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Mailing lists
There are two mailing lists you can subscribe to, allowing you to stay in the loop regarding Software Freedom Day:
SFD Announcement mailing list
- Subscribe here
- Low volume
- Announcing events
- Mails are archived
SFD Discussion mailing list
- Subscribe here
- Can become very active at moments
- Encourages discussion about topics related to Software Freedom Day
- Mails are archived
Localize
If you would like to help to localize the SFD website and wiki pages into your languages, there are a few pages we would suggest you to start with. We would consider firstly translate:
Then you have the Country, City and Team pages. There are actually templates to translate and our structure is like this.
Let's take Country as an example:
- You look at wiki.softwarefreedomday.org/CountryEnTemplate , we also take it that the language code is ee.
- So you need to create a new page template called CountryEeTemplate at the root of the wiki where you will add the translated content of CountryEnTemplate.
- Same goes for CityEeTemplate and TeamEeTemplate.
- And finally you go also translate the Countdown into Ewe.
For that we have the documentation available at the countdown wiki page.
You will need to be a little familiar with Inkscape and upload the final PNG to the Countdown page together with the modified svg file.
So based on your availability you can do just what you have time to do.
Should you need specific help, please email to our mailing list.
Thank you very much for your help.
Why FOSS?
Why use Free Software?
Free and open source software (or FOSS) is software that respects your freedoms and makes its source code available. Chances are you’re already using free and open-source software without even knowing it. In case you need more convincing, here are the undeniable reasons why you should start using FOSS now.
There are definitely a lot of reasons why we should use FOSS and GNU/Linux Systems:
- Freedom matters! (freedom to create, share, invent, collaborate, learn and modify).
- Free of cost (not always but you always have choice).
- Lots of choice, not only what to use but also how to use it.
- No vendor lock in.
- FOSS encourages open standards (odt, png ..).
- Fewer viruses (for GNU/Linux systems).
- It's the best way to avoid piracy.
- It Builds Community
- Computers last longer
- Ethical
- Everybody can try and play.
- Promote transparency and accountability, you (can) know what you are installing and using.
- Free software gives you back control over your computer.
- Lots of community support, you can even get to talk to the people who developed the software.
- Cross-platform.
- Foster real innovation and creativity.
- Promote honesty as there are lots of honest quality referees.
- Fight monopoly.
- Promote free market competition and creates lots of business opportunities.
- Keen competition helping to keep things move forward.
- It doesn't belong to any company, it belongs to us.
- Brings together people from all over the world.
- The most powerful way to build software as anybody can join in.
- Has passionate communities full of passionate people.
- Reward skill, ingenuity and willingness to learn.
- An outcome of cooperation and collaboration.
- It succeeds on its own merits – even marketing cannot save crappy software.
- It doesn't exclude anybody and its door is always open.
- Lots of free tutorials you to learn from.
- It accommodates everybody, from beginner to expert, from children to elder.
- It promotes knowledge sharing and allows everybody to learn from each other.
- It encourages easy customization, as we don't believe one product suits everybody.
- It doesn't sacrifice quality as there is no deadline – developers keep working until their product is perfect.
- NASA uses FOSS as it allows them to do things on a massive scale at little cost.
- You are free to localize it and share it with your country.
- GNU/Linux systems are famous for reliability and stability.
- Governments choose FOSS for its high level of security.
- Derivative works allow people to package software so that it interacts more seamlessly.
- Provide cheap and accessible platforms to prototype new ideas.
- Reduce the gap between software "producers" and "consumers".
- A great learning platform for students.
- It can stop 95% of computer users from being called 'pirates'.
- Open standards benefit everyone.
- Knowledge is meant to be shared.
- Weave your own code.
- No Windows, no Gates. Just open doors to a free world.
- Some things are simply beyond profit-alone approaches.
- Not prone to virii, crashes, instability.
- The corporate world uses it. Big time.
- It's there everywhere in, the internet infrastructure space.
- If you have no language solutions for your computers, you can create it.
- It doesn't encourage the culture of dependency and helplessness.
- The sharing culture promotes learning.
- It creates a meritocracy, where racism, class, geography have no place.
- IT promotes amazing diversity in global computing, like no corporate can.
- It promotes affordable computing, specially critical in the Third World.
- Doesn't place legal computing power beyond the reach of the bulk of the planet.
Happy Software Freedom Day!
Organize
Software Freedom Day (SFD) is an annual worldwide celebration of Free Software. SFD is a public education effort with the aim of increasing awareness of Free Software and its virtues, and encouraging its use. It is an event with hundreds of teams from all around the world running local events to help their communities understand Software Freedom. Check to see if there is already a team registered in your area. Perhaps there was an event in your area in previous years. If you want to form a team and run an event, simply check out the StartGuide and start pulling your team together and planning today!
All teams simply register online to be part of Software Freedom Day. Get your team leader to create your team page and then register the team.
Be sure to check out all the information on the Home Page that will give you all sort of useful links and ways to participate, like joining mailing lists and more. The StartGuide will give you all you need to know to ensure you have an awesome event, and make sure you update your SFD team page so people can find you.
Lastly, encourage your friends, family and associates to come to Software Freedom day, and use the opportunity to chat to them about software freedom matters, even to non-geeks :)