Location(s)

What do people mean when they say "free software"? What do we lose as a movement when we make decisions to use tools that are developed by profit-centric corporations? What community-centric alternatives exist?

In answering the above questions, we will give an accessible history of Free/Open Source software, including touching on licensing and copyright issues and then applying them to an activist community project, Radical Reference. This is a discussion for activists that use the internet as well as those that consider themselves to be techies.

1. Survey the room to see what the level of technical and library expertise is, and, if it's a small group, what people want to get out of the session.


2. Open source development and librarianship: perfect examples of organized resistance


3. Introduction to Radical Reference (mission and tactics)


4. InterActivist Network model


• Network of trust
  
• Build vs. steal (f/oss vs. piracy)
  
• Low maintenance
  
• Digital representation of real-world community
  
• association with other technology groups built through active collaboration on individual projects (tao, silc) (autonomedia, Info Exchange) (IAA, txtmob) (Mayfirst/Peoplelink, USSF)
  
• small scale (think of low-power FM vs. Democracy Now, both are valueble, one is easier for small groups to replicate)


5. F/OSS definition & history
   
   • what we mean by free
     
   • Licensing: protecting the public domain from capitalism
     
   • Google (when free is not free)
     
   • Community centric decision making
     
   • Open source development contrasted with organizing work
     
   • Openness, transparency
   
   
6. Privacy vs. openness in libraries and Rad Ref


7. Tools


• Drupal content management system
  
• LightningBug "activist mobilization toolkit"
  
• GAIM and Adium IM clients and SILC secure communications
  
• Wiki collaborative content
  
• Mantis bug tracker
  
• TXTMob cell phone distribution lists


8. Favorites from the group


• Amarok media player for Linux
  
• Audacity audio editor
  
• Blender 3D rendering

• Cinelerra media editing for Linux
• Firefox web browser
  
• GIMP graphic/image creation/manipulation (alternative to photoshop)

• Grass GIS
• Linux operating system
  • Ubuntu Linux (best for desktop use)

  • Debian Linux (favorite for servers)
  
  
• OpenOffice and NeoOffice Microsoft Office clones
  
• QGIS GIS
  
• Scribus desktop publishing

• Songbird media player
  
• SourceForge repository of f/oss tools

• VLC media player
9. Barriers to using open source tools


10. The Internet as a mass movement
    
    • Techies as activists
      
    • Getting help (search on your error messages)
      
    • Giving back (blog your experiences and problems)(participate in development community as a user)
    
    
11. Open discussion