[wplug-board] Letter to P-G re BSA

[David Ostroske]

On 5/9/07, Vance Kochenderfer <vkochend at nyx.net> wrote:
>
> Hi all-
>
> I'm considering sending this letter to the editor of the Post-
> Gazette, but I'd like your opinion on whether it's a good idea
> and/or what can be done to improve it.


Vance, I think it's a great idea. LTE's are direct activism, and it's a
tactic we've very rarely used. I gotta give you brownie points for doing
this.

If  I were to suggest any changes, I'd mention that the infrastructure of
the Internet is built on open source software. That would appeal to the
readers, including newspaper editors, who haven't used supercomputers, but
who do use the Internet. Other than that minor point, the rest of the letter
is very well-written. No lemons, all lemonade.

Sorry if I'm butting in. I'm not on the board anymore. I shouldn't even be
on this mailing list. Hint, hint.

The article: <http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07129/784374-96.stm>
>
> The letter:
>
> The article "Software industry group warns businesses on piracy"
> (May 9) announces the Business Software Alliance's plans to crack
> down on copyright infringement in the local area.  As an
> alternative to paying expensive licensing fees or making illegal
> copies, businesses should be aware of another option -- Free and
> Open Source Software.
>
> To get a taste, download and try the Firefox web browser or
> OpenOffice.org office suite.  Go ahead and make as many copies as
> you like and distribute them within your company or to friends.
> The creators of these programs won't mind and won't send BSA
> lawyers to your door -- that's what software freedom is all about.
>
> Free and Open Source Software powers Google and over three
> quarters of the world's top 500 supercomputers.  There's a good
> chance it powers the wireless router sitting in your den.  It can
> power your business, too.  To learn more, come out to one of the
> Western Pennsylvania Linux Users Group's (www.wplug.org) monthly
> events.  We'd love to talk to local businesses about how they can
> put Free and Open Source Software to work for them.
>
> Vance Kochenderfer
> Castle Shannon
>
> (The writer is Vice-Chair of the Western Pennsylvania Linux Users
> Group.)
>
> Vance Kochenderfer        |  "Get me out of these ropes and into a
> vkochend at nyx.net          |   good belt of Scotch"    -Nick Danger
> _______________________________________________
> wplug-board mailing list
> wplug-board at wplug.org
> http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug-board
>

-- 
David Ostroske <eksortso at gmail.com>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.wplug.org/pipermail/wplug-board/attachments/20070509/e03f18f7/attachment.html