September 7th, 2007

Software Freedom Day Celebrates Free and Open Source Software

Software Freedom Day (SFD) is a global effort to spread the word about the importance of free and open source software (FOSS). This year the SFD is being held on Saturday 15 September 2007.

Software Freedom International coordinates SFD at a global level, providing support, giveaways and a point of collaboration, but volunteer teams around the world organize the local SFD events to impact their own communities. Here are the teams for India.

Check this start guide for some tips and pointers for organizing your own SFD team event. Here are some ideas they suggest -

Have a FOSS picnic or BBQ

Run a booth at a market, fair or computer day

Get together with schools, universities and other people who can benefit from Free Software

Run a competition, best FOSS developed music, graphics, short video

Set up simple public booth and hand out CDs.

Run some demo machines in a public space and show off your FOSS

Hold installation workshops and combined FOSS installfests in schools, businesses or other areas

Hold a seminar on IP, Free Culture, Patents, etc

Have a cultural event - food, drink, music (jam session? - “open-source music”).

Organise an expo to highlight local FOSS success stories