Software Freedom Day, Team Christchurch

15 September, 2011

Subject: Software Freedom Day, 17 September

This Saturday is Software Freedom Day - a global celebration of free and open-source software and the international community that supports it.

The Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome internet browsers, the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, and GNU/Linux operating systems are all examples of free/open software that many people use efficiently every day. This combination of personal and business computer tools runs virus-free, saving time and raising both user productivity and technical experience. They thus form first-rate educational tools, and without licensing costs.

Software Freedom Day Christchurch’s organiser, Rik Tindall explains the core values thus:

“That such high quality software can be made available - licensed free for the good of community - speaks testament to the ability of the free/open software range to last.”

“The 1960s’ Unix operating system architecture was the original multi-tasking computer environment, designed to meet academic, scientific and public good needs securely. So it is no surprise to see Unix-derived descendants flourishing in the computing marketplace, and fully able match commercial competitors today,” Tindall says. “For the micro-processor age, GNU/Linux delivers both software quality and freedom of choice.”

Software Freedom Day is marked annually through demonstration on computers at the South Learning Centre, in the South Library at 66 Colombo Street, Beckenham. There is ongoing support in the form of an evening workshop there on the first Wednesday each month.

"The doors are open from 10am to 4pm Saturday, and take-home CDs of Ubuntu GNU/Linux are made available with installation help,” says Tindall.

“Video screenings and talks on the subject matter also feature, at this family-friendly, free/open community event. All interested are warmly invited to attend.”

Ref. http://wiki.softwarefreedomday.org/2011/NewZealand/Christchurch/SouthLibrary

http://bethere.co.nz/community/2011/2809-software-freedom-day-09

[Ends]

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