Manchester Free Software

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 19th August, 2008.

Are you interested in finding out how free software is really making a difference to people in Manchester? Well, Mick Fuzz from the Zion Arts Centre, will be talking about the Free Space Manchester project, which is providing young people in Hulme with free (in both senses of the word!) access to GNU/Linux computers.

Free Space Manchester is a new project, which has used LTSP to give new life to a cluster of old PCs, in an on going initiative to provide disadvantaged young people with computing and internet access. The group’s future aims include setting up an audio and video editing suite using free software.

The meeting will take place at 19:00 in the Manchester Digital Development Agency on Portland Street. More about the meetings and venue can be found on our meetings page.

If you’re coming, feel free to add yourself to the FSF Groups wiki page or sign up on the Upcoming event page. If you would like five minutes to tell us about something, please add yourself to the wiki or contact us.

On Tuesday 22nd July, Ian Forrester introduces us to BBC Backstage.

BBC Backstage is a developer network for the public in which the BBC opens its doors to as much data and content as possible. Now in its third year, Backstage is changing to reflect the changes in the landscape and placement in industry.

Ian Forrester, the head of Backstage, will explain some of the changes and outline some the big topics which Backstage are tackling ahead of the rest of the BBC and its unclear future in its new home of Salford Quays.

The event is in our usual location, the Manchester Digital Development Agency, beginning at 19:00. More about the meetings and venue can be found on our meetings page.

Update: Video from the talk is now available in Theora and other formats

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 17th June, 2008. John McKerrell gives an introduction to the collaborative mapping phenomenon that is Open Street Map, the project that aims to generate a streetmap of the entire world. John will also explain the workings of the Open Street Map editors and show how to map your own area.

Submissions for lightning talks are welcome. If you have something to talk about, maybe something you’ve done for free software, or events that may interest us, please add yourself to the wiki page or contact us.

The meeting will be held in the Manchester Digital Development Agency from 19:00. General information about the meetings and the venue can be found on the meetings page.

If you’re coming, feel free to add yourself to the FSF Groups wiki page, or let us know on the Upcoming event page.

See you there!

Richard Rothwell from M6-IT Community Interest Company will be talking about about sustainable education solutions.

Schools and students have been caught up in a cycle of computer replacement and upgrade for the past two decades. The development of free software solutions offers a route out of this cycle. The talk will cover potential free software solutions for schools and families to setup sustainable solutions that will enable them to concentrate on their key purpose - that of educating the individual. The applicability of these solutions for community organisations will be discussed.

Two key projects will be covered in detail: the installation of an extensive LTSP system at Handsworth Grammar School and the Families On-Line project in Nottingham, where the regeneration funding is being used to provide computers, with free software, and an Internet connection to socially excluded families. Mention will also be made of the Birmingham Friends of the Earth smaller LTSP network.

We will be meeting on Tuesday 20th May, 19:00 at the Manchester Digital Development Agency on Portland Street (directions).

If you’re coming, feel free to add yourself to the FSF Groups wiki page, or let yourself be known on the Upcoming event page.

The next Manchester Free Software meeting will be on the 15th of April. John Leach will be talking about the history of Everybody Loves Eric Raymond, the web comic depicting characters we all know and love from the free software world. He will also be telling us about his new free software hosting company, Brightbox, which provides virtual servers for hosting Ruby on Rails web applications.

There is also the opportunity for some lightning talks. If you have something you would like to tell us about, be it a free software project, or to raise awareness about free software issues, please add to the wiki page or mail us at <team@manchester.fsuk.org>.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday 15th April, 19:00 at the Manchester Digital Developement Agency on Portland Street (directions).

Our next meeting will be February 19th 2008, with Stuart Langridge (also known as Aq) of LUGRadio fame joining us for a talk about his experiences with free software.

For this next meeting, we’d also like to have one or two lightning talks, so if you’ve got a free software project or issue you’d like to raise, please sign up for a place - first come first served.

The event takes place on the 19th of February at 7pm at Manchester Digital Development Agency on Portland Street.

Manchester Digital Development Agency
Lower Ground Floor
117-119 Portland Street
Manchester
M1 6ED
UK

More directions

Registration!

In order to register for the event (you don’t have to, but it is nice to get an idea of the numbers) please visit the Eventwax page for Stuart’s talk or as previously, leave your name on the FSF Groups Wiki.

A well known and well respected web and Javascript developer, Stuart is known for his development prowess both inside and outside the web world. In addition to his web work, he has written two books about Javascript and AJAX development, has written various Javascript libraries and is the author of the popular implementation of various desktop widgets for GNOME, known as Jackfield. Opinionated, and possessing thick ginger locks, you always know when Aq is near.

For more information about Stuart, visit his blog - as days pass by.

Interested in free software? Keen to learn more about ethical computing?
Need a hand sorting your kernel from your operating system? Come along!

Where? MDDA

When? 7pm, 15th of January

Who? Aidan McGuire from Blue Fountain Systems talks about Free Software.

Fairtrade tea and coffee available at the event.

Sign up now!