Uncle Sam likes Free Software
Two interesting things came out of Washington DC in the last couple of days – both endorsements of free software by Uncle Sam. In the more widely published of the two announcements, the Whitehouse has...
View ArticleThe Internet – empowering your community
Today I’m talking at the Engaging Your Community conference at Massey University in Wellington. I’m going to asking and answering questions like “where did the Internet come from?” and “why is it...
View ArticleTime for some disinfectant
Sunlight is the best disinfectant, or so wrote Judge Louis Brandeis of the US Supreme Court in a book in 1914. That quote begins: “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial...
View ArticleA warm welcome to ACTA negotiators
As is now well-known, the next round of negotiations for the controversial international treaty ACTA will take place here in Wellington on 12th-16th of April. Representatives of 13 countries and the...
View ArticleTell the government what you think of ACTA
The government has asked for submissions about ACTA, the so-called Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, to be sent in by tomorrow. I’ve written one which you are welcome to read. ACTA has the potential...
View ArticleCan anything save OOXML?
Apparently not. Let me explain. Two years ago I went as part of the New Zealand delegation to a meeting in Geneva called to determine the fate of a proposed new ISO/IEC document format standard, called...
View ArticleGood in parts
I spent today at the Microsoft Open Government Unconference in Wellington. It was an interesting experience. On the one hand, I got the impression of a company trying to weave something from the whole...
View ArticleBroadband as a Human Right (updated)
One year ago Finland passed a law declaring access to a broadband Internet connection to be a legal right. What does that mean? There’s a discussion of this over on Red Alert, after Jonathon Penney...
View ArticleTaking back the Net
The Net used to be under the radar of governments and corporates. Then it got a lot bigger, governments paid it attention and large companies moved in. Some were beneficial, some weren’t and some were...
View ArticleRetaking the Net
This Saturday (29th October 2011) is the RetakeTheNet Bar Camp in the Wellington Town Hall. I’ve talked about RtN before. It’s a group of people who are uncomfortable about the extent of control of the...
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