more on August 28, 2004 -- Software Freedom Day

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tom Gray <tom_gray_grc () yahoo com>
Date: August 28, 2004 9:11:42 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] August 28, 2004 -- Software Freedom Day


--- David Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:

Hi

This is just an observation. On the same day that this
paen to the open source movement was posted to the IP
list, another post detailed the the failure of the
software in a Mars probe that almost caused the loss
of the mission.

The failure of the Mars probe was due to the
inadequate testing of a large composed piece of
software. The failure was not due to DOS as indicated
in the Subject line for the posting but to inadequate
design and grossly poor testing. The fault was caused
by the system trying to backup data from one memory to
another memory half its size.

Would it be possible for one to say that the software
community faces far more problems than those addressed
by the free software movement. Would it also be
possible to say that the free software have in any way
been part of the solution to the primary problems
facing this industry.

Tom Gray


> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: "Olan, Michael" <Michael.Olan () stockton edu>
> Date: August 28, 2004 9:45:16 AM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: August 28, 2004 -- Software Freedom Day
>
> Dave,
>
> Today is the first annual Software Freedom Day.
>
>  From their website:
>
> On August 28, 2004, we will celebrate the first
> annual Software Freedom
> Day. On that day, we will make the world aware of
> the virtues of Free
> and Open Source Software (FOSS), and encourage its
> widespread use. We
> will set up stations in public places to give away
> informational fliers
> and CDs with selected FOSS, including TheOpenCD and
> a Linux Live CD.
>
> This is a global grassroots marketing campaign in
> which we are inviting
> volunteers from around the world to participate. It
> will be up to the
> individual teams to chose how they wish to organize
> their local PR
> efforts. We will assist with bulk production of
> supplies, though the
> cost of supplies must be distributed.
>
> http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/
>
> One of the participants is the International Open
> Source Network, an
> initiative of the United Nations Development
> Programme (UNDP) and a
> Center of Excellence for Free/Open Source Software
> (FOSS) in the
> Asia-Pacific Region.
>
> http://www.iosn.net/
>
>
> --
> Michael Olan
> Associate Professor of Computer Science
> Richard Stockton College
> Pomona, NJ 08240
>
>
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