Group:LibrePlanet Ontario/Meeting Notes

Notes from Previous Meetings

June 29th, 2015

Held at the HeroBurger restaurant on Mt. Pleasant Rd.

• We lamented the state of Free Software gaming, and the prevalence of proprietary gaming engines like Steam.

• We lamented the state of Free Software administration, and how it seems that SysAdmins today don't know how to use Free Software tools.

• Outreach:
  • Sergio and Bob attended the Ubuntu/Debian Release Party in April
  • Rudolf attended a computer language interest group [I forgot details]
  • Bob attended a MapTime meetup in May, and a couple of GTALUG meetings

• Some of us (Bob, Sergio) exchanged GnuPG fingerprint strips, with the intention of digitally signing each others' keys. This could become a regular occurrence at LibrePlanet meetings.

• We discussed Software Freedom Day:
  • Software Freedom Day is Saturday, 19 September 2015
  • A venue is needed. Suggested locations:
    • Alleyne Inc. offices (Blaise will check)
    • Mozilla offices (Sergio will attend a MapTime or Mappy Hour[1] and investigate availability)
    • FreeGeek Toronto (someone needs to contact them)
  • Suggested format? After some discussion, it was decided to keep it simple for the first year. One stream of programming, with a second stream of Free Culture films; Laurel Russwurm can repeat the Free Culture Film Festival held in Kitchener in 2014.
  • Suggested schedule:
    • 10:30am - Presentation: What Is Free Software (Sergio)
    • 11:30am - Five Lightning Talks (organized by Rudolf)
    • 12:00am - Presentation (TBD)
    • 1:00pm - Presentation (TBD)
    • 2:00pm - Workshop (TBD)
  • Need to reach out to other Free Software organizations in Toronto; issue a Call For Presentations, Lightning Talks
    • GTALUG http://gtalug.org (Myles Braithewaite, Scott Sullivan)
    • FreeGeek Toronto http://freegeektoronto.org/
    • OpenData Toronto http://www.meetup.com/Opentoronto/ (Richard Pietro)
    • OpenStreetMap Enthusiasts http://www.meetup.com/OpenStreetMap-Toronto/ (Richard Weait)
    • TorontoCrypto https://torontocrypto.org/ (James Donaldson @darknetj)
    • HacklabTO https://hacklab.to/ (Scott Sullivan?)

January 20th, 2015

Duke of Kent Pub, Yonge & Eglinton, Toronto, Ontario

(bullet points rearranged slightly from the order in which they were discussed)

Meetings

• Host some meetings in other locations, eg. Kitchener-Waterloo or Ottawa
  • There was some interest from people in KW, but lack of easy/cheap prevents them from attending meetings in KW
  • There have been sightings of Libre Software people from the Otttawa area in the IRC channel ( irc://irc.freenode.net/#lp-ca-on )
• Meetings should be scheduled at regular times and at a regular venue
  • We'll try the Alleyne Computer Centre (???)
  • Meetings on a Saturday would encourage turnout from other localities
  • Hold virtual meetings to alternate with meatspace meetings
• Streamcast meatspace meetings with a full stack of Libre software
  • The software demonstrated
  • The platform OS running the software demonstrated
  • The streamcasting recording/broadcast software
  • The editing software
  • The output format should be in an open format, released under a Free Culture license

Web site

• Set up web site http://libreplanetontario.ca (???) to re-redirect to the Wiki page http://wiki.libreplanet.net/wiki/Ontario (???)
  • Post an RSS feed aggregator on a subdomain http://news.libreplanetontario.ca (???)
    • Potential feeds: Blaise Alleyne's blog, !Libreplanet group in the !Fediverse, Wiki updates
• Wiki should have sub-pages for chapters, eg. Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa, Toronto
  • Put them all in a Category:LibrePlanetOntario

Other

• Matt Lee from the FSF will be coming to Toronto on (??? Dates ???)
  • Invite Matt Lee to speak at the next LibrePlanet Ontario meeting
  • There should certainly be a post-meeting meeting at a local pub!

• Free Software projects could have a "Product Channel"
  • Corporations can issue RFQs, Purchase Orders, buy a license, get it all OK'd by their Legal Dept.
  • Channel partners (independent consultants, perhaps the developers) can provide support
  • Dual-license for corporate use? Maybe, maybe not.
  • May result in things like Marketing Managers on Free Software products; project focus being driven by sales rather than what's good for the project