A progressive voice of the digital age, we are fighting for our digital freedoms in software, hardware and on the Internet. We watch for corporate abuse as well as promote knowledge and educate people about the dangers our rights currently face such as DRM and software patents. We do this with a focus on the Free Software movement and the ideals presented by the EFF, FSF, ACLU, and the hacker ethic. Please support our social mission
Subscribe to our mailing list: here
Subscribe to our announcements only list: here
SOFTWARE FREEDOM DAY IN BOSTON
What: Software Freedom Day Boston
When: Saturday, September 15, 2007 Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
*Where: Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, 5th floor, Boston, MA 02111 (in Boston's Chinatown, near the corner of Harrison and Beach) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=33+Harrison+Ave.%2C+Chinatown%2C+MA
How: Just show up! Email info@fsf.org to let us know you're coming.
Who:
Free Software Foundation (http://fsf.org)
Binary Freedom (http://binaryfreedom.info)
Boston Free Culture (http://freeculture.org)
Software Freedom Day (http://softwarefreedomday.org)
"When you turn on your computer, you're making a political statement. If, like most people, your computer boots Microsoft Windows, the statement you're making is that transnational corporations should control access to the most powerful public media that ever existed." -- New Internationalist, November 2006
Join us from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday, September 15, 2007 in Boston's Chinatown to celebrate Software Freedom Day! Let us know that you can come by emailing info@fsf.org, and get more up-to-date details at http://groups.fsf.org/index.php/Boston_Software_Freedom_Day . We'll have refreshments and there is no charge to attend.
Bring your computers and portable music players for help installing and configuring the free GNU/Linux operating system on them, and for following along with the hands-on demos and interactive talks! Wi-fi access is available, and we'll be giving out gNewSense CDs (http://gnewsense.org).
If you have a free software or free culture project you want to share with other people, sign up on-site to give a 5-minute "lightning talk".
We'll be one node in a network of over 300 events worldwide -- it's not often we get the chance to make that kind of splash. It'll be a great chance to meet other hackers, activists and artists in the area and to make plans for how we can work for freedom on a concrete, local level.
Here's the schedule, subject to change. The talks listed next to each other will be simultaneous.
- 13:00 - 13:30 | Registration, refreshments, meet people, free culture music and video, sign up to give lightning talks
- 13:30 - 14:00 | Introduction to free software and Software Freedom Day (Joshua Gay and John Sullivan from the FSF)
- 14:00 - 14:30 | Drupal for nonprofits workshop / Boston Free Culture presentation
- 14:30 - 14:40 | Break, music, video
- 14:40 - 15:10 | GNU Image Manipulation Program demo (Ari Pollak, Debian GIMP maintainer) / One Laptop Per Child demo
- 15:10 - 15:20 | Break, music, video
15:20 - 15:50 | Benjamin "Mako" Hill (FSF board of directors) / OpenOffice demo
- 15:50 - 16:20 | Six, 5-minute lightning talks
- 16:20 - 17:00 | Free software installation and assistance (including
Rockbox for your portable music player), music, video, & keysigning
More information:
* http://groups.fsf.org/index.php/Boston_Software_Freedom_Day * http://softwarefreedomday.org * http://freesoftwarefreesociety.org
Parking is awkward in the area, so it's best to walk from one of the nearby T stops:
- Red Line: Downtown Crossing (Chauncy Street Exit)
- Take Chauncy Street Exit
- Go right on Chauncy - go 0.3 mi
- Arrive at 33 Harrison Ave (on right hand side)
- Green Line: Boylston Street Stop (All Lines)
- Head east from Boylston St - go 0.2 mi
- Turn right at Harrison Ave - go 0.1 mi
Silver & Orange Lines: Chinatown Stop
- Head east from Essex St - go 0.1 mi
- Turn right at Harrison Ave - go 0.1 mi