New York City: All Five Boroughs

Ideas for getting Free Software across to public in New York.

• Worries about this very process
  • You cannot use tech strategies to change the minds of non-tech people
  • We have to define the goals?
    • Is the goal to just advance revenue/membership of FSF?
    • Is the goal to get more people using Free Software?

• FSF could start a small college to develop software?
  • Well, ok, that's a huge job, but maybe a course that would help people learn about Free Software development process.
  • But, on the other hand, isn't that too Open-Source-y, not getting the politics out to people.
  • Can we show young people and students the community aspects?
  • Ethics have to be part of teaching development methodology
  • People trying to explore idea of freedom
  • What about a class where two competitive teams try to do a particular job?
  • Challenges:
    • Finding departments/professors that are receptive.
    • Need people who can develop courseware

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• How many people are off giving talks? How do we get more people giving talks?
  • Could prepared speeches be made available?
  • no, we need tools and people to help them to learn how to speak.
  • Challenges:
    • We have to make everyone join toastmasters
    • Public speaking is fearful for some

• Shouldn't we all have automatic links at the end of the email
  • .signature line that gets automatic general
  • Challenges:
    • bkuhn mentions having tried it but it didn't work well (only Orion gave)

• Should we be like the Mormons/Scientologists/Falun Gung
  • "Would you like to be contacted later from someone who will teach you about software freedom?"
  • But it's so hard to get across the ideas simply; no one knows or cares about software issues. This tact is less effective with such people.
  • Challenges
    • We don't want to be a cult

• Deface NYC Subway ads
  • Put a sticker on windows mobile ads that say... ?
  • Put up same ad with slightly incorrect information.
  • Challenges
    • It's illegal (or is it?)
    • Cannot be official

• Free Software in the elementary schools
  • Challenges:
    • Very very hard to do education stuff at K-12 levels, particularly in NYC

• GNU/Ubuntu