[Fsfe-uk] affs strategy [long]

[Richard Smedley]

Hi there,


[preamble]
I was going to put something up on strategy, following a
quick chat with Brian Gough at the Bath Perl Mongers
meeting last week. However I have been so busy this
week that I haven't been able to give space to _thinking_
about strategy.

Therefore I have decided to just post something random
to kick off a thread, and then try and post something
thoughtful later =o)


[aims and objectives]
As a group, we (affs) have come together because we
have fairly similar aims in wanting to promote Free
Software use in the UK.
Our objectives may be a little more diverse, but they
congregate around the recognition that for meaningful
change in this country lobbying must be done at a 
national level - be that government, DfEE, big business
or the media.

We need to think about who we should be approaching and 
how. And we need to think about those two things in the
light of having clear aims and objectives.

Some of our work will be reactive - software patents.
In other fields (e.g. education) we need to take some 
time to work out what we can achieve as a group, and 
then do it - simple really :-)



[public image limited]
To a certain extent we cannot control our image - we are 
a group of straightforward and honest hackers, not spin
doctors. Nevertheless each time we contact the media, or
a govt department, we present ourselves in a certain way.

Our clearest message is that Free Software is a good thing
because freedom is a good thing. It benefits societies,
individuals and businesses.
However we have a lot of choice about how we concentrate
on different aspects of these benefits.

We could also think about the wider perception of affs.
If we want to build mass support for our campaigns we
need to think clearly about how to present ourselves
outside the 'hacker community'.


[alliances]
Software patents will effect the whole IT industry, and
beyond, not just Free Software developers. We should be 
looking at connecting with the whole UK IT industry via
its trade bodies and press.

Education - lots to put here, best taken up in the 
separate education thread.

Charities. There is no sector of business more assiduous
in making sure it has paid for its Windows and Office 
licences. Needless to say all of that money could be
better spent.

Red Hat, to name one distributor, are quite active in
(for example) the UK education market. Trying to sell
server solutions at a county-wide level to LEAs.
Do they want to do this on their own, or would they
be interested in joinig an alliance to promote Free
Software for education (and everything else).

IBM and Sun are intensely busy pushing "Linux" and
"Open Source", for their own ends, admittedly, but 
they may be interested in alliances, too.



[our community]
The community of Free Software users and developers in the
UK is fragmented. We need to act as resource centre and 
voice (where accepted) for that community in order to 
build it up.

Do we also intend to host/support developers' meetings?
Launch a directory?


[Internet]
Should we have an affs-announce list for those that want
to hear news, but avoid long tedious emails like this
one ;^)

Web presence - our front page should be aimed at the people
at whom we are lobbying.
Front page links should go to press info; FS info; community
- for our membership; education; directory; business resources...





Anyway that's a long enough ramble (though not nearly as long 
as many of the mails in the recent flamewars on the FSF-Europe 
list.....)


- Richard


-- 

Richard Smedley
Production Editor, Linux Format

Telephone +44 (0) 1225 442244 ext 5038