Recently, in this column, I spoke about how we can lose our free software choices if we don't use them. Sticking with that choice is not always easy so how do we get others to make it, particularly in ...
I have been saying this for many years: free software must not be associated with an ideology or political party. Doing that would: 1. be an utter falsity; 1. damage our ability to advocate. I am not ...
Look through a list available packages for any free OS and you'll find a sometimes bewildering choice of browsers, mail readers, editors, desktops and tetris-clones available. Despite this many will j ...
I'll admit it. I fell hook, line and sinker for Google's "We do No Evil" claim. I loved Google.com. I host my email accounts on Google using the hosted domains service. I use blogger.com for my tech b ...
Proprietary culture dumps a lot of disappointing experiences on me. I really had this brought home to me by a couple of toys my daughter received for Christmas this year, which just refused to work wi ...
There are companies we love and respect. Google is one of them. Regardless of their mistakes, their jet, their priorities in terms of software releases, there is an "innate" trust. But, is it safe to ...
I thought a long time on your comments you made here trying to find something to refute your points. I am generally someone who thinks that people need to understand the "why" behind what they do. So ...
Let's face it: GNU/Linux software is not always easy to use. Especially command line software (at least the GUI programs have buttons and tooltips). Sometimes, the program will have a manual or some d ...
During Clinton's successful 1992 campaign James Carville hung a sign in their headquarters with the following three points: 1. Change vs. more of the same 2. The economy, stupid 3. Don't forget health ...
In Part One of this four parter on the Asus Eee PC I looked at the technical specifications and in Part Two I looked at how to get the default Xandros up to speed as a full KDE desktop. In this third ...
In this video, I try to answer the question "What is the free software community?" Comments, or even community posts in response to this, are most welcome! _Note: you will need a flash player to see t ...
So far, I've identified examples of free, commons-based production of just about every category of pure information product which exists. And that leads to the next question: what about the material m ...
I was one the first people I knew to get a mobile phone (Motorola analogue flip!); but I was also one of the last to sign up for Googlemail. I am not a dedicated follower of fashion. I stand still and ...
The bazaar development model turns out to be amazingly versatile: it seems that most software, even things you wouldn't think would be feasible, can be developed using such an approach. But there has ...
Over at Sphere of Networks, I published a text that tries to give a simple overview of the workings of information production in the age of the internet, covering everything from free software to free ...
M6-IT, a Community Interest Community in the UK, are part way through a project to equip socially excluded families with computers running Xubuntu. I was recently able to interview Richard Rothwell of ...
Why don't people switch to GNU/Linux? It's not the difficulty (GNU/Linux has evolved far past its Bash days, although it still stays true to its roots). It's not the stability (GNU/Linux' stability is ...
#Achieving Impossible Things with Free Culture and Commons-Based Enterprise The first completed book from **Free Software Magazine Press**, by longtime Free Software Magazine columnist Terry Hancock i ...
The GNU Autoconf Manual The GNU Automake Manual The GNU Libtool Manual GNU Autoconf, Automake and Libtool by Gary V. Vaughan, Ben Elliston, Tom Tromey and Ian Lance Taylor. Also known as "The Goat Boo ...