Easy Advocacy

Part of the problem with tackling big problems like software patents is that they can seem insurmountable. It's hard to get started, easy to get discouraged and there's little gratification. We need to balance these with some smaller projects.

On 20 October 2011 Melbourne Free Software Interest Group brainstormed about free software advocacy project that could be achieved in the short term, allow people to get involved and get some satisfaction within days or weeks.

Promote free software PDF Readers on government websites

• Many website link directly to Adobe
  • eg. http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/432.htm
• Could we get them to link to free software PDF reader
  • or at least additionally to Adobe
• pdfreaders.org
• Approach a particular dept. as test case
• Accessibility
• Consumer choice

Give feedback to ATO on eTax

• Proprietary software
• feedback form
• Have since gone web based. Uses Non-Free Java script but is an improvement.

H-node

• h-node.com database of free software compatible hardware
• Could we have a sprint to add our own hardware to the database?

Librecore Free Software Bios Firmware

• A fork of Coreboot that allows users to boot their system with free software without the need for proprietary blobs.
• http://librecore.info/

Coreboot free software bios

• The base distrobution of a Free software Bios/Firmware. This version includes blobs (Proprietary software) for the sake of compatibility. We do not recommend this over Librecore
• Find some systems and recommend them
• h-node.com
• ubuntu-friendly

Secure boot

• sign the FSF petition
• action for us? many others are working on this

Membership with FSF, donations

• group donations
• OSIA?
• EFA

Linking up with EFA

Neighbourhood community centre

• free software
• repackage some LUV tutorial-type thing

Teaching at schools

Speaking

Getting involved in Unis

• doing your course with free software - Andy K
• free software tools
• lab computer
• are we focusing on unis or students?
• requirements on submitting assignments
  • getting course requirements changed
• Ben F: does MS office naively support ODF?
• course coordinators?

Help maintain FSF Free Software Directory

http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page

Thanking people make free software projects successful

This isn't strictly advocacy, but we could consider writing some (paper) cards/postcards to people involved in free software projects. Being thanked for the hard work you do and receiving snail mail help contributors stay motivated be fulfilled by what they do. We could even got some Melbourne Free Software cards printed...

Promote Free Software videos

• Video of Richard Stallman during his visit to Melbourne in September 2010. He describes free software and GNU.{: page-href="wiki:///easyAdvocacy"}