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.

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.

The Free Technology Definition

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.

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