June 13th 2001
     * Taking part in a Zelig meeting (intervention of Fred, thierry
       laronde, paper of fred, aris, benj)
     * Taking part Took in the publication of the 'Multitudes' issue on
       Intellectual Property
     * Action on Ecole Centrale de Paris to release VideoLan under the
       GPL (FSF Awards)
     * Sponsoring LSM 2001 (10 kf) [LSM = Free Software Meeting]
     * Taking part in the organisation of LSM (Subjects: law and free
       software, python)
     * organisation of 3rd FSF Award
     * APRIL member meeting, Paris, June 9th 2001
     * APRIL/FSF France Convention at LSM, July 7 2001
     * Launching of "Libre en Fête" (Free software festival)
     * Meeting with CNRS for GPL translation
     * contact with Technopole of Libre Software of Soissons (information
       exchange, the technopole became April member, getting in touch
       with journalists, european contest of Libre, legal aspects, APRIL
       became partner of Technopole)
     * Active participation in organisation of LSM (topics: law,
       press, ..)
     * Paper for the EPFL newspaper
     * Paper for Tribunix
     * Meeting with the senator of Nice for the creation of a future free
       software "technopole".
     * Cryptography Meeting about law on information society, taking part
       in LSI Jolie
     * Setting up of an "introduction to free software" for INJEP
     * Tasca Tax
     * Lemon price to IBM at Linux Expo 2001 (patents)
     * several articles/papers written to answer to Microsoft's FUD or
       others
     * Days of free software in education (on Raphaël's own initiative),
       sponsorship, hosting of the website

   Entertainments:
     * Free software picnic
     * Cheese and Wine

   Conferences:
     * Fred appearance and conference during Montpellier's "Last Jeudi"
       (Last Thursday) on May, 31th 2001
     * Conference about FSF Europe during LSM 2001's closing
     * Round table on Free Software in La Villette during the Internet
       Festival
     * 2 conferences in Évry's INT
     * Cedar in Nice
     * LinuxDay in Luxembourg
     * Second Day of free software in the Civil Service (Paris)
     * Compiègne's University of Technology
     * Round table during the Education Exhibition (Paris)
     * "Autour du Libre" 2001 (About Free Software) (Brest)
     * Radio broadcast on FPP
     * Radio broadcast on France Culture
     * ESCP
     * cocktail/debate at Globenet
     * Benchmark Group Forum (Paris)
     * Debate about Free Software in the IE Club (Paris)
     * Remics in Bordeaux
     * Club de l'Hypermonde (Paris)
     * Round table on Free Software in Hourtin
     * Ceenet in Hungary
     * Free Software Day in Montpellier

   More APRIL specific actions:
     * Update of the APRIL FAQ
     * Completion of the APRIL booklet + Press release
     * Setup of Catalog
     * English and Portuguese versions of the website
     * Install of the Mantis task manager (after being modified)
     * Creation of the "howto actions de terrain" (live action howto) in
       progress
     * APRIL visit cards
     * Agreement to host translated resources which were "expelled" from
       gnu.org
     * Initiation of the "Developer's Map" project, later left to the
       FSFE
     * Ordering of the APRIL t-shirts (blue and yellow)
     * "member management" project started and stopped
     * Setup of Ezphone in the member section on the website
     * Jérémie commissioned on the association functioning
     * Server moved from Lolix to Easynet
     * Loan to ABULÉDU

   Several Initial contacts:
     * Initial contact with Noël Mamère
     * Initial contact with the Ministry of Culture
     * Initial contact with the MTIC (now ATICA)
     * Initial contact with the ASTI
     * Initial contact with the MACIF fundation
     * Initial contact with the Paris Town Hall
     * Initial contact with the Ministry of Formation (Mélenchon's
       Departmental Staff)
     * Meetings with people from the CNRS about a Free Software study
     * Numerous contacts with people more or less involved in EPN
       (Espaces Publiques Numériques -- Digital Public Area)

   Press releases:
     * Tax on digital aids: It's Mozart who is murdered! On the tax on
       digital aids
     * 100 000 bresilians threatened with death by patents
     * Congratulations to Ecole Centrale of Paris on VideoLan publishing
       under GPL
     * European Patent Office: Intellectual property? No, Intellectual
       Pollution!
     * Convention of APRIL in Free Software Meeting
     * Free Software Saturdays, going in search of new numerical
       countries via free software
     * On the presence of RMS in Paris (meeting with Noël Mamère,
       conférence at ENST, ..)
     * Relaying FSF and FSFE press releases (GNU GPL, creation of
       FSFE, ..)

   Patents on software:
     * Active participation in EuroLinux
     * Several interviews to journalists
     * Attempt to make people/companies who are not involved with free
       software aware of the issues.
     * meeting political representatives (Noël Mamère, Jean-Noël
       Tronc, ..)
     * Help for writing a book on patents
     * Miscellaneous actions: academy of technology, ..

   Several press interviews, among others: InternetActu, Politis, 01net,
   Internet entrepreneur, Cadres On Line, Linux Loader, Ordinateur
   Individuel, Silicon.fr, Monde Interactif, 01 Réseaux, Transfert,
   Login, Linux Passion, Place Publique.

FSF Europe

   The association played an important part in the successful creation of
   FSF Europe. 3 members of APRIL (Loïc, Raph, Fred) belong to the FSF
   Europe coreteam; some APRIL members are involved with the success of
   FSFE (Cyril, Jérôme, Hugo, Olivier, Gilles, ..) either by helping with
   campaigns, administration or webmastering. The association became the
   first associate of the FSF Europe. The FSF Europe has started several
   campaigns, in collaboration with the association and/or external
   people.

   Among these actions, we can note:
     * Setting up of contacts with other organisations about free
       software in the world (Africa, Japan, United Kingdom, Italia,
       Spain, Portugal, ..)
     * Advice on creation of an association for free software
     * Taking part in the launching of ANSOL in Portugal
     * Official start of the translation/adaptation of the GNU GPL into
       French Law
     * Setting up of a legal expert network (we have to find other
       lawyers)
     * Consulting for private individuals and companies
     * Setting up of the first GNU machine outside of the USA
     * Study into possibilities of deducting donations (tax benefits)
     * study into selling GNU goodies in France
     * involvement in the GNU project
     * education
     * FAQ about Hardware manufacturers
     * correction of the Unesco website on free sotware
     * SourceForge, VA Linux
     * experts in free software at european committee
     * Study into groupware solution
     * Savannah, CoopX
     * Presence of FSFE at World Forum of Education. FSFE has taken part
       by sending two papers, one introducing free software, the other
       offering a list of free software resources for education. Both
       papers were written by Raphaël Ducheyron.

Contacts with media

   Contacts with journalists are getting better and better, especially
   for non-specialised national press. Lots of interviews were done and
   journalists have also contacted us to record our opinion or to get
   information. The association is now clearly well established as a
   referee that should be consulted.

   Our press releases were mostly cited and/or used in press (electronic
   or paper).

   Last year we talked, within the scope of our contacts with media and
   our lobbying actions, of an official April moving closer to the FSF,
   with the objectives of signing a kind of partnership. This point is no
   longer on the agenda since the creation of FSF Europe and since APRIL
   became an associated organisation.

Lobbying

   An important but less visible activity of the association is lobbying,
   with numerous initial contacts in lots of circles (political,
   economic, ..).

   The patent question remains at the centre of many of our actions (on
   the APRIL side or the Eurolinux alliance side).

Conclusion and future

   APRIL is well established in the world of free software and its
   position is well understood, including even external people. APRIL has
   cultivated a privileged relationship with the media, decision-makers
   and so on in the field of free computer science. Its role has been
   strengthened by the creation of FSF Europe and by the official
   relationship between the organisations.

   The association is full of life, well organised and is building
   constructive partnerships. The creation of FSF Europe has increased
   the visibility of the association and the knowledge other people have
   of it. Nevertheless, the work load has also considerably increased
   this year and the question of the durability of the association is
   more and more pressing.

   Last year, several leads were mentionned:
     * Use of budget: permanent member, ..
     * priorities that the association should follow in free software
     * closely related activities
     * pool of active members

Thanks to...

   Thanks to all people, members of the association or external people,
   who allow us to successfully carry out all our tasks.


   Keys to understand the moral report on activities of APRIL in 2001


    1. About these keys
    2. Definitions
     _________________________________________________________________

                               About these keys

   Above explanations should help non-April members to understand the
   2001 moral report of the association. They are given as definitions of
   terms employed in the report. You will not find all definitions. If
   there is something you don't understand in the report and that is
   missing here, please ask me and I will add it.

                                  Definitions

     * AFUL: Association Française des Utilisateurs de Linux et des
       Logiciels Libres, association gathering companies and people who
       use free software.
       http://www.aful.org
     * ATICA: Agence pour les Technologies de l'Information et de la
       Communication dans l'Administration (Agency for Information and
       Communication Technologies in the Civil Service)
       http://www.atica.pm.gouv.fr
     * Cheese and Wine: April members are gathered around cheese and
       wine.
     * CNRS: Centre national de la recherche scientifique -- National
       Centre for Scientific Research. CNRS is a governmental institution
       for scientific research in France.
     * GCU-Squad: a LUG
     * INJEP: Institut national de la jeunesse et de l'éducation
       populaire. An institute of Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports
       -- Ministry of youth and sport.
       http://www.injep.fr/
     * La Villette: a place in Paris devoted to culture.
       http://www.la-villette.com/vp/html_us/main_us.htm
     * Lemon price to IBM at Linux Expo 2001: APRIL gave to IBM a
       tee-shirt (created for this occasion) to pay "hommag" for its
       contribution to Free Sotware. On tee-shirt, you can see: "Stop to
       mad software feeded with software patents!" and "Only free
       software can assure the entire ability to trace sources"
     * Libre: French people have got two words for the two meaning of
       "free". "libre" means "free" as in "freedom" and "gratuit" means
       "free of charges". As "libre" is more precise than "free", most of
       French people don't translate it.
     * LSI Jolie: created by a group of journalists and people who are
       advocates of freedom to use cryptography, its main goals have
       changed after september the 11th and now LSIjolie gathers citizens
       who defend human rights and freedom of expression.
       http://www.lsijolie.net
     * LSM: "Libre Software Meeting", also called "Rencontres Mondiales
       du Logiciel Libre" or RMLL. Free event that gathers in Bordeaux
       (FRANCE) lots of people involved with free software to meet each
       other, share information, and advance free software. The first
       edition was on july 2000. This event is organized mainly by the
       Association Bordelaise des Utilisateurs de Linux (ABUL).
       http://lsm.abul.org/
     * Montpellier: a town in south of France
     * Multitudes: a quarterly, cultural and political newspaper.
     * Parinux: a LUG
     * Paris' First Jeudi: people in Paris involved with free software
       meet themselves in a pub
       http://linuxfr.org/bouffe/mensuelle/
     * Personne morale (moral people): a "moral person" or "moral member"
       refers to, in an French association, a legal entity (company,
       department of the Civil Service, association, ..). So in most of
       associations you have two kind of members: "physical persons" who
       join an association in their name and "moral persons" which refers
       to a legal entity. April members decided to authorise "moral
       persons" as members only last year.
     * Samedis du libre: an event who takes place in La Villette (Paris)
       one saturday per month. Its purposes is to present, to a large
       audience, Free Software and how it can be useful. A theme is
       chosen for each saturday (music, image, and so on).
     * Sénat: the French assembly having the highest deliberative and
       legislative functions. Specifically, the upper and less numerous
       branch of a legislature.
     * Soissons: a town in France (about 70 km on north-east of Paris)
     * Technopole: an area situed near a big urban centre gathering
       research structures, technical education structures and industries
       using these techniques at the leading edge of progress". The
       "technopole" of Soissons is dedicated to Free Software.
     * Cedar : Coordination des Ecoles d'Art en Réseau. Network of french
       artist using the network.
     * Montpellier's Last Jeudi: people in Montpellier involved with free
       software meet themselves for speeches, presentations and drink
       beer
       http://lastjeudi.org/
     * INT : Institut National des Télécommunications.
     * ESCP : Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris.
     * ABULÉDU : free software for education.
     * Noël Mamère, Jean-Noël Tronc, .. : French politicians, MP, civil
       servant.
     * Tasca Tax : nick mame of a law about tax on digital recording
       tools.

-- 
Petition contre les brevets logiciels      http://petition.eurolinux.org/
Frederic Couchet                     Tel: 06 60 68 89 31 / 01 49 22 67 89
APRIL                                               http://www.april.org/
Free Software Foundation Europe                 http://www.fsfeurope.org/