[Fsfe-uk] What the treasurer did... (early Feb 2003)

[MJ Ray]

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Not quite sure what happened to the last email along these lines that I
tried to send, but I can't see it in the archive.  Maybe it was during the
changes with mail @gnu.org or something.  This is a hash-together of it and
my email for this month.

During the last days of 2002, I was mostly incapacitated by overwork and
then illness.  I did manage to get an answer about charitable status, and it
is as suspected: AFFS cannot become a charity as it currently stands because
it has specific political and legislative-based aims.  This has pluses and
minuses.  Interested parties can start reading through
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/ (warning: now has display problems) and
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ to see if we missed any obvious way.

This year has been more useful for doing free software work.  I have started
doing some work on the web sites of GNUstep, FSFE and AFFS.  Little to show
for it yet, but some of the work on the AFFS site will be in a news release
soon, I think.

I am currently in email discussions with the projects AFLUG, Plucker and
SCOP-SCM: as a result, the OSFA posted here may include free software
exactly in its aims, hopefully with the name FSOSFA, which will make it
easier to work with other groups for Africa; and SCOP-SCM looks as if it
will be licensed under the LGPL from the next release.  When you email
people, if you're polite and ask nicely, they often think and see your point
of view.

I am also in email contact with some web sites which are inaccessible to
users of free software in some way, but I have no successes to report yet. 
A couple of the enquiries have been "escalated" to higher management, but
it's a lot of work.  Useful links when doing this include the W3C Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/ the RNIB
campaign at http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/ and sometimes even the UK's
government's disability discrimination information at
http://www.disability.gov.uk/ but be careful on using that last one -- never
use it as a threat.  Persuading people is much better than trying to force
them.  I'd love it if anyone on the list would take a minute to send a
polite message to the webmaster of the next UK site that breaks for their
free software browser.

Penultimately, I can report that AFFS's current financial situation is:

  Account Summary 6. 2.2003                                                     
                                                                                
              Account name                          Balance                 
   Assets                                                                       
           Current Assets      179.40                                       
   Total Assets                                      179.40                 

   Liabilities                                                                  
   Total Liabilities                                   0.00                 

   Equities                                                                     
   Total Equities                                      0.00                 

   Income                                                                       
           Subscriptions       210.00                                       
   Total Income                                      210.00                 

   Expenses                                                                     
           Bank Service Charge   0.60                                       
           Supplies             30.00                                       
   Total Expenses                                     30.60                 
     --------------------------------------------------------                   
   Total                                             179.40                 


Now, there are two things to do, from my point of view:
  1. Get more members;
  2. Spend money on things with the most impact per pound in support of our
aims.

Your suggestions on best ways to do either or both are welcomed.

- -- 
MJR   http://mjr.towers.org.uk/   IM: address@hidden
      This is my home web site.   This for Jabber Messaging.

How's my writing? Let me know via any of my contact details.
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