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| Free Software Conference 2010 |
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General Information
17h00 Closing Cocktail Buffet 17h30 Visit of the UOB Ethnographic Museum & the Balamand Historic Monastery The Free Software Conference FSC 2010 took place on the 8th of June at the Hariri Auditorium, University of Balamand, El-Kurah, Lebanon. It was a one day event featuring international speakers, including Richard Stallman, the president of the Free Software Foundation, Peter Heath, Acting Chair for IT HD/BAS and Masters programs at Abu Dhabi Men’s College (ADMC), Walid Karam, Ma3bar Coordinator, Feras Abou Chakra, LPI Middle East Managing Director and Diyaa Zebian, Managing Director, Novell MENA. The event’s sponsors and partners are as follows: the Linux Professional Institute (LPI), NOVEL, the Free Software Foundation (FSF), UNESCO regional bureau, Beirut, UNDP/ ICTD and the University of Balamand.
A welcome speaker articulated to the spectators the conference’s aim averring that it will raise awareness for the adoption of free software which is lacking in our Arab region and encourage people to enter the market in regions like Lebanon. He declared that free software equals free innovation that demolishes the barrier to market entry due to the profuse possibilities, freedom and accessibility that it grants. The speaker from UNESCO stated that we live in an era where ICT is playing an important role in our daily life. UNESCO’s role is to promote exchange of free education and information exchange, contribute in the dissemination of free software by supporting and raising awareness to develop and distribute free software. The welcome and introduction notes were followed by Dr. Walid Karam who in return introduced Ma3bar, a Free Software Initiative for the Arab Region. He asserted that free software is a matter of liberty not price which can be used, studied, modified, copied and redistributed without restriction. The discussion was followed by Richard Stallman who lauched the GNU system. He reported that the idea began in 1979 and was triggered by a jam in a Xerox printer. He was in a deep need for a source code that was refused to be granted to him because the owner had signed a disclosure agreement. Stallman thought that it was an unjust act that he should eliminate. He declared that free software respects the user’s freedom and community. On the contrast, non free proprietary software has malicious features acting as a barrier that divides people up. Stallman identifies four essential freedoms that a user must be granted including the freedom to run, study and change the software, help other people and redistribute exact copies and contribute to the community by distributing personal modified versions. He continually attacks proprietary programs labeling them as evil and social traps. He requests people to reject these satanic software that prohibit sharing no matter how attractive they are. He expresses his detest for Microsoft Windows by stating that it is a malicious proprietary software and revealing its drawbacks including the spyware, backdoors and digital handcuffs that act as limitations on what the user can do with his own files. In addition, he expresses his dislike of Apple that can uninstall an installation and Adobe flash player that has surveillance features or super cookies that the user has no control over. Stallman is not so fond of Amazon and refers to it as the “Amazon Swindle” instead of “Amazon Kindle” believing that it would serve a better description since it doesn’t respect the user’s privacy. He decided to develop a free software operating system because without it, users would never be free. He followed the development of Unix which is a proprietary portable OS. He invented the GNU that is compatible with Unix. The recursive acronym is a humorous one that stands for Gnu’s Not Unix with the aim of sending a message that it is like Unix but free while giving credit to the developers of Unix at the same time. Richard goes on describing Linux and its emerging problems with licensing and identifies copy left and non copy left licenses which guarantee rights to the end users and protect them from middleman who might temper with the free software and impose new restrictions, thus lessening their freedom. He stressed on the importance of not calling the project solely GNU or Linux because he wants to give credits to both. Stallman adds on saying that the four rights of freedom are faced with two implications: users refer to themselves as Linux instead of GNU users; users invented the term Open Source and only proposed a development methodology while leaving out various ethical ideas. He avers that it is the Free Software Movement’s responsibility to show people that free software is present and to get people to value the freedom it grants so that it won’t be lost in the long run. Subsequent to Stallman, Dr. Peter Heath discussed free software in the technical college. He explains that free software was born in academia, a place for learning, enquiry and experimenting. He declares that it is an ethical framework and universities are the best place to discuss, debate, listen and figure out where each stands regarding this issue. Feras Abou Chakra followed and informed the attendees about LPI’s mission in supporting industry need, OSS adoption, reducing cost, endorsing creativity and offering opportunities through the thousands of LPIC certificate programs that promote and develop skills for GNU/Linux. Following, the free software and its market recognition was discussed by Diyaa Zebian, the Managing Director of Novell MENA. Richard Stallman resumed with the discussion about copyright vs. community. He assumes that the copyright and printing press have time and breadth issues. He proposed that the time of copyrights should be reduced down to 10 years. He reminded the attendees that they should reject proprietary software, music, books, DVDs and anything that requires a proprietary means to be operated. He states that if you have Windows installed on your PC, either throw Windows out of your PC or throw your PC out of your window. In addition, he proposed that the breadth should be lower down to three broad categories: functional/practical works, works that say what people thought (memoires) and works of art and entertainment. Stallman concluded that sharing is good. Sharing bonds society. To attack sharing is to attack society. Wrap up and discussions followed as well as an auction over Stallman’s book and two GNUs. A closing cocktail buffet was conducted along with a visit to UOB’s Ethnographic Museum and historic monastery.
reported by Joanne Harb
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