Re: [Libreplanet-IT] Free Software Supporter -- Issue 53, August 2012

[paolo del bene]

 1 : Digest di LibrePlanet-IT, Volume 40, Numero 5
 oggetto: "Free Software Foundation" da Paolo Del Bene a LIBREPLANET-IT

> # Free Software Supporter
> Issue 53, August 2012
>
> Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's
> monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 60,580
> other activists. That's 1,286 more than last month!
>
> Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by
> adding our subscriber widget to your web site.
>
>   * Subscribe: <http://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter>
>   * Widget: <http://www.fsf.org/associate/widget>
>
> Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues at
> <http://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter>.
>
> Multilingual? Send translations of the Supporter to
> <address@hidden>.
>
> ## TABLE OF CONTENTS
>
> * Why programs must not limit the freedom to run them
> * New DRM-free label!
> * Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
> * Guest Post: Why schools should refuse iPads
> * Interview with John W. Eaton of GNU Octave
> * Fall licensing internship application deadline fast approaching
> * The Shield Act fails to protect free software from patents
> * Summer 2012 Trip to Europe: Photos from the Technical University of
> Munich
> * Show your support for GNU with our new pocketknife!
> * A model of free software success
> * LibrePlanet featured resource: Licensing Volunteers
> * GNU Toolchain update
> * GNU Spotlight with Karl Berry: 19 new GNU releases!
> * Richard Stallman's speaking schedule and other FSF events
> * Thank GNUs!
> * Take action with the FSF!
>
> ### Why programs must not limit the freedom to run them
>
> *From August 31st:*
>
> Free software means software controlled by its users, rather than the
> reverse. Specifically, it means the software comes with four essential
> freedoms that software users deserve. At the head of the list is
> freedom zero, the freedom to run the program as you wish, in order to
> do what you wish.
>
> Some developers propose to place usage restrictions in software
> licenses to ban using the program for certain purposes, but that would
> be a disastrous path.
>
> Richard Stallman's latest article explains why freedom zero must not
> be limited:
>
>   * <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/programs-must-not-limit-freedom>
>
> ### New DRM-free label!
>
> *From August 13th:*
>
> A unified marker for DRM-free files that also educates downloaders
> about DRM is a powerful way to increase the value of being DRM-free.
> People looking for ebooks in places like Amazon often have trouble
> figuring out which ebooks have DRM and which don't because Amazon does
> not advertise that information. This label is a step toward solving
> that problem, making it easy for people who oppose DRM to find
> like-minded artists, authors, and publishers to support.
>
>   * <http://www.defectivebydesign.org/node/2243>
>
> ### Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
>
> *From August 29th:*
>
> Join us on IRC in #fsf most Fridays from 2pm to 5pm EDT (18:00 to
> 21:00 UTC) to add new entries and update existing ones.
>
> Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to
> discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth
> of useful information, from basic category and descriptions, to
> providing detailed info about version control, IRC channels,
> documentation, and licensing info that has been carefully checked by
> FSF staff and trained volunteers.
>
> While the Free Software Directory has been and continues to be a great
> resource to the world over the past decade, it has the potential of
> being a resource of even far greater value. But it needs your help!
>
>   *
> <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/join-the-fsf-and-friends-in-updating-the-free-software-directory>
>
> ### Guest Post: Why schools should refuse iPads
>
> *From August 24th:*
>
> This is a guest post by FSF associate member #10916, David Steinhafel.
> It is a slightly edited version of a letter sent in April 2012 to
> discourage the Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) in Texas
> from spending $4,000,000 USD on iPads for their 2nd - 8th grade
> students. We hope others will send letters like this. The LibrePlanet
> wiki is a great place to share them.
>
>   *
> <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/guest-post-why-schools-should-refuse-ipads>
>   * <http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Free_Software_in_schools>
>
> ### Interview with John W. Eaton of GNU Octave
>
> *From August 31st:*
>
> This is the first in a series of interviews the FSF's Licensing and
> Compliance team is doing with maintainers of free software projects
> who choose GNU licenses for their work.
>
>   *
> <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/interview-with-john-w.-eaton-of-gnu-octave>
>
> ### Fall licensing internship application deadline fast approaching
>
> *From August 14th:*
>
> We are looking for an intern to work in our Licensing and Compliance
> Lab from September 17th to December 14th. If you are interested in
> interning with the Licensing and Compliance Lab this fall, the
> deadline for applications is September 3rd. You can review the full
> application details and apply at our internships page.
>
> This is an educational opportunity to work with the organization that
> publishes the GNU General Public License (GPL), handles license review
> and compliance for the GNU Project, and fights for software freedom.
> As an intern, you work closely with FSF staff members learning about
> free software licensing and helping to educate the community about
> copyleft, patents, and other legal issues related to software. This is
> a great opportunity for law students or legally minded hackers.
>
>   *
> <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/fall-licensing-internship-application-deadline-fast-approaching>
>   * <http://www.fsf.org/volunteer/internships>
>
> ### The Shield Act fails to protect free software from patents
>
> *From August 7th:*
>
> The Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes Act
> (SHIELD Act) fails to protect the free software community from
> software patents.
>
> On August 1st, 2012, the Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious
> Legal Disputes Act, or SHIELD Act, was introduced to Congress by
> Representatives Peter DeFazio and Jason Chaffetz. This act is meant to
> deal with the problem of patent trolls destroying software businesses.
> The bill would enable victims of patent trolling to have their costs
> covered if the judge decides that the plaintiff was not likely to
> succeed on their claims. While many are hailing the bill for fighting
> against patent trolls, it does not go far enough for us to support it,
> and it carries some risks that concern us.
>
>   *
> <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/the-shield-act-fails-to-protect-free-software-from-patents>
>
> ### Summer 2012 Trip to Europe: Photos from the Technical University of
> Munich
>
> *From August 30th:*
>
> RMS was at the Technische Universität-München, in Garching, Germany,
> on 11 July, to deliver his speech "Copyright vs. Community in the Age
> of Computer Networks," hosted by the Department of Computer Science's
> Lehrstuhl für Netzarchitekturen und Netzdienste, to a packed room.
>
>   * <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/20120711-munich>
>
> ### Show your support for GNU with our new pocketknife!
>
> *From August 31st:*
>
> The Free Software Foundation is now offering a smaller knife that
> serves as a great complement to our cybertool. GNU/Linux aficionados
> will appreciate the iconic GNU head logo. This 2 1/4" rally comes in
> your choice of blue or red, and boasts 9 useful tools.
>
>   *
> <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/gnu-press/gnu-press-announces-a-smaller-edition-of-the-fsf-knife>
>   * <http://shop.fsf.org/product/fsf-small-knife/>
>   * <http://shop.fsf.org/product/fsf-knife/>
>
> ### A model of free software success
>
> *From August 9th:*
>
> FSF board member Benjamin Mako Hill reviews a paper by Fabio Landini.
> He says, "'Open source' style efficiency arguments persuade a lot of
> people. Especially when they are true. But those arguments are only
> ever true because a group of ethically motivated people fought to find
> a way to make them true. Free software didn't start out as competitive
> with proprietary software. It became so only because a bunch of
> ethically motivated hackers were willing to 'subsidize' the movement
> with their failed, and successful, attempts at free software and free
> culture projects and businesses."
>
>   * <http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20120809-00>
>
> ### LibrePlanet featured resource: Licensing Volunteers
>
> Every month on LibrePlanet, we highlight one resource that is
> interesting and useful -- often one that could use your help.
>
> For this month, we are highlighting the FSF Licensing Volunteers
> group, which is a home for coordination among the volunteers who work
> with FSF staff to research and write about free software licensing
> issues. If you're interested in learning more about licensing and
> helping people do it right, please stop by!
>
> * <http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:FSF:licensing_volunteers>
>
> Do you have a suggestion for next month's featured resource? Let us
> know at <address@hidden>.
>
> ### GNU Toolchain update
>
> Nick Clifton covers updates to the GNU toolchain, including GCC, over
> the last couple of months.
>
>   * <http://nickclifton.livejournal.com/11428.html>
>   * <http://nickclifton.livejournal.com/11019.html>
>
> ### GNU Spotlight with Karl Berry: 19 new GNU releases!
>
> New GNU releases as of August 28, 2012:
>
> alive-2.0.0     emacs-24.2      help2man-1.40.12
> autogen-5.16.2  freeipmi-1.2.1  icecat-14.0
> automake-1.12.3 gdb-7.5         mediagoblin-0.3.1
> bison-2.6.2     gnubatch-1.6    parallel-20120822
> ccide-0.6.5-1   gnuhealth-1.6.3 wget-1.14
> coreutils-8.19  gnutls-3.1.0    cppi-1.17
> grep-2.14
>
> To get announcements of most new GNU releases, subscribe to the info-gnu
> mailing list: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/info-gnu>. Nearly
> all GNU software is available from <http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/>, or
> preferably one of its mirrors (<http://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp.html>). You
> can use the url <http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/> to be automatically
> redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
>
> This month we welcome Thien-Thi Nguyen as a new maintainer of alive
> (first release above) in addition to his work maintaining RCS, Jordi
> Hermoso as a new co-maintainer of Octave, and Thomas Young as the author
> of the new GNU package ccide.
>
> Several GNU packages are looking for maintainers and other assistance.
> Please see <http://www.gnu.org/server/takeaction.html#unmaint> if you'd
> like to help. The general page on how to help GNU is at
> <http://www.gnu.org/help/help.html>. To submit new packages to GNU, see
> <http://www.gnu.org/help/evaluation.html>.
>
> As always, please feel free to write to me, <address@hidden>, with any
> GNUish questions or suggestions for future installments.
>
> ### Richard Stallman's speaking schedule
>
> For event details, as well as to sign-up to be notified for future
> events in your area, please visit <www.fsf.org/events>.
>
> Richard Stallman has the following events coming up:
>
>   * 2012-10-03 Paris, France
>     * "The Danger of Software Patents"
>     * <http://www.fsf.org/events/20121003-paris>
>
>   * 2012-10-12 Tijuana, Mexico
>     * « El Software Libre y Tu Libertad »
>     * <http://www.fsf.org/events/20121012-tijuana>
>
> ### Other FSF and free software events
>
>   * 2012-09-15 Everywhere!
>     * Software Freedom Day
>     * <http://softwarefreedomday.org/>
>
> ### Thank GNUs!
>
> We appreciate everyone who donates to the Free Software Foundation,
> but we'd like to give special recognition to the folks who have
> donated $500 or more in the last month.
>
>   * <http://www.gnu.org/thankgnus/2012supporters.html>
>
> This month, a big Thank GNU to:
>
>   * Krishna Kunchithapadam
>   * Graham J. Lee
>   * David Johnson
>   * Steven C. Morreale
>   * Eric Moore
>   * Jelte van der Hoek
>   * Vernon Woolford
>
> You can add your name to this list by donating at
> <https://donate.fsf.org>.
>
> ### Take action with the FSF
>
> Contributions from thousands of individual members enable the FSF's
> work. You can contribute by joining at <http://www.fsf.org/join>. If
> you're already a member, you can help refer new members (and earn some
> rewards) by adding a line with your member number to your email
> signature like:
>
>   I'm an FSF member -- Help us support software freedom!
>   <http://www.fsf.org/jf?referrer=2442>
>
> The FSF is also always looking for volunteers
> (<http://www.fsf.org/volunteer>). From rabble-rousing to hacking, from
> issue coordination to envelope stuffing -- there's something here for
> everybody to do. Also, head over to our campaign section
> (<http://www.fsf.org/campaigns>) and take action on software patents,
> DRM, free software adoption, OpenDocument, RIAA and more.
>
> ###
>
> Copyright © 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
>
> This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-No
> Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this
> license, visit <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/> or
> send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San
> Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
>
> --
> Follow us on identi.ca at http://identi.ca/fsf | Subscribe to our blogs
> via RSS at http://fsf.org/blogs/RSS
> Join us as an associate member at http://www.fsf.org/jf
>

> Sent from the Free Software Foundation, 51 Franklin Street
> Fifth Floor
> Boston, MA 02110-1335
> United States
>
>