User:MagicFab

Fabián Rodríguez

This user is playing free media formats.

Contact information

Always see my personal website for current contact information.

About me

I am a consultant, mostly doing "free IT" advocacy & coaching (software , hardware, formats, licenses) in and around Montreal, QC, Canada, focusing on training, security and migration from non-free IT. I am open to any full-time positions or opportunities. My full contact information is available on my personal site.

I am interested in free technologies advocacy (including formats, content, licensing) & training for new users, with an emphasis on security. I am fluent in English, French and Spanish.

See my LinkedIn profile for more information. I also microblog on Identi.ca and occasionally blog on my website.

I have adapted the Free Software Definition principles to apply them broadly in technology usage:

• The freedom to use the technology, for any purpose (freedom 0).
• The freedom to study how any given technology works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code, schematics, plans or creation / manufacturing instructions are a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
• The freedom to improve a technology, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code, schematics, plans or creation / manufacturing instructions are a precondition for this.

Although there is no local FSF chapter in Quebec province or in Canada, FACIL is probably the closest thing we have. I volunteer my time and participate in both organizations.

At the FSF

• As an associate member since 2005, I closely follow FSF activites and try to help in any local events. The last one was the Salon des Logiciels Libres du Québec where I hosted the FSF kiosk.
• I volunteer my time in translation and wiki content maintenance. The first document that caught my attention was the GPLv2 license, which was missing a paragraph in French. Lately I contributed to FDroid, part of the Replicant project for Android devices.
• Within the High Priority projects I contribute by testing and using Trisquel. As a former Ubuntu Systems senior support analyst at Canonical for 4 years I try to document my findings, share best practices and help other users transition to Trisquel or use Ubuntu with as much free software as possible, targeting 100% :)
• Every year I help organize and participate in local activities during the Software Freedom Day
• I have a keen interest in free, open media formats, which makes my advocacy work often intersect with the PlayOgg and Defective by Design campaigns. I use archive.org regularly to illustrate transcoding and hosting media formats and often bring attention of local media to the problems introduced when using Flash only. I currently coordinate a campaign to get Radio-Canada to use free formats on their web site.

At FACIL

• I am a founding member and was part of the administrative board in the past, mostly involved with membership matters and the commercial providers directory
• I am a regular contributor to the wiki (which is temporarily down), with French resources like Ogg Theora, or Free formats
• I participate in the Forum mailing list and volunteer at the Ateliers du Libre.
• I actively network with other organizations.
• I often promote and produce local Free Software advicacy events. Such events are listed from most recent to oldest as delicious bookmarks.

Other projects I am active in

• MagicFab @ Ubuntu
• MagicFab @ LibreOffice