Group: LibrePlanet Activists/Messaging Ideas

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== Messaging Free Software - GNU 30th anniversary - Sept 29 2013 ==
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==Overview==
  
'''What do you love about free software? (Or why do you think it's important?)'''
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This area is for people working on how to message free software to newcomers. We're collecting existing materials that are good examples, discussing best practices for talking about free software, and working on new materials that can be used and shared by anyone.
  
* It's empowering, free software enables balancing power/resources access,
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==Existing Materials==
* Access to source code, becoming a developer and being able to learn how it works (education). Won't surveil you. Enables to DO. Came to political aspects later. * Puts people's interests above corporate interests.  Allows people to build things and solve problems by themselves.
 
* Better quality : more eyes. Control: you can improve/fix.Fixes a lot of the issues that arise from being unable to gain access to what are considered 'industrial secrets by those that may make an effort to monetize product via lock-in.
 
* Non-free software is automatically dis-empowering: it goves lots of influence on our lives/control to who? Such controls are coded in technology. This can be tackled by free software.
 
* Anonymity
 
* Conversations are possible -> direct access to developers/contributors
 
better and safer over time - encourages collaboration.  Free software implies choice.
 
you don't need permissions/budgets to get started and prototype, implement, put into production. There are still costs, much like non-free software, but initial permissions/obstacles are not hard requirements.
 
  
'''What is the best way you've gotten someone else to use or care about free software?'''
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==Materials to be created==
* Do not be the annoying bbq guy, show by example 
 
* Find out what people's problems with their computer are and help them find solutions using free software. Ask what you can help with.
 
* Teaching, finding people that are interested, teaching classes
 
* Never blame users, many don't have a choice.
 
* Don't make enemies, make allies: demonizing a technology or a user b/c of what they use will make for a veryshort conversation
 
* Using fear: it's very clear language, related to people's feelings
 
  
'''Brainstorming'''
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For now, let's divide these materials into sub-categories, based on various common entry points to free software.
* People doing social justice work.  Groups working to liberation and civil society.  People involved in political organizing.
 
* Apple is worth studying, for the nuances, and the way they subtly market to different groups
 
* Focus on Why, not the what.  Why do I care? If people don't understand why to use free software, then you have to explain it.
 
* My friend is a lawyer and a corp attorney.  She uses apple, because everything works and she doesn't have to think about it.  Is not having to think about it a good thing?
 
* Picking your battles is important.  My brother is a Mac User, but we share a lot of the same political beliefs.  It can be very hard
 
   
 
'''Who should we be messaging to?'''
 
(more stars=more important/more votes)
 
  
    **** The people around you, family and friends parents
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===Free Software Philosophy===
  
    *** journalists, artists, digital media makers, radio artists
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===FS on the desktop===
  
    *** Social justice workers/activits, people organizing/working in political organizations
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===Switching your operating system===
  
    ** Educators 
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===FS online===
  
    * People already gathering around tech, technical/other groups that depend on free software, free software user groups who don't know they are free software users. Some examples from Quebec: http://wiki.facil.qc.ca/view/Communaut%C3%A9s_d%27utilisateurs_et_de_d%C3%A9veloppeurs_de_logiciels_libres_au_Qu%C3%A9bec
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==Past meetings==
  
    Cooperatives: already organized, share the same values
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We have held a series of planning/working meetings at conferences in 2013 and 2014. Here are the notes from those meetings.
  
    Librarians
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[[Messaging Free Software - GNU 30th anniversary - Sept 29 2013]]
 
 
    * "Everybody" in different segments: simple message
 
 
 
    * policymakers
 
 
 
    "Cool" people, trendspotters/early adopters
 
 
 
    kids
 
 
 
    (Which of these are our top priorities?)
 
 
 
 
    **** The people around you, family and friends parents
 
 
 
    *** journalists, artists, digital media makers, radio artists
 
 
 
    *** Social justice workers/activits, people organizing/working in political organizations
 
 
 
    ** Educators 
 
 
 
    * People already gathering around tech, technical/other groups that depend on free software, free software user groups who don't know they are free software users. Some examples from Quebec: http://wiki.facil.qc.ca/view/Communaut%C3%A9s_d%27utilisateurs_et_de_d%C3%A9veloppeurs_de_logiciels_libres_au_Qu%C3%A9bec
 
 
 
'''What is the desired outcome of these conversations?'''
 
 
 
    Library computers run free software: public terminals, archives (media in open formats), staff
 
 
 
    Get ambassadors of free software in each group
 
 
 
    Legislation
 
 
 
    Increasing code/digital literacy among social justice folks - http://www.code.org/ - http://khanacademy.org/
 
 
 
    Kids learning to tinker
 
 
 
    Encourage mindful tech use
 
 
 
    More organizations committing to free software (artits, radio, media)
 
 
 
    (Using the software? An understanding of the ethics, new evangelists?)
 
 
 
'''What do we think are the challenges to successful messaging?'''
 
* Software has to be better, less command line. An example: converting video (ffmpeg2theora)
 
* Corporate legal defense, in anti trust
 
* Inertia, status-quo
 
* Availability (or lack thereof) of pre-installed h/w
 
* Learning curve, training
 
* Easier technical support
 
legal subsidies/1st one's gratis/grants with strings, Microsoft Dreamspark
 
* Disinformation, bad PR, FUD, lobbying money
 
* DMCA
 
* Cross-compatibility
 
* Finding good, working alternatives to cloud computing - an example: http://mykolab.ch
 
* Language: using proper terminology : https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html
 
    (Assumptions, framing, etc.)
 
* Pick your battles: some people don't know what the technology under the hood is, why should they care?
 
 
 
'''Sticky notes placed in an impact/effort matrix exercise: (30 minutes)'''
 
 
 
1. Suggest activities we can undertake to improve free software messaging.
 
Items are in order of + to -
 
High impact + High impact
 
 
 
    develop Robust non-cloud alternatives to Adobe creative Cloud
 
 
 
    Train community radio stations on free osftwar efor on air studio
 
 
 
    Choose a political/social org and offer to host a session on installfest/free software info
 
 
 
    Design a sample high shcoll free software philosophy curriculum
 
 
 
    Propose talks to non floss users
 
 
 
    Run a Gnome newcomers tutorial
 
 
 
Low effort, high impact
 
 
 
    Older students mentoring younger students
 
 
 
High Impact, low effort
 
 
 
    National free osftware parent association
 
 
 
    Ask city council reps what theyre doing about FS advocacy
 
 
 
    Artists: Dynabolic workshop at hackerspace, USB key
 
 
 
Medium impact, medium effort
 
 
 
    Local library just received grant for new computer lab: meet librarian to make the case for installing fs
 
 
 
    Make available content in free formats , upload to archive.org
 
 
 
    Encourage creatives to spread information near art ed centers
 
 
 
    Bring designers to FS
 
 
 
    Propose to atlk about FS to your kid's class
 
 
 
    Go to city council and provide opinions of FS
 
 
 
Lower impact, medium effort
 
 
 
    Reach out to Outreach Program for Women
 
 
 
    Invite more women to be part of Media Goblin
 
 
 
    Technology bulleting board discussion for sdf.org
 
 
 
'''2. Let people move other people's tasks around'''
 
Next steps: (25 minutes)
 
Who do we think we should talk to next? Key groups to make contact with?
 
 
 
    Former Google / Apple employees
 
 
 
    Larry Lessig
 
 
 
    Shared access to marketing/PR firms (via FSF?): Spitfire, Change through story, how to address the media
 
 
 
    Cory Doctorow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_doctorow
 
 
 
    Dan Cohen
 
 
 
    Yochai Benkler - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yochai_Benkler
 
 
 
    Sue Gardner - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Gardner
 
 
 
    Mike Linksvayer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Linksvayer
 
 
 
    Gabrielle Coleman http://codingfreedom.com/
 
 
 
    Move On
 
 
 
    Noam Chomsky - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_chomski
 
 
 
    George Lakoff - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lakoff
 
 
 
    Michael Pollan - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lakoff
 
 
 
    Eben Moglen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eben_Moglen
 
 
 
'''Would we like to stay in touch as a group? If so, how?'''
 
Join the mailing list:
 
* https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:LibrePlanet_Activists
 
IRC: #libreplanet
 
Where can we share our existing resources with each other?
 
Mailing list
 
 
 
    In person events: let other people where we go through diaspora, mailing list, email
 
 
 
    Publish on the Wiki
 
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==

Revision as of 10:03, 8 July 2014

Overview

This area is for people working on how to message free software to newcomers. We're collecting existing materials that are good examples, discussing best practices for talking about free software, and working on new materials that can be used and shared by anyone.

Existing Materials

Materials to be created

For now, let's divide these materials into sub-categories, based on various common entry points to free software.

Free Software Philosophy

FS on the desktop

Switching your operating system

FS online

Past meetings

We have held a series of planning/working meetings at conferences in 2013 and 2014. Here are the notes from those meetings.

Messaging Free Software - GNU 30th anniversary - Sept 29 2013

Links

[1] [2] [3]