Re: [Libreplanet-dev] volunteer page - create lp groups

[Peter]

On Thursday 26 March 2009 13:29, Graziano Sorbaioli wrote:
> I think FSF should change this entry of the volunteer page:
>
> http://www.fsf.org/volunteer/
>
> instead of
>
> Start a GNU/Linux or Free Software User's Group
>
> you should write a
>
> Create a Libre Planet Group.

I disagree, the GNU project's purpose is to provide people with an alternative 
to proprietary software. However, the Libre Planet's purpose is to make 
people aware of the problems with the software industry and shape their 
thinking. Once a person has chosen to adopt free software, they turn to the 
GNU project and friends. The GNU and Libre Planet are complementary projects, 
the one is technical, the other is socio-political. This means the GNU 
project no longer needs to advocate, but focus on developing fs, and let LP 
do the advocating.

The FSF now has a two prong attack, socially via Libre Planet, and practically 
via GNU. Personally, I don't think Libre Planet should address specific 
software directly. High Priority Projects do affect Libre Planet in that 
people have no choice in certain areas and it is in LP's interest to promote 
development, so it can advocate in those areas. The overlap between 
development and advocacy is necessary, but the roles should not be confused.


>
>
> You should unify the current different groups in the gnu.org website
> too: GNU/Linux user groups, Free software user groups and activist user
> groups.
>
> http://www.gnu.org/help/help.html

The activist user groups should move to LP, but the rest should remain GNU and 
outside LP's control.

>
>
> After all a Libre Planet group is supposed to be a group that includes
> all these features.

No, LP groups are non-technical, they have little to do with software, their 
mission is to promote ethical values and build a socially cooperative 
software culture. They do radio, video, news, and other media streaming. They 
develop infomercials and protest against restrictive products and laws. They 
provide the resources (books, manuals, tutorials) to help members create and 
run groups.

>
> This will help us defining a more precise guideline that will correct
> the bad behaviour of many "Linux user group" or "fsug".

LP has a broader vision to make social changes globally as well as locally. 
That means LP itself does global promoting, while local LP groups promote 
locally. A local LP group may decide to take on an open source group, but 
that is up to the LP group to decide, not LP policy. In other words, LP will 
promote "good behaviour" globally, while a local LP group may point out the 
difference between a fsug's behaviour and the LP's advocacy (note: I avoided 
judging the fsug, but simply made a comparison).

>
> Here in Italy many of these fsug and lug don't advocate freedom in a
> right way installing/suggesting and using distribution that are not
> fully free as in freedom.

I completely understand the situation, it is everywhere. This is why LP does 
not try to force people to change software, but influence their thinking. 
Once their thinking changes, their software choices will, too.

Again, personally, I believe open source is a greater threat than proprietary 
software because it reduces the values and misleads people into believing 
they're doing one thing, while actually doing nothing. Until the FSF can 
create its own branding (no FOSS etc), open source will always delude people 
into believing open and free software are ideologically the same thing. We 
have to get the message out that the free software movement is better than 
the open source and distinct from it. The GNU project can't do that, but 
Libre Planet should.


Peter