From mako at atdot.cc Fri Nov 2 23:50:15 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:09:20 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Accidentally Accurate Message-ID: <20071102235015.DC9DA41FE9@volo.yukidoke.org> The label on this office project is [correct][1], but for the [wrong reason][2]. ![/copyrighteous/images/stapler-small.jpg][3] [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stapler [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staples_Inc. [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/stapler-small.jpg URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071102-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:04 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:34 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Ubuntu Community Council Message-ID: <20071105055004.B47D841A89@volo.yukidoke.org> Very quietly, the Ubuntu community reached a major milestone today when we held a [Community Council][1] [meeting][2], like it does fortnightly. The only thing different was that the council included five new members -- Mike Basinger, Corey Burger, Matthew East, Jerome S. Gotangco and Daniel Holbach. These members are, with the exception of Holbach, not employed by Canonical and were each confirmed by a vote of the full Ubuntu [membership][3]. Before the recent elections, I was the only member who was not a Canonical employee -- and I used to be one. >From a technical perspective, the founding Ubuntu team was able to benefit from everything that Debian had built -- a running start if there ever was one. From a community perspective though, we had to start from scratch and had to deal with the very difficult situation that [paid labor][4] and closely entangled corporate interests. Working with the rest of the team, I drafted a set of community norms (the [Code of Conduct][5]) and governance structures designed to keep both the community and Canonical under control. They seemed like good ideas but, because we didn't have a community yet, only reflected the sensibilities of Mark Shuttleworth, myself, and the rest of the early Ubuntu team. The highest Ubuntu governance board, the Community Council was initially filled with people that were in the room in Oxford when we came up with the idea: myself, Mark, James Troup, and Colin Watson. We decided that the council members should, and would, be approved by a vote of the membership. With no members though, we faced a bit of a bootstrapping problem. Three years later, Ubuntu has a vibrant community with hundreds of enfranchised members who have an up-or-down say on the members of the council itself. When we looked for new potential council members to propose to the community, we tried to pick the most active, most level- headed, and most representative group we could find. It was pleasing to see that only one member of the new CC board works for Canonical; Canonical employees are now outnumbered. It has been interesting to see announcements by [Fedora][6], [FreeSpire][7], [OpenSuSE][8] over the last few years proposing systems of more inclusive community governance structures that, perhaps not entirely coincidentally, look a bit like what Ubuntu has built in its attempts to empower users in that sometimes awkward community/company environment. Whatever the reasons, I think it means there's more pressure on us at Ubuntu to keep raising the bar. I see today as a great example of how we've done just that. [1]: http://www.ubuntu.com/community/processes/council [2]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommunityCouncilAgenda [3]: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntumembers [4]: http://mako.cc/writing/funding_volunteers/funding_volunteers.html [5]: http://www.ubuntu.com/community/conduct [6]: http://lwn.net/Articles/178518/ [7]: http://www.linspire.com/lindows_news_pressreleases_archives.php? id=197&all=1 [8]: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi- bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-09-2005/0004085250&EDATE= URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070515-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:04 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Selectricity Message-ID: <20071105055004.96C0741A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> ![/copyrighteous/images/selectricity_logo.png][1] More than a year ago, I [published][2] an election methods library called [RubyVote][3]. Interest in the library surpassed any of my expectations: I know of at least one startup using the library heavily in their core business and a number of fun sites, like [Red Blue Smackdown][4], that are using it as well. The point of course, was to make complex but superior election methods accessible in all sorts of places where people were making decisions suboptimally. It its own small way, it seems to have succeeded enormously. Over the last year, I've been asked by a variety of people if they could use RubyVote for their own organizational decision making -- tasks like electing leadership of a student group or members of a non-profit board of directors. Since RubyVote was just a library without a UI of its own, I had to tell them "no." I caved in eventually and got to work on a quick and dirty web-based front end to the library. That project grew into [Selectricity][5] which is a primarily web-based interface to a variety of different election methods and voting technologies. You can currently try out [quickvotes][6] which can be created in half a minute and voted on in a quarter but which bring all of the power of preferential voting technologies to bear on very simple decisions. Prompted by [Aaron Swartz][7], I also built a [mobile phone version][8] that's lets you send a short email or SMS to create or vote in a election. For those that follow research in voting technologies, there's not a lot of new stuff here. What's new is that this project, unlike the vast majority of voting technologies, is interested in the state of the art for everyone _but_ governments. Clearly government decisions are important but they're one set of decisions, usually only once a year. Selectricity is voting machinery for everything and everyone else. It was [announced][9] in a [variety][10] of news outlets today that Selectricity was selected for grant from [mtvU][11] and [Cisco][12] as part of their [Digital Incubator][13] project. As part of that, I'm going to be working with some other voting technology experts to bring tools for auditable elections, cryptographically secured anonymity, and voter verifiability to the platform (I have only rudimentary functionality today). There are a couple people who will be joining me on the project this summer and we will building out what I hope will be an extremely attractive platform for better every-day decision-making. More than the grant though, I'm excited about the visibility that use by MTV will bring to the project. Most of all though, I'm just excited about more free software and more (and more accessible) democratic decision making. My adviser Chris Csikszentmih?lyi [put it well][14]: > One of the big arguments against preferential voting, or new voting technologies, is the fear that they would disenfranchise the average person who doesn't yet understand how they work. Certainly, making all voting technologies open source is critical, but the issue of familiarity is worth considering. We?re hoping that MTV ? and eventually American Idol ? will move their voting over to Selectricity, allowing it to work as both a technical tool but also pedagogically, training future voters. Why not integrate democratic processes into all your software and communications tools? Why not use the best democratic processes available, so long as they're available to everyone? [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/selectricity_logo.png [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20060127-00 [3]: http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org/ [4]: http://www.redbluesmackdown.com/ [5]: http://selectricity.media.mit.edu [6]: http://selectricity.media.mit.edu/quickvote/create [7]: http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/ [8]: http://selectricity.media.mit.edu/selectricity-anywhere.html [9]: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/college/mtv-and-cisco-really-want-to- be-hip-with-the-kids-260215.php [10]: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=&ie=UTF-8&ncl=1116338478 [11]: http://www.mtvu.com/ [12]: http://www.cisco.com/ [13]: http://www.digitalincubator.net/ [14]: http://web.media.mit.edu/~csik/edgy/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070514-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:04 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Principled Objections Message-ID: <20071105055004.E291A41A89@volo.yukidoke.org> Once, I was telling an executive in a large technology company that mostly builds non-free technologies why I did not like most of their products and business decisions and about some of the things that I was doing to help their consumers work around them and avoid paying them in the future. Excited, the manager suggested that I consider a job with them at least in part as an advocate for these ideas within their company. I mentioned that my criticism was primarily principled and fundamental to the way his company did business. He responded, "yes, but if you take a job with us, you get to have your principles _and_ a BMW." I don't think he understood my principles. Perhaps, he didn't understand principles at all. URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070516-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:04 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] A Disturbing Trend Message-ID: <20071105055004.F330441A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> When I saw the first mutilated [Tickle-Me-Elmo][1], I thought it was slightly funny and worth a quick picture with the camera -- but I didn't give it much thought. [![/copyrighteous/images/elmo_truck-small.jpg][2]][3] Now that it's becoming a trend, I'm beginning to get a little worried. [![/copyrighteous/images/elmo_desk-small.jpg][4]][5] [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickle_Me_Elmo [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/elmo_truck-small.jpg [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/elmo_truck.jpg [4]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/elmo_desk-small.jpg [5]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/elmo_desk.jpg URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070517-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:05 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] National Free Culture Conference Message-ID: <20071105055005.5A1DA41A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> [Harvard Free Culture][1] is helping to organize this years' [National Free Culture Conference][2] -- the meeting for North American Free Culture student groups. The whole shindig is planned for May 26, 2007 at Harvard University here in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The [schedule][3] is solidifying and I will presenting and arguing for adoption or support of the [Free Cultural Works Definition][4] within the FC student movement and probably also be talking about community building and advocacy in some free software groups I've worked with. Housing is available and the event is open to the public. If you?d like to attend, speak, or help out with the conference, please email [freeculture@hcs.harvard.edu][5] or check out the [Facebook event][6]. If you're on the fence about attending, you can read this [glowing endorsement of the conference][7] by high protectionist James DeLong at IP Central. [1]: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/freeculture/ [2]: http://freeculture.org/blog/2007/04/23/natl-conf-may-26 -cambridge-ma/ [3]: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~freeculture/blog/?page_id=69 [4]: http://freedomdefined.org [5]: mailto:freeculture@hcs.harvard.edu [6]: http://harvard.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2265844153 [7]: http://weblog.ipcentral.info/archives/2007/05/free_culture_2.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070520-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:05 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Free Culture Talk Recording Message-ID: <20071105055005.2695341A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> As I mentioned [previously][1], I was graciously given the opportunity to speak the crowd at the [Free Software Foundation's][2] [Members Meeting][3] in March about some of my work and activism around Free Culture. In front of what was probably the friendliest audience possible, I compared the free software and free culture movements and explained why I think that free culture movement may be off track -- and, of course, what we as a community might be able to do about it. If you listen to it, please try to forgive my faults as a speaker. The message I tried to convey is what I think is one the most important tactical issues facing free culture. If this talk dwells a little too long on free software and the lessons we might take from that world, please consider my audience. You can listen to the talk here: * Talk ([OGG Vorbis][4] or [MP3][5]) * Q&A ([OGG Vorbis][6] or [MP3][7]) [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20070312-00 [2]: http://www.fsf.org/ [3]: http://www.fsf.org/associate/meetings/2007 [4]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-talk-fsf_members_meeting.ogg [5]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-talk-fsf_members_meeting.mp3 [6]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-qa-fsf_members_meeting.ogg [7]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-qa-fsf_members_meeting.mp3 URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070518-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:05 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] One Stop Shop Message-ID: <20071105055006.3A86741A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> I appreciate the appropriate, if not entirely intuitive, juxtaposition of items in aisle 7F of my local drug store. ![Aisle 7F: Health Care, Diet Needs, Ice Cream][1] [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/aisle_7f.jpg URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070521-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] State of Head Message-ID: <20071105055006.5A66941A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> When [Mika][1] gave me a haircut a couple days ago, I was a little concerned she might give me a bad haircut. I realized I was worried because bad haircuts have become cool and I was afraid of looking [hip][2]. [1]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_%28contemporary_subculture%29 URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070525-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] European Tour Message-ID: <20071105055006.68E6E41A89@volo.yukidoke.org> I'm off on a short European tour for the next weeks -- in all likelihood my only trip to Europe this summer. I'll be visiting three conferences where I have planned talks. These include: * [The iCommons iSummit][1] (essentially, the [Creative Commons][2] conference). I'll be talking about philosophy of free culture movement and continuing my pitch for a [set of goals for free culture][3] and the [Definition of Free Cultural Works][4]. I'll be in Dubrovnik Croatia between 14-18 June and will be giving a talk 16 June. * After missing last year -- my first absence since DebConf 1 -- I'll be at [DebConf 7][5], this years instance of the annual Debian Conference. I'll be giving a [an overview of academic work on Debian][6] on 21 June and facilitating [a round-table discussion among Debian derivatives][7] on 22 June. I'll be in Edinburgh for the shin-dig between 18-23 June. * For 26-28 June, I'll be a guest of [Eric von Hippel][8] in Copenhagen for a small meeting/workshop of people interested in and working on issues around von Hippel's idea of, [user innovation][9] -- an area of research I am seriously considering pursuing full time next year. Between 23-26 June, I'll be traveling through the UK from Edinburgh. I have tentative stops planned for a variety of places along the way including Manchester, Cambridge, and London. I suppose there will be pub nights or something similar in each place. Get in [contact][10] if you want to meet up along the way. [1]: http://icommons.org/static/isummit-07/ [2]: http://creativecommons.org/ [3]: http://mako.cc/writing/toward_a_standard_of_freedom.html [4]: http://freedomdefined.org/ [5]: https://debconf7.debconf.org/wiki/Main_Page [6]: https://penta.debconf.org/~joerg/events/98.en.html [7]: https://penta.debconf.org/~joerg/events/99.en.html [8]: http://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/ [9]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_innovation [10]: http://mako.cc/contact.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070615-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Visions of Free Culture Message-ID: <20071105055006.8B10141A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> At the [Free Culture National Conference][1] a few weeks ago, Kevin Driscoll initiated [a project][2] that I feel is hugely important: he's prompted the free culture community to state and share their vision. While I've talked [a lot][3] [about][4] definitions in the past, I probably should have been talking about goals or vision. Kevin has created an important opportunity for all free culture stakeholders to step back and imagine what the world will look like when we win. By doing so, we end up defining a set of implicit goals for our social movement and can then set to work on the hard part: figuring out how we get there. With thanks to [Eben Moglen][5] for much of the inspiration, here's [mine][6]: > People remembered that there is no scarcity in information goods except where they have created it. As evidence grew of the positive effects of free culture and the toll of information ownership, our communities decided that we were not well served by limits on the flow and development of knowledge. > > Accordingly, the gatekeepers and tax collectors for culture have withered away and were dismantled. We -- the consumers, creators, and re-creators -- have offered new, more ethical business models, have engaged in new methods of distribution, and have produced creative goods. > > Today, access to information is a simple matter of connecting someone to a network and a community: a technical problem that we know how to solve. Nobody pays for the "right" to hear music, read a book, watch a movie, or use a piece of software. Nobody is forced to choose between being a bad neighbor or friend and breaking copyright law. No artist, musician, or author sells a million copies of anything and no artist, musician, or author has a day job. Now [it's your turn][2]. Eben Moglen tell us to not stop until we're free. Let's paint a picture of what that free world looks like. Most importantly, let's challenge ourselves to find ways to make it possible. [1]: http://wiki.freeculture.org/National_Conference_2007 [2]: http://wiki.freeculture.org/Developing_Vision [3]: http://mako.cc/writing/toward_a_standard_of_freedom.html [4]: http://freedomdefined.org/Definition [5]: http://moglen.law.columbia.edu/ [6]: http://wiki.freeculture.org/User:Benjamin_Mako_Hill/Vision URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070622-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Joining the FSF Board of Directors Message-ID: <20071105055006.AFC1E41A90@volo.yukidoke.org> When I was 12 years old, I discovered free software. [That discovery changed my life][1] and I've never recovered. Over what is now more than half of my life, I have looked to the [Free Software Foundation][2] for vision, guidance, and an example of a free world and I have rarely been disappointed. The [list of directors][3] of the FSF -- Richard Stallman, Eben Moglen, Lawrence Lessig, Henri Poole, Jerry Sussman, Hal Abelson, and Geoffrey Knauth -- doubles as a list of some of my greatest heroes and role models. As such, I lack the words to describe how it feels that, just yesterday, I was elected to the board of directors of the Free Software Foundation. With Moglen [having stepped down][4] I have staggeringly large shoes to fill. I'm more than a little intimidated. At 26 years old, I suspect that I'll be the youngest person on the board by quite a bit. This means I'll have to try and make up with hard work and passion what I lack in experience and wisdom. It's a challenge I look forward to. With free software becoming increasingly successful and widespread, we've already begun to see push back. I suspect that in the next years, we'll see much more. We reaching the dangerous part of the, "first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" progression. I'll do what I can to defend freedom until we've won. In order to ensure that I have the time necessary, I'm going to be resigning from the board of [Software Freedom International][5] and will consider reducing and resigning some of my other commitments as well. If you want to support my work with the foundation, you can become an [associate member][6]. [1]: http://mako.cc/writing/unlearningstory/StoryOfUnlearing.html [2]: http://www.fsf.org [3]: http://www.fsf.org/about/leadership.html [4]: http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/blog/organizations/SFLC/Transition.html [5]: http://softwarefreedomday.org/sfi [6]: http://www.fsf.org/register_form?referrer=3427 URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070626-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:36 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Significant Digits Message-ID: <20071105055006.D1FC941A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> According to the advertisements (and [Wikipedia][1]), the film Live Free or Die Hard is being marked as [Die Hard 4.0][2] outside of North America. **This is too many significant digits.** [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hard_4.0 [2]: http://www.foxinternational.com/diehard4/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070627-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Measured Response Message-ID: <20071105055007.000B741A89@volo.yukidoke.org> I once saw a vending machine in Japan with a 200ml Coca-Cola, a 300ml Coca-Cola, a 500ml Coca-Cola and a 800ml Coca-Cola. Each one cost ?120. I was perplexed. I couldn't imagine paying ?120 for 200ml of something when they could get more (four times more!) of the _same stuff_ for the _same price_ from the _same place_. Just then, I looked over at [Mika][1] at the next vending machine. She was buying a 200ml Coke. "Why are you buying the 200ml one?" I inquired, shocked. "You could have 800ml for the same price!" Mika thought for a second and replied, "I only want 200ml of Coke." I just posted [a short review][2] of a slightly related study on the [Science That Matters][3] blog. [1]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki [2]: http://sciencethatmatters.com/archives/35 [3]: http://sciencethatmatters.com/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070702-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:07 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] DRM-FREE Message-ID: <20071105055007.1FC2241A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> Just a couple years ago, music and technology companies would advertise their [DRM][1] schemes. While these technologies _only_ served to prevent users of computers and consumer electronics devices from doing things, the media and technologies companies tried to spin it positively. Think of all the wonderful media that the music, film, and publishing industries will be willing to distribute to you at the click of a button, they said. All they asked for in return is the keys to your computer and the legal right to attack and sue you if you try to take control. As everyone who purchased iTunes music and made the mistake of buying a non-Apple [DAP][2] incapable of reading Apple DRMed music knows, DRM is a bad deal for consumers. Users are always better off with an unencumbered media file. In all the excitement over major label content, some consumers didn't see this immediately. With time though, [the inconvenience of a computer that does the Apple and the RIAA wants over what you want][3] hit home. This, combined with activist projects like the FSF's [Defective By Design][4], have turned the tide. The DRM label that used to be a badge of honor is now a stigma that smart companies are going out of their way to avoid. This past weekend, I saw this flier from [Calabash Music][5] in the crepe store across the street: ![/copyrighteous/images/calabash_drm_table.jpg][6] ![/copyrighteous/images/calabash_music_flyer.jpg][7] The store served a general, non-technical audience. DRM-FREE, it turns out, is a good way to sell music. Not just to geeks but to any consumer who has been stymied unfairly by DRM or knows someone who has. That, it turns out, is a whole lot people. Consumers know what DRM is and they know don't like it. As consumers learn more about DRM, they want to avoid it. Seeing this, the companies that produce DRM are looking for ways to escape. [The Apple/EMI deal][8] seems to be an attempt to protect market share that the use of DRM is threatening. Others, like HBO's Bob Zitter, are disingenuously attempting to escape the stigma of DRM by [simply rebranding the technology][9]. Of course, DRM suffers from a much more fundemental problem than bad branding. The problem with DRM is that consumers don't like what it does and are only sometimes willing to suffer through it when not given the choice. Increasingly often, as with in the example of the flier I found, consumers have a choice. Things don't look good for DRM. For DRM opponents, the self-defeating nature of the technology is our greatest ally. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_player [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20040930-01 [4]: http://www.defectivebydesign.org/ [5]: http://calabashmusic.com/ [6]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/calabash_drm_table.jpg [7]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/calabash_music_flyer.jpg [8]: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/04/02itunes.html [9]: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6440876.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070705-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:07 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Official Ubuntu Book Second Edition Message-ID: <20071105055007.48B4541A90@volo.yukidoke.org> I [announced][1] the Official Ubuntu Book roughly a year ago. Several months ago, I wrote this in the preface of the second edition: > As we write this, it is one year since we penned the first edition of The Official Ubuntu Book. The last year has seen Ubuntu continue its explosive growth, and we feel blessed by the fact that The Official Ubuntu Book has been able to benefit from, and perhaps in a small even _contribute_ to, that success. It's an honor indeed. The first edition received almost universally good reviews and sold very well. Due to the book's success, most of the group that brought out the first edition (plus a few others) reunited to update the text for Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn). After months of hard word and waiting, printed copies of the Official Ubuntu Book Second Edition arrived in my office today! They should be shipping out of the online stores very soon. The new version is updated throughout to reflect changes in Ubuntu over the last two releases and to document new features and improvements. Trying to keep a book like this up to date is a great way to learn about just how fast moving Ubuntu is (answer: _very_). Meanwhile, [Edubuntu][2] has blossomed over the last year. Through the work of Peter Savage, we've included a new chapter that deals with Edubuntu in depth. The book is bigger (almost 450 pages!), better, and more up-to-date. It provides a great introduction for those that are uninitiated to Ubuntu or to GNU/Linux and free software in general. We've tried to keep the price down (it is available for $27 plus shipping from most online stores) and should ship almost immediately. Best of all (at least to me), the whole book is released under a [free culture][3] license ([CC BY-SA][4]). The book is a major improvement on what was already a very solid piece of documentation. Everyone who contributed to the book (the list is too long to put up here) should feel proud. It was a lot of work but it shows. The opportunity to represent the Ubuntu community in this way, and to try to live up the distribution's high technical standard with the "official" branding, is a challenge and a reward that is worth the effort. You can order the book [from Amazon][5] or find it in any of [many other sources][6]. [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20060807-00 [2]: http://www.edubuntu.org/ [3]: http://freedomdefined.org [4]: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ [5]: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0132354136/httmakcc-20/ref=nosim/ [6]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Booksources/0132354136 URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070706-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:07 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Seeing Yellow Message-ID: <20071105055007.6DF3941A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> You may have heard some of the noise that EFF was making a year so ago about the [tracking dots hidden in documents by color laser printers][1]. A number of people contacted their printer manufacturers to ask how to turn the "feature" off. At least one person (who has, understandably I think, expressed interest in remaining anonymous) was subsequently visited by the United States Secret Service who asked him questions about _why_ he wanted to turn off the tracking dots in his printer. I've put up [a little website][2] with some others in [my research group][3] at MIT that tries to organize individuals to call into their printer manufacturers and demand that the feature is turned off. If many people call, the government won't be able to visit us all. We've made a [long list][4] of technical support contacts to help with the process. Please call your printer manufacturer today and spread the word about the site so that more people call in. The site is called [Seeing Yellow][2] -- a reference to tiny yellow dots that make up the tracking code -- and its online at [seeingyellow.com][2]. [1]: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/ [2]: http://seeingyellow.com [3]: http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/compcult/ [4]: http://seeingyellow.com/call.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070711-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:07 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Footnotes Message-ID: <20071105055007.9164641A89@volo.yukidoke.org> At the risk of seeming a self-aggrandizing, I wanted to point folks to [a nice biographical profile][1] that Linux.com is running about me upon [my election my to the FSF board][2]. I'm pretty honored, and excited, by the whole thing. The article talks a little bit about my road to free software and the FSF board in particular and about some of my ideas about the foundation and its work. There are three little footnotes I thought I would add to what I think is a great article: * The phrase "rebel with rather too many causes" was a phrase originally directed at [protest.net][3] -- a event calendaring system for activists that I was briefly involved in over a summer during college. I like the phrase and use it frequently but I didn't want to take credit for it. Google indicates that it originates in [NTK #53][4] I'm not at all surprised. * My parents worked as doctors in Kenya, Papa New Guinea, and elsewhere before they had children. This probably doesn't matter to anyone else but they worked with an organization that was _like_ [MSF][5] in that it was a humanitarian organization that sent physicians around the world but it was not actually MSF as the article states. I don't think MSF had grown beyond French doctors when my parents were practicing overseas. * When LWN [pointed to the article][6], and in the original was well, there a focus on some comments I make about non-profit organizations. Since in a context of talk about my political work I just want to clarify my comments in a little more depth here. I think that one problem that has stemmed form Open Source's emphasis on businesses and efficiency is that free/open source software people end up making arguments in business terms: you should use application X because it is more efficient and faster. For many of the folks who have built this whole movement though, and for most in the free software camp, [it's about freedom, not efficiency][7]. By targeting businesses, we encounter a skeptical audience. More importantly though, we end up making arguments that, while true, are not the ones that motivate _us_. I think that low-hanging fruit for free software activists might include groups that already support free software ideas of sharing and user empowerment and that are looking for ways to use free software already. Groups we don't need to be afraid about saying "freedom" around. Not so coincidentally, these are sometimes organizations that I have a lot in common with politically. But that's far from always the case. There's a big group of philosophically aligned organizations in the NGO /non-profit community and the problems keeping them away are often technical. This is good news, of course, since solving technical problems is the free software movement's core competency. This is something I've been thinking about for a long time: [Debian-NP][8] was one project I helped start that tried to address this issue. Now, many people involved in the FSF, including myself, have political convictions that go beyond software. I do not want these convictions, and my statements about philosophically aligned organization, to be interpreted as call for a political shift in the organization in mainstream political terms. I deeply respect the way that RMS has kept [his political opinions][9] separate from the Foundation's. [Biella][10] and I have ever [written about the importance of this political demarcation][11] to free software's success. It's certainly not something I would want to change. [1]: http://www.linux.com/feature/116647 [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20070626-00 [3]: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22rebels+with+rather+too+m any+causes%22&btnG=Search [4]: http://www.ntk.net/1998/07/03/ [5]: http://www.msf.org/ [6]: http://lwn.net/Articles/241393/ [7]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20060109-00 [8]: http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-nonprofit/ [9]: http://stallman.org/ [10]: http://www.healthhacker.org/biella/ [11]: http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0406/02_Coleman-Hill.php URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070712-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:07 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Still Seeing Yellow Message-ID: <20071105055007.B48E441A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> [Seeing Yellow][1] seems to have encouraged hundreds of people to contact their printer manufacturers and complain about tracking dots. Lots of reports (like [this one][2]) are popping up on blogs and being sent to me in email. There are reports in upcoming magazines. And as far as I know, nobody has been visited by the US Secret Service yet. I spent half an hour on the phone with HP. I filed a technical support request about the yellow dots and had to speak with the engineer for a while before I was able to convince him that this was definitely _not_ a malfunctioning printer. He checked out [seeingyellow.com][1] while on the phone with me and seemed to be genuinely shocked and concerned. He said he would talk to the other technical support people in the color laser group and would write up a report to send up the chain of command. I even had him promise not to turn me into the Secret Service. Please, [lets keep the calls coming][3]! We really are making a difference. Another thing people might do is call laser printer manufacturers _before_ they buy a printer and talk to sales representatives. Demand an assurance that the printer they sell you will not surreptitiously print intentionally identifiable information. Explain that you will buy from the first printer manufacturer who can give you such an assurance. So far, no company has. I was thinking about how it was slightly funny that [Brother][4] prints tracking dots in their color laser printers. One might say that tracking dots are courtesy of Big Brother, and Big HP, and Big Toshiba, and Big Xerox, and all the other big printer color laser printer manufacturers. [1]: http://www.seeingyellow.com [2]: http://john.whelans.net/archives/245 [3]: http://www.seeingyellow.com/call.php [4]: http://www.brother.com/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070717-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:07 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Wikimania 2007 Message-ID: <20071105055007.D8E8141A90@volo.yukidoke.org> I'm in Taipei this week whole week for [Wikimania 2007][1]. I'm here for two days for a retreat of the [Wikimedia Foundation][2] [board of directors][3] and [advisory board][4]. I'm also going to be giving two and a half talks in the conference itself, attending a Debian birthday party, and perhaps giving a talk on Ubuntu at [ITRI][5]. Here are the overviews of my talks at Wikimania: * [Freedom's Standard Advanced][6] (2007/08/03 10:30): Mostly a reprise of a couple talks I've given recently that [make the case for a definition of freedom][7] and for the [Free Cultural Works Definition][8] in particular. * [Supporting Collaboration in Branched Articles][9] (2007/08/05 13:15): I'll be unveiling my thesis work: a wiki that allows for branching and merging. It is built on distributed revision control concepts and tools (i.e., [Bazaar][10]) and includes a text-specific merge/conflict resolution system designed for writers. The tool has important potential for offline wiki work, stable versions, and collaboration among forked articles within and between wikis. Think [ikiwiki][11] but with distributed revision control and all the branching and merging that goes along with it. I'll be posting lots more information and source here in the coming month. * _Election Committee_ (2007/08/04 14:30): I'll be joining the rest of the Wikimedia [Election Committee][12] and talking a bit about the last board elections and about how we might handle things like election methods in the next election. Details on Debian's birthday party are [online too][13] which will have talks, food, beer, and more. As always, [get in contact][14] if you want to meet up or just find me at the conference. [1]: http://wikimania2007.wikimedia.org [2]: http://wikimediafoundation.org [3]: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board [4]: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Advisory_board [5]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITRI [6]: http://wikimania2007.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proceedings:BMH2 [7]: http://www.metamute.org/en/node/5597 [8]: http://www.freedomdefined.org/ [9]: http://wikimania2007.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proceedings:BMH1 [10]: http://bazaar-vcs.org/ [11]: http://ikiwiki.info/ [12]: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Board_elections/2007/Committee/en [13]: http://wiki.debian.org.tw/index.php/DebianBirthdayParty2007 [14]: http://mako.cc/contact.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070802-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:08 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Stumping for Free Culture Message-ID: <20071105055008.1818741A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> I've let my [talks page][1] fall badly out of date in the last year. As a first stab toward updating it, I've uploaded all of the notes for all of talks I've given calling for a free culture movement built around [a standard of freedom][2] and for adoption of the [Definition of Free Cultural Works][3]. There are notes posted for talks at the following conferences and meetings: * [Wikimania 2007][4] (2007-08-03) in Taipei, Taiwan. Notes: [HTML][5], [ReST][6] * [iCommons iSummit][7] (2007-06-16) in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Notes: [HTML][8], [Rest][9] * [Freeculture.org][10] [Annual Conference][11] (2007-05-26) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Notes: [HTML][12], [ReST][13] * [FSF Associate Members Meeting][14] (2007-03-24) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Notes: [HTML][15], [ReST][16] * [Wikimania 2006][17] (2006-08-04) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Notes: [HTML][18], [ReST][19]; Slides: [PDF][20], [ODP][21] The talks and notes are not the same, but they are often very similar and they share a lot of text. The only recording I have is the one from the FSF Members meeting which I posted here before. It's still available online here: * Talk ([OGG Vorbis][22] or [MP3][23]) * Q&A ([OGG Vorbis][24] or [MP3][25]) Perhaps a couple other recordings will surface. The good news is that I think that those of us involved with the definition have begun to make real progress in getting the message out and I think that, in several real ways, we've changed the nature of the conversation around free culture. I hope so, because I think that, looking at the list above, it's probably time to move on and to think about helping [the definition][3] and the movement in new innovative ways and with new compelling arguments. [1]: http://mako.cc/talks [2]: http://mako.cc/writing/toward_a_standard_of_freedom.html [3]: http://freedomdefined.org [4]: http://wikimania2007.wikimedia.org [5]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070803-freedoms_standard /freedoms_standard-notes.html [6]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070803-freedoms_standard /freedoms_standard-notes.rst [7]: http://icommons.org/isummit-07/ [8]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070616-icommons/advancing_free_culture- notes.html [9]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070616-icommons/advancing_free_culture- notes.rst [10]: http://www.freeculture.org [11]: http://freeculture.org/conference/ [12]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070526-free_culture_conf /freedom_defined-notes.html [13]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070526-free_culture_conf /freedom_defined-notes.rst [14]: http://www.fsf.org/associate/meetings/2007 [15]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070324-fsf_members /advancing_free_culture-notes.html [16]: http://mako.cc/talks/20070324-fsf_members /advancing_free_culture-notes.rst [17]: http://wikimania2006.wikimedia.org [18]: http://mako.cc/talks/20060804-freedomdefinition_wikimania /freedomdefinition-notes.html [19]: http://mako.cc/talks/20060804-freedomdefinition_wikimania /freedomdefinition-notes.rst [20]: http://mako.cc/talks/20060804-freedomdefinition_wikimania /freedomdefinition-slides.pdf [21]: http://mako.cc/talks/20060804-freedomdefinition_wikimania /freedomdefinition-slides.odp [22]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-talk-fsf_members_meeting.ogg [23]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-talk-fsf_members_meeting.mp3 [24]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-qa-fsf_members_meeting.ogg [25]: http://epicenter.media.mit.edu/~mako/fsf_members_meeting_recordings /hill-free_culture-qa-fsf_members_meeting.mp3 URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070808-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:08 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Ubuntu Book Translations Message-ID: <20071105055008.3F8DD41A89@volo.yukidoke.org> It's been fun to see a stream of translations of the [The Official Ubuntu Book][1] coming in. I now have copies of [El Libro Oficial de Ubuntu][2] and [Das Offizielle Ubuntu-Buch][3] on my bookshelf. I'm particularly happy about [Ubuntu???? The Official Ubuntu Book????][4], the Japanese translation. It was coordinated by the [Ubuntu Japan][5] community, looks great, and has won me all kinds of brownie points -- and a congratulatory bottle of top shelf sh?ch? -- from [Mika's][6] family members. [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20070706-00 [2]: http://www.agapea.com/El-libro-oficial-de-Ubuntu-n666497i.htm [3]: http://www.pearson.ch/Informatik/Betriebssysteme/Linux/1471/9783 827324306/Offizielles-Ubuntu-Buch.aspx [4]: http://www.ubuntulinux.jp/tettei-nyumon [5]: http://www.ubuntulinux.jp/ [6]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070813-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:08 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:37 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Animals That Are Also Verbs Message-ID: <20071105055008.7CD3D41A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> I recently met the wonderful Laura Norris. Inspired by that delightful sentence [Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo][1], one of Laura's many worthy endeavors is the creation of a comprehensive [list of animals that are also verbs][2]. With help from [Daf][3] and a few other folks at Debconf, I've expanded the list considerably and put it into my user space in Wikipedia. You might want to help out with wiki formatting, links to relevant articles or, of course, additions of animals that are also verbs that we have missed. When it's done, I'll make a (foolhardy?) attempt to move it into the article namespace. The list has a temporary wiki-home here: > [User:Benjamin Mako Hill/List of animals that are also verbs][4] [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buf falo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo [2]: http://tyris-flare.livejournal.com/84736.html [3]: http://dgh.livejournal.com/ [4]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Benjamin_Mako_Hill/List_of_ani mals_that_are_also_verbs URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070814-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:08 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Sweet! Message-ID: <20071105055008.AD79E41A90@volo.yukidoke.org> With the help of [open clipart][1], I made my first webcomic! ![/copyrighteous/images/mead_market.png][2] On a related note, Mika and I will be holding something of a mead market this Saturday to celebrate moving into our new place and the grand opening of the [Acetarium 2.0][3] (and its new Web 2.0 webpage). We'll also be celebrating my finishing up my degree at MIT and the end of Mika's first semester at [HSPH][4]. If you know us, are local to Boston/Camberville, and haven't been invited yet, it's probably an oversight. [Contact me first][5] and we'll work it out. [1]: http://www.openclipart.org/ [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/mead_market.png [3]: http://www.acetarium.com [4]: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ [5]: http://mako.cc/contact URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070823-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:08 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Debian Planet Administrivia Message-ID: <20071105055008.DBFB141A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> Last week, Rapha?l Hertzog mentioned [a transition in progress][1] that was going to change the way that Planet Debian updates. As part of the [plan to deprecate cvs.debian.org][1], Rapha?l helped me move Planet Debian away from the old CVS repository and to a [new Subversion repository][2] in [Alioth][3]. Readers of Planet Debian should not notice any differences. When it comes time to change or disable a feed, contributors to planet Debian will have to update their feed slightly differently. Documentation on how the new method is now [in the wiki][4] and at gluck:/org/planet.debian.org/README. As Rapha?l mentioned, all Debian Developers have write access to the configuration file in the Subversion repository through their Alioth accounts. Unlike the old setup, non-DD's who have blogs in Planet can have write access to it as well, but they'll need to have an Alioth account and they'll need to be added to the ACL by me. As before, it's only OK to modify _one's one feed_ and anyone who violates this in bad faith will have their privileges to the repository removed. The old CVS repository remains crudely broken. Please help update any references to the old CVS-based method or [alert me][5] to documentation that's public and out of date that you don't have access to change yourself. [1]: http://www.ouaza.com/wp/2007/08/21/deprecating-cvsdebianorg-in- favor-of-alioth/ [2]: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/planet-debian/trunk/ [3]: http://alioth.debian.org [4]: http://wiki.debian.org/PlanetDebian [5]: http://mako.cc/contact.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070909-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:08 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] It's Selectric! Message-ID: <20071105055009.2734C41A89@volo.yukidoke.org> ![/copyrighteous/images/selectricity_logo.png][1] Several months ago, I [announced][2] that I'd received a grant from [mtvU][3] and [Cisco][4] to work on a cool voting technology research project called _Selectricity_. A project in quotidian democracy, Selectricity attempts to apply some of the best voting technology and election methods research towards every-day decision-making. It takes research I did at the [MIT Media Lab][5] and packages it into a real, useful, application. I spent probably half of my time over the last several months managing [a team][6] of competent hackers and designers as we've built out the project. Last week, [press releases][7] and [news stories][8] went out as we launched our first production batch of features and a new design. You can check it out online at: > [http://selectricity.org][9] There is a whole line-up of a groups and organizations, some high profile, that will be using the software in the coming months. There's also half a dozen killer new features that are built and waiting in the wings for a little polish and fanfare. We'll be testing and releasing those in the next couple months. No doubt, I'll be mentioning bits and pieces of my work on the project on my blog here. However, if you want to follow development, you should subscribe to the [Selectricity News Blog][10] where more full coverage will take place. You can leave feedback, suggestions, and bugs as comments on [the blog][10] or email it to [team@selectricity.org][11]. The election method code is [already published][12] and we'll be releasing the rest of the code under the [AGPLv3][13] when the license is released by the FSF in the next few weeks. [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/selectricity_logo.png [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20070514-00 [3]: http://www.mtvu.com/ [4]: http://www.cisco.com [5]: http://www.media.mit.edu/ [6]: http://selectricity.org/about/team [7]: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYW06405 092007-1.htm [8]: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7358 [9]: http://selectricity.org [10]: http://blog.selectricity.org/ [11]: mailto:team@selectricity.org [12]: http://rubyvote.rubyforge.org [13]: http://gplv3.fsf.org/agplv3-dd2-guide.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070910-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:09 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Serious Limericks Message-ID: <20071105055009.4249141A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> Perhaps you want to both reflect on 9/11 and help demonstrate that limericks can be serious by writing some [serious limericks about 9/11][1]? [1]: http://wiki.mako.cc/SeptemberEleventhLimericks URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070911-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:09 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Software Freedom Day Boston Message-ID: <20071105055009.CAC5641364@volo.yukidoke.org> This Saturday, September 15, is [Software Freedom Day 2007][1]. With more than 300 teams registered, there's a good chance that there's [something going on near you][2]. I'll be helping at the [Software Freedom Day event in downtown Boston][3] where I'll be giving a talk on a still undetermined topic. I'll also be helping out with GNU/Linux and [RockBox][4] installs and letting folks play with my [XO][5] and [OpenMoko][6]. If you are into free software, open source, or GNU/Linux, please show up to your local SFD event. Go ahead and bring your friends who are not yet familiar with free software -- this event is primarily for them. In Boston, there will be refreshments, talks, demonstrations, and installs. Bring your laptop, desktop, iPod, or other [DAP][7] -- or just bring yourself and a friend. [1]: http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/ [2]: http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/map/2007 [3]: http://groups.fsf.org/index.php/Boston_Software_Freedom_Day [4]: http://www.rockbox.org/ [5]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XO-1_%28laptop%29 [6]: http://openmoko.org/ [7]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_player URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070912-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:09 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] You Rule! Message-ID: <20071105055010.02DBF41A90@volo.yukidoke.org> Inspired by Mitchell Charity's [printable paper rulers][1] and Steve Pomeroy's [CSS ruler][2], I wrote a little python script to generate an on-screen ruler for the [OLPC XO-1][3]. The XO-1 screens are super high resolution (200dpi) and are each identical. This makes for a very accurate ruler. It's one of a few project I've done or am working on that tries to take advantage of the physical qualities (and physical consistencies) of the XOs. Also, a ruler is just a really useful thing for a school child -- or anyone else for that matter. Of course, different screens have different pixel sizes so the ruler for the XO won't work on another screen. This made some of my friends jealous. To appease them, I spent a couple hours and hacked up a little web frontend to my ruler generator which allows anyone to create custom on-screen rulers and to save them and share them with others who might have the same screen. I've called it [YouRule][4]. Please check it out or download [the source][5] and send me improvements. > [http://projects.mako.cc/yourule][4] [1]: http://www.vendian.org/mncharity/dir3/paper_rulers/ [2]: http://staticfree.info/ruler [3]: http://www.laptop.org [4]: http://projects.mako.cc/yourule [5]: http://mako.cc/software/yourule URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070917-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:10 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Award Message-ID: <20071105055010.32DB041A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> Due to the fact that [my favorite Window manager][1] is now [licensed][2] [non-freely][3] (and [then][4] [some][5]), I award Tuomo Valkonen the J?rg Schilling award for free software project management. ![/copyrighteous/images/trophy.png][6] Tuomo can console himself with his award while I console myself with [Tritium][7]. With the new dock feature [announced today][8], I think it just turned into something I can switch to. [1]: http://modeemi.fi/~tuomov/ion/ [2]: http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/non- free/i/ion3/ion3_20070902-1/ion3.copyright [3]: http://packages.debian.org/sid/ion3 [4]: http://www.mail-archive.com/ion- general@lists.berlios.de/msg01957.html [5]: http://www.mail-archive.com/ion- general@lists.berlios.de/msg02004.html [6]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/trophy.png [7]: http://sourceforge.net/projects/tritium [8]: http://vireo.org/~stew/blog/linux/tritium/tritium-0.3.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070919-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:10 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:38 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Lamp Stores Message-ID: <20071105055010.5F72641A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> I have an intense, unexplainable, uneasiness around lamp stores. Perhaps it's even a fear. [![/copyrighteous/images/lamp_store.jpg][1]][2] Something about so many lamps, so close together. It seems unnatural. Very Wrong. [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/lamp_store.jpg [2]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphicallyhappy/64992450/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070923-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:10 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:39 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Shades of Google Message-ID: <20071105055010.85BB541A89@volo.yukidoke.org> So, you might have heard about [Blackle][1]. It's Google with a black background. Apparently, it's a [misguided attempt to save electricity][2]. A little searching around shows that there's also a [Greenle][3]. And a [Pinkle][4]. All seem to be have been built independently. We need a _Purple_. **Update:** Also, [Bluegle][5] and the the confusing similarly named, but fundementally different [Graygle][6] and [Greygle][7]. **Update:** And [Browngle][8]. [1]: http://blackle.com/ [2]: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-black-new-green.html [3]: http://greenle.info/ [4]: http://pinkle.net/ [5]: http://www.bluegle.co.uk/ [6]: http://www.graygle.com/ [7]: http://www.greygle.com/ [8]: http://browngle.com/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20070930-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:10 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:39 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Wikinews and Multiperspectival Reporting Message-ID: <20071105055010.B2A5C41A90@volo.yukidoke.org> Adapting some work from my thesis, I've written [a short article on Wikinews][1] over on the blog for the newly created [MIT Center for Future Civic Media][2] where I am a Fellow this year. Please, [check it out][1]. [1]: http://civic.mit.edu/?p=15 [2]: http://civic.mit.edu URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071004-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:10 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:39 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Open Minds Message-ID: <20071105055011.1122441A89@volo.yukidoke.org> I'm going to be giving the opening keynote presentation at the [K-12 Open Minds conference][1] tomorrow. I was supposed to be talking on Thursday but will be filling in for [David Thornburg][2] who will be a day late. Apparently, he's been described as [one of the top 21 speakers in the United States][2]. Yikes! I'll be talking about the free software movement and hacker culture. I've heard that the whole thing will be streamed. [1]: http://www.centerdigitaled.com/conference.php?confid=378 [2]: http://www.tcpd.org/Thornburg/Bio.html URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071009-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:11 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:39 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Ubuntu (w/ Special Guests) in Boston Message-ID: <20071105055011.200D141A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> There are quite a few important events related to Ubuntu -- and to free software communities more generally -- in the Boston area in the next few weeks. I plan to participate in many of them. First, this coming Saturday, October 13, there will be an Ubuntu [install party][1] hosted at MIT and organized by the [Ubuntu Massachusetts local community team][2]. It promises to be a lot of fun and a great opportunity to have a gaggle of geeks install a free OS on your computer for you. If you've been thinking about installing free software but been hesitant (my guess is that this is not the majority of my readers), this is the event for you. I'll probably be doing [RockBox][3] installs as well so backup your music and bring an iPod if you're unfortunate enough to have funded Apple through the purchase of one. Next week on October 18, Ubuntu Massachusetts will be hosting [a party][4] at the [Globe Bar and Cafe][5] to celebrate the (scheduled) release of the [Gutsy Gibbon][6]. I am not thrilled about everything in this release -- like [Compiz by default][7] -- but I am happy about the progress of the distribution both technically and in reaching out to an ever-wider and ever-larger group of users. On the week of October 29-November 2, [Canonical][8] is hosting the [Ubuntu Developer Summit][9] in Cambridge. I'll definitely drop by for a least a day or two to make some strategic interjections and to participate in a few specifications that I care about. The summit is just down the street from my office at the [Hotel at MIT][10] so I have little excuse to not show up. I'll also being hanging out with friends from Ubuntu during the week. Finally, as part of the Ubuntu conference, Canonical is sponsoring [FOSSCamp][11]. It promises to be a [Foocamp][12]/[Barcamp][13] style "un-conference" with a focus on free software and open source. I'll be there and, if there's demand, will run sessions on [Selectricity][14] and a quick _Making Debian/Ubuntu Packages for Sysadmins_ talk -- basically a more polished version of what I did at the Ubucon in New York. All events are open to the public although people who are not Ubuntu developers may be a little bored at the developer summit. I look forward to seeing both old and new faces around the project in the next month. [1]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MassachusettsTeam/Events/InstallFests/2007-10-13 [2]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MassachusettsTeam [3]: http://www.rockbox.org/ [4]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MassachusettsTeam/Events/ReleaseParties/ 7.10-GutsyGibbon [5]: http://www.globebarandcafe.com/ [6]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/GutsyGibbon [7]: http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/09/12/ubuntu- technical-board-votes-on-compiz-for-ubuntu-7-10 [8]: http://www.canonical.com/ [9]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Boston [10]: http://www.univparkhotel.com/ [11]: http://www.fosscamp.org/ [12]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foocamp [13]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp [14]: http://selectricity.org URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071012-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:11 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:39 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Comical Gastronomical Message-ID: <20071105055011.4B7A741A8F@volo.yukidoke.org> When it comes to puns about digestion, [Dafydd Harries][1] and I make up for in quantity what we lack in quality. ![][2] ![][3] ![][4] ![][5] Apologies to Daf if he is embarassed by my public acknowledgement of his contributions in this endeavor. [1]: http://dgh.livejournal.com/ [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/alimentary_school.png [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/digestive_tract.png [4]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/dynamic_duodenum.png [5]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/prey_for_salivation.png URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071014-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:11 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:42 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] What I'm Up To Message-ID: <20071105055011.79E3941A90@volo.yukidoke.org> So, I finished graduate school at [MIT][1]. I [presented some of my thesis work][2] at [Wikimania][3] and I'll be posting information, code, and the thesis itself, in the next weeks as I find time. I've decided to focus, at least in the immediate future, on several important projects. Here's what I'm up to: * I am a "Senior Researcher" at the [MIT Sloan School of Management][4] with the economist [Eric von Hippel][5] who I'm now working with regularly. I am working on issues around the production of free software, open technologies, and free culture. * After working on the project for free over the last 3 years, I'm now doing contract work for [OLPC][6]. So far, I've rewritten the on-laptop content library software. I also plan to pursue the concept of "view source" on the laptop and to write an activity with a bunch of basic tools for doing science. Finally, OLPC is supporting me to continue my thesis work in the context of the laptop. * I have taken a position as a Fellow at the new [MIT Center for Future Civic Media][7]. It's a great new project started by folks I worked with as a graduate student. I'll be using the center to bring forward [Selectricity][8] and to support some new projects as well. This is, of course, in addition to my work with [FSF][9], [Debian][10], and [Ubuntu][11] which I'll be continuing. And talks. And writing. (Yikes!) I'll be keeping my office at MIT (yes, like [RMS][12]) for the time being and sticking around Cambridge at least until [Mika][13] finishes her degree at [Harvard School of Public Health][14]. I'll be in wrapping up projects modes for the next few weeks and months and will be posting about them here as I go. [1]: http://web.mit.edu [2]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20070802-00 [3]: http://wikimania2007.wikimedia.org/ [4]: http://mitsloan.mit.edu/ [5]: http://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/ [6]: http://laptop.org [7]: http://civic.mit.edu [8]: http://selectricity.org [9]: http://www.fsf.org [10]: http://www.debian.org [11]: http://www.ubuntu.com [12]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman [13]: http://mika.yukidoke.org/nikki [14]: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071016-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:11 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:42 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Frailty, by any other name... Message-ID: <20071105055011.A4D8C41364@volo.yukidoke.org> A short program I wrote has [searched the web][1] and revealed many names for frailty: * Frailty, thy name is Abbey. * Frailty, thy name is Astronaut * Frailty, thy name is a Tag Cloud. * Frailty, thy name is Bingles * Frailty, thy name is Blog. * Frailty, thy name is Brand Loyalty * Frailty, thy name is Browser. * Frailty, thy name is Carelessness. * Frailty, thy name is Carl. * Frailty, thy name is Doctor. * Frailty, thy name is Eleanor * Frailty, thy name is Emo. * Frailty, thy name is English. * Frailty, thy name is Facebook. * Frailty, thy name is Falco. * Frailty, thy name is Female. * Frailty, thy name is Fide. * Frailty, thy name is Filmmaker * Frailty, thy name is Francine. * Frailty, thy name is the Gaming Press. * Frailty, thy name is Gates. * Frailty, thy name is Genius. * Frailty, thy name is the Global Laser Tag League Council. * Frailty, thy name is Hamlet. * Frailty, thy name is Harry. * Frailty, thy name is Horse. * Frailty, thy name is Human. * Frailty, thy name is iPod. * Frailty, thy name is the Love of Ready-Made Congregations, and Ready Built Churches. * Frailty, thy name is Machine. * Frailty, thy name is Man. * Frailty, thy name is Mankind. * Frailty, thy name is Marriage. * Frailty, thy name is a Misnomer. * Frailty, thy name is Old Age. * Frailty, thy name is Outsourcing. * Frailty, thy name is Phrailty. * Frailty, thy name is Pigeon. * Frailty, thy name is Ryan. * Frailty, thy name is Sceptre. * Frailty, thy name is Sci-Fi. * Frailty, thy name is Solana. * Frailty, thy name is Tehran. * Frailty, thy name is This. * Frailty, thy name is Typepad. * Frailty, thy name is US. * Frailty, thy name is Weakness. * Frailty, thy name is Whining. * Frailty, thy name is Woe. * Frailty, thy name is Worm. It eliminated a few as well: * Frailty, thy name is certainly not SIRO. * Frailty, thy name is not Jane. * Frailty, thy name is not Me. * Frailty, thy name is not necessarily Viola. * Frailty, thy name is not Woman. [1]: http://www.google.com/search?q=%22frailty%20thy%20name%20is%22%20-woman URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071024-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:11 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:42 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Anti-Features Message-ID: <20071105055011.E8BEE41364@volo.yukidoke.org> I've written a [short essay][1] about _anti-features_. An anti-feature, I argue, is functionality that technology producers charge you to turn off. Apple's new, "pay-more to get DRM-free" is one example of an anti- feature but one can find them everywhere. It's a quick read and, I believe, an important but largely missing argument in most free software advocates' arsenal. I've posted it the on the [FSF blog][2] here: > [http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/antifeatures][1] [1]: http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/antifeatures [2]: http://www.fsf.org/blogs/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071025-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:11 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:42 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Post Deleted Message-ID: <20071105055012.1C5B841364@volo.yukidoke.org> Perhaps my favorite article in Wikipedia, the _List of homophonous phrases_, was deleted from Wikipedia in mid-August. Those arguing for deletion claimed that it was [original research][1] and were, I suppose, correct in that designation. But that doesn't make me happy to see it go. I asked an admin to move the list into [a temporary home in my userspace][2] until I can find a better home for it. Please help me find one and I'll redirect. It's the latest in several unfortunate deletions I witnessed recently. I created a humorous "undeletionist" [barnstar][3] to give to an admin for undeleting [some humorous project pages][4] in Wikipedia (which have since been redeleted, but copied first). My barnstar was also deleted. In retaliation for this all, and in good fun, I [proposed][5] the [Association of Deletionist Wikipedians][6] for deletion. The {{delete}} tag stuck around for a week until it was deleted under suspicion that it might be a joke. True enough. On the other hand, I have similar suspicions about the subject of the article. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Benjamin_Mako_Hill/List_of_hom ophonous_phrases [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Barnstars [4]: http://bjaodn.org/ [5]: http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_Delet ionist_Wikipedians&diff=prev&oldid=715188 [6]: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Deletionist_Wikipedians URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071030-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 5 05:50:12 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Tue Nov 6 02:55:42 2007 Subject: [copyrighteous] Accidentally Accurate Message-ID: <20071105055012.3D70A41A8E@volo.yukidoke.org> The label on this office product is [correct][1], but for the [wrong reason][2]. ![/copyrighteous/images/stapler-small.jpg][3] [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stapler [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staples_Inc. [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/stapler-small.jpg URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/var/www/mako/copyrighteous/data/20071102-00 From mako at atdot.cc Wed Nov 7 19:20:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 01:49:03 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Revealing Errors Message-ID: <20071107192006.1EBF714853@volo.yukidoke.org> Groups that campaign for free technology, like the [Free Software Foundation][1] and the [Electronic Frontier Foundation][2], tend to be supported primarily by technologists. Both groups have struggled to communicate their messages to non-geeks. I have written [an article][3] and helped create a [new weblog][4], both called Revealing Errors, that attempt to address a root cause of this issue in what I hope is both an insightful and entertainingly manner. Geeks support groups like the FSF and EFF because, as people who understand technology, they understand just how powerful technology is. Geeks know that control of our communication technologies is control over what we can say, who we can say it to, and how and when we can say it. In an increasingly technologically mediated age, control over technology is not only the power to control our actions; it is the power to limit our possible actions. Our freedom to our technology is our freedom, full stop. This message fails to resonate with non-geeks but it does not fail because non-geeks are happy to hand over their freedom. It fails to resonate simply because the vast majority of people do not understand that technology, and control over it, is powerful enough to impact their freedom. Most people fail to see the power because, quite simply, most people fail to see technology. While we all see the effects of technologies, the technologies themselves are frequently hidden. We see emails but not mail transport agents. We see text messages but not the mobile phone network. Before one can argue that such systems must be free, one must reveal their existence. Technologists are keenly aware of the existence of these systems. To everyone else, they are completely invisible. Marc Weisner of Xerox PARC cited eyeglasses as an ideal technology because, with spectacles, "you look at the world, not the eyeglasses." When technology works smoothly, its nature and effects are invisible. But technologies do not always work smoothly. A tiny fracture or a smudge on a lens renders glasses quite visible to the wearer indeed. Similarly, people see their MTAs when messages bounce. They see Windows on their ATM or phone when the system crashes. Technological errors are moments when usually invisible technology becomes visible. They are, in this sense, also an educational opportunity. [![/copyrighteous/images/blue_screen.jpg][5]][6] I have recently published [an article][3] in [Media/Culture Journal][7] from the University of Melbourne within a [special issue called Error][8]. If you are interested in learning more about what I'm trying to do or looking at some examples, please read [the article][3]. With support and ontributions from [Aaron Swartz][9], I have also created a new weblog, [Revealing Errors][4], that reveals errors that reveal technology by posting descriptions of errors with commentary on what the error reveals. I've posted a few examples there already and I will be updating it regularly. The goal is to help explain the power and influence of technology in the service of broadening the base of people who can get excited about freedom to technology. Eventually, I hope to be able to communicate this message to a less technical audience. With that said, I hope that even seasoned technologists will learn things about their technological environment through the analysis and interaction. I hope readers of this blog will [subscribe][10] to it and, if possible, comment on and contribute to the project as it moves forward. [1]: http://www.fsf.org [2]: http://www.eff.org [3]: http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0710/01-hill.php [4]: http://revealingerrors.com [5]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/blue_screen.jpg [6]: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Blue_Screen_Phone.jpg [7]: http://www.media-culture.org.au/ [8]: http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0710 [9]: http://aaronsw.com/weblog [10]: http://revealingerrors.com/feed/atom URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071107-00 From mako at atdot.cc Thu Nov 8 15:50:22 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 02:06:17 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Ideal Accidents Message-ID: <20071108155019.89938148C7@volo.yukidoke.org> Although I have no idea what necessitated the use of [Ideal][1] caution tape on the revolving door at the [Hotel @ MIT][2], I'm quite sure it wasn't. ![/copyrighteous/images/ideal_caution_tape.jpg][3] [1]: http://www.idealindustries.com/ [2]: http://www.univparkhotel.com/ancill/directions.html [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/images/ideal_caution_tape.jpg URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071108-00 From mako at atdot.cc Fri Nov 9 20:50:07 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 02:32:09 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Vacancies Message-ID: <20071109205006.97E274292E@volo.yukidoke.org> My parents, both physicians, have frequently talked about running a bed and breakfast when they retire. Perhaps on the off-season, they will be [doctors without boarders][1]. [1]: http://www.google.com/search?q=%22doctors%20without%20boarders%22 URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071109-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 12 00:50:05 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 02:35:25 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Talks in Brooklyn and Ithaca Message-ID: <20071112005005.5448141A18@volo.yukidoke.org> I'll be in New York State for the second half of this coming week. On Thursday, I'll be in New York City giving a talk as part of a interdisciplinary colloquium discussing free software and structured around [Decoding Liberation][1], the recent book by [Brooklyn College][2] professors Samir Chopra and Scott Dexter. The talk will be Thursday, November 15, 2007 between 10:50 and 13:30 in the Glenwood Lounge in the Brooklyn College student center. See [this flier][3] for details. I'll be heading straight to Ithaca where I'll give a talk the next day at [Cornell][4] for the Code Review student group. My talk will try to introduce and discuss free software issues in the context of the [OLPC][5] project. The talk will be on Friday November 16th at 17:00 in Rockefeller 115. There's some more details on the [Code Review website][6]. Folks should feel free to attend either event. I'll be leaving soon after on a bit of a Balkan tour being organized by some of my friends from [mi2][7] and will be spending a couple weeks in or based out of Zagreb. The details are still being ironed out but I'll be sure to post them here once I know dates, places, and times. [1]: http://www.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~bcfoss/DL/ [2]: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu [3]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/extra/dl_flier_20071115.pdf [4]: http://www.cornell.edu/ [5]: http://laptop.org [6]: http://cucodereview.org/ [7]: http://www.mi2.hr/ URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071111-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 12 18:20:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 02:49:54 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Code of Conduct Message-ID: <20071112182006.467A44189A@volo.yukidoke.org> The [Ubuntu Code of Conduct][1] is probably the most widely read document I've written. Agreement to it is prerequisite to participation in the Ubuntu community in all official and many unofficial capacities. It is has successfully set a positive tone and helped turn Ubuntu into what is probably the most friendly and civil free software project I've worked in. Over time, quite a few free software projects have copied or adapted the CoC. Tired of giving folks permission, the project went ahead and licensed the CoC under the [Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike][2] license to explicitly allow reuse as long as attribution to the Ubuntu project is given and derivatives are similarly modifiable. In a recent development, it was [adapted by the Fort Erie, Ontario town council][3] for use government interactions of their business improvement areas! It's amazing to see the document gain so much traction! Unfortunately, the person who repurposed the CoC did not attribute the document correctly and was publicly accused of plagiarism by another council member! Ubuntu is happy to have Fort Erie, and anyone else, use or adapt the CoC. Folks should just take care to be honest about where it came from and maintain the BY-SA license. [1]: http://www.ubuntu.com/community/conduct [2]: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ [3]: http://www.forterietimes.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?content id=770620&catname=Local+News&classif=News URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071112-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 12 18:20:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 02:49:54 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Debian Packaging Tutorial Message-ID: <20071112182006.8B9A34189D@volo.yukidoke.org> Yesterday, when I [posted][1] the list of talks that I'll be giving this week, I forgot to mention that I will be giving a [Cluedump][2] at MIT tonight organized by [SIPB][3]. It will be in the form of a [simple hands-on workshop to teach folks how make Debian or Ubuntu packages][4]. The session is not aimed at teaching folks to make policy compliant packages or how to pass Debian's NM process but rather to be more of an, "Everything a Sysadmin Needs to Know about Debian and Ubuntu Packages," style introduction. The talk is tonight, November 12, 2007, at 20:30 at MIT in room [56-114][5]. Feel free to read [the longer description][4] and to show up if you're interested. [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071111-00 [2]: http://cluedumps.mit.edu/ [3]: http://sipb.mit.edu/ [4]: http://cluedumps.mit.edu/wiki/2007/11-12 [5]: http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?mapterms=56-114&mapsearch=go URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071112-01 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 19 13:20:05 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 05:20:46 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] My Balkan Tour Message-ID: <20071119132005.1CFC841C02@volo.yukidoke.org> I recently [mentioned][1] that I would visiting some friends at [mi2][2] in Zagreb and would be traveling around the Balkans a bit to give some talks and workshops. Here's what the current plan includes: * Novi Sad (November 20, at 20:00): I'll be participating in a discussion of hacker culture at [CK13][3]. * Novi Sad (November 21-22 16:00-21:00): There will be a [System.hack()][4] exhibition which I helped prepare some of the text for and which I'll be on-hand for. It will include a narrated history of hacking through six objects. The exhibition will be held in an room of the Mediteraneo Hotel in Novi Sad. * Belgrade (November 23 20:00): Another discussion on hacker culture, this time at [Rex][5]. * Belgrade (November 23-24 17:00-20:00): [System.hack()][4] will be exhibited again in a room of the Kasina Hotel. * Ljubljana (November 26, Time TBD): I'll be giving a talk on free software project management at [Kiberpipa/Cyberpipe][6] * Zagreb (November 29-December 1): I'll be participating the [Open Translation Tools workshop][7] organized by [Aspiration][8]. * Zagreb (December 3): I'll giving a talk in the giving a talk in the [g33koscope][9] lecture series. The topic and time are still undecided. If you're in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Ljubljana, or Zagreb and would like to meet up, please consider coming to the events and exhibitions. If you can, and especially if you can not but would like to meet up anyway, feel free to [drop me an email][10] and let's try to organize a meeting. Thanks go to Tomislav Medak and Marcell Mars who organized [System.hack()][4], this whole tour, and who helped do the work to bring me over. I'm looking forward to the next couple weeks. [1]: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071111-00 [2]: http://www.mi2.hr/ [3]: http://www.ck13.org [4]: http://www.systemhack.org [5]: http://www.rex.b92.net/ [6]: http://www.kiberpipa.org/ [7]: http://www.aspirationtech.org/events/opentranslation [8]: http://www.aspirationtech.org [9]: http://www.razmjenavjestina.org/G33koSkop [10]: http://mako.cc/contact URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071119-00 From mako at atdot.cc Mon Nov 19 20:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 05:46:06 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Affero General Public License Version 3 Message-ID: <20071119205006.63389146BE@volo.yukidoke.org> The [Free Software Foundation][1] sent out [a press release][2] today announcing a new addition to the FSF stable of licenses: the [Affero General Public License or AGPL][3]. The FSF has also published a set of answers to anticipated questions in the [GPL FAQ][4]. The first paragraph of the release explains what the AGPL is: > This is a new license; it is based on version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GNU GPLv3), but has an additional term to ensure that users who interact with the licensed software over a network can receive the source for that program. By publishing this license, the FSF aims to begin fostering user and development communities around free software web services and other network-oriented software. The GPL is designed to ensure that users of software have access to the source code -- source is prerequisite to freedom and to the type of collaboration that has made free software successful. However, the GPL doesn't _say_ "users" when it talks about who gets freedom; instead, it references people to whom the software is distributed. It doesn't say users for two reasons. The first is that, under copyright, "distribution" is a much more meaningful term and a powerful hook than "use" which is not, in most cases, one of the copyright holder's exclusive rights. The second is that, until very recently, having a copy of software was prerequisite to using it; possession was prerequisite to use. Things have changed. A large part of many people's computing experience involves running web applications. These include email clients (e.g., GMail or other webmails), office applications (e.g., Google Docs), social network systems, and others. These applications all run on servers -- i.e., on other people's computers. The providers of these services, the Googles and the FaceBooks, build upon, modify and improve GPL software without giving back to their users or the community that they took their software from. The AGPL was created several years ago by FSF board member Henri Poole as a way to address this issue. The license took the form of the GPLv2 with one extra clause. It was a first stab at a license and was imperfect. The language and methods were clunky and, most problematically, the license was incompatible with software under the GPL. The new AGPL is based on the GPLv3 and the extra clause has been rethought and rewritten. It has been vetted using the GPLv3 comment process and dozens of insightful comments from dozens of lawyers, hackers, and users of free software have been incorporated. The new license fixes the issues that many folks -- including myself -- had with the first version of the license. More importantly it can now be linked to GPLv3 code which makes the license a whole lot more practical. I am quoted in the release being excited about the license and I really am. I've got 2-3 major development projects (including [Selectricity][5]) which I've been waiting to distribute so that I could do so under the AGPLv3. The AGPL isn't a complete answer to the problem faced by disempowered users of web services. Without data or the capacity (in terms of servers, money, and expertise) to run web applications, the state and quality of these users' freedom remains far from clear. Thankfully, there are a whole bunch of folks thinking about what freedom for users of services might be -- it's a conversation that I'm going to push the FSF to participate in and pursue moving forward. The AGPLv3 marks a first solid contribution to the process of answering that question. If you'd like to help supporting or assisting the FSF in this effort, please consider [becoming an associate member][6] or [donating][7]. [1]: http://www.fsf.org [2]: http://www.fsf.org/agplv3-pr [3]: http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/agpl-3.0.html [4]: http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl-faq.html [5]: http://selectricity.org [6]: http://www.fsf.org/register_form?referrer=3427 [7]: http://donate.fsf.org URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071119-01 From mako at atdot.cc Tue Nov 20 09:50:06 2007 From: mako at atdot.cc (copyrighteous) Date: Sat Feb 9 06:01:10 2008 Subject: [copyrighteous] Free Culture Distilled for Free Software Folks Message-ID: <20071120095005.DB6AD41DF9@volo.yukidoke.org> I've posted an an article on my website called [Free Culture Advanced][1] which I wrote for the last edition of the Free Software Foundation Members' Bulletin which went out several months ago. The bulletin is one of things you get when you [become an associate member of the FSF][2]. The article makes the case for free culture and a freedom definition in terms that are directed to and I hope will resonate with folks from the free software community. I've posted versions of the article in [HTML][1], [PDF][3], and [LaTeX][4]. [1]: http://mako.cc/writing/free_culture-fsf_bulletin_200707.html [2]: http://www.fsf.org/register_form?referrer=3427 [3]: http://mako.cc/writing/free_culture-fsf_bulletin_200707.pdf [4]: http://mako.cc/writing/free_culture-fsf_bulletin_200707.tex URL: http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20071120-00