[plug] New list? | SLAM | AUUG | letter

[Leon Brooks]

SLAM

For a name, I suggest one of (cue trumpet fanfare):

      Software Liberty of Australia Melded* (SLAM)
or    Software-Libre Australia Meld

Jeremy, please add this to the voting page.


NEW LIST?

If there's a new list yet, please tell me about it so I can start posting 
suggestions.


AUUG

If we're going to invade AUUG I'd suggest doing SLAM (or whatever is chosen) 
as a SIG rather than presenting it as AUUG-speaking-for, because:

 * Unix ain't necessarily Open Source (I call to witness HP-UX, Digital Unix,
   AIX, Irix, Xenix etc); and

 * Open Source ain't necessarily Unix (I call to witness Mozilla, The GIMP,
   OpenOffice.org, SDL, Apache, BIND, Zope...); and

 * AUUG may carry inappropriate constitutional baggage etc, should be read
   and thought about rather than leapt into. There might be a *good*reason*
   that it's comatose. )-:

LETTER

I'd like to start drafting a letter, consisting of a one-page summary followed 
by probably 8 to 12 pages of excruciating detail, to be sent to every polly 
we can reach, plus all of the schools at least in WA (775 public schools as 
at now, does anyone have a list of TAFEs and/or private schools as well?), 
plus potentially involved bodies like the ACM etc, plus (cue gasps of horror) 
the hoi-polloi media.

When sent printed, I'd like the summary/cover page to be gold or otherwise 
obviously distinct from the body, when sent emailed I'd like to send a 
one-pager in plain text with a unique web link (so we can tell who's 
listening) aimed at the rest of the letter.

The letter will say:

 * support Australian innovation and industry, not a local sales office

 * join the rush before Australia is the *last* in Oceania to adopt OSS

 * put Australia back on the leading edge while there's still a chance to

 * explore innovative and effective methods of teaching only possible with OSS

 * eliminate viruses

 * improve security and reliability

 * save enormous amounts of money

 * we're doing pilots and trials, would you like to be involved?

 * (for gummint) `Help! Money for staffing and stationery!'

 * anything else useful or rivettingly motivating

I'd like to start it on the new list. TwoBlueDots had a list on offer at last 
count, do I hear any other takers?

Cheers; Leon


*`meld, n: a blend or merger' http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=meld