[Cialug] SFD 2006 Press Release

[Kevin C. Smith]

The press release is done. Sorry for the delay on this one.
Please spread to any contact you may have. I'll email the general news 
contacts, but this doesn't seem to work as good as having one of us 
directly speak with them. Its on the CIALUG front page and the wiki.
So, if you know a news person of any sort or have other contact please
use them. Thanks.

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PRESS RELEASE: SOFTWARE FREEDOM DAY & LINUX INSTALL-FEST 2006

Contact:

Kevin C. Smith
Central Iowa Linux Users Group (CIALUG)
E-Mail: events at cialug.org
Web Page: www.cialug.org

September 16, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 16th is Software Freedom Day, a worldwide celebration of Free 
and Open Source Software (FOSS). With a series of global events we want 
to showcase the excellent range of FOSS now available and show how in 
can be used to save money and gain freedom in every sector of the 
information society.

Over 200 groups from over 60 countries will participate in this third 
annual Software Freedom Day, by organizing local events ranging from 
simple meetings in the park to install-fests.

FOSS is licensed in such a way that it gives you the end user the right 
to use it freely for private or commercial use. You also have the right 
to inspect and even modify the underlying source code. You can give
away 
or even sell the original version you received or one with your 
modification (though you may be required to pass on the changes you
have 
made). You are not required to pay royalties to previous developers.

FOSS is important even for those without interest in source code. The 
release of the source allows external observers to inspect the true 
functioning of the program, which means that you as the end user can be 
confident that the program treats your private data with respect. You 
(or someone else) can verify that your data is not being passed on 
without your knowledge and you can be sure that your data will always
be 
accessible and not locked away in a proprietary format. Also, the 
release of source code has in some cases spawned large communities of 
volunteer developers who have in turn provided the world with highly 
useful, and entirely free software such as Linux, OpenOffice, and 
Mozilla. These communities can in turn foster local IT industries in 
developing regions without the need for large up-front investments. The 
freedom of software is important for everyone, not just software 
developers.

Visit http://wiki.softwarefreedomday.org/ for details.

The Central Iowa Linux Users Group (CIALUG) will be hosting Iowa's 
Software Freedom Day event from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on September 16th
at:

West Des Moines Library
4000 Mills Civic Parkway
West Des Moines, IA 50265

The schedule of events:

10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Local CIALUG members will be giving away Free Software CDs, and
providing
Linux demo computers for the public to experience FOSS first hand.

10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Bring a computer and the CIALUG members will install your choice of
Linux 
or other Free Software.

Visit http://cialug.org for details.