Ciaran O'Riordan wrote:
I don't think companies are going to liberate their software based on any inspirational event we can organise. So how does the free software community get businesses do liberate software?
- It's by creating a market - by convincing software users not to buy non-free software.
- It's by showing decision makers that free software is not risky, that support is available, that it's not going to disappear, and that they wouldn't be the first to move to free software.
- It's by arming our embeds :) -all the free software supports working inside companies that use or distribute proprietary software -by arming them with the arguments and the examples and case studies necessary to make convincing arguments to the decision makers.
Item #1 is what the usual free software events do. So this kind of event should be aimed at items #2 and #3. So, do people agree that both items #2 and #3 are worth aiming for and that an event can do both? What speakers have we seen that are good? What topics or types of talks are most useful? Are their goals, other than the three I've given, that we can aim for?
I agree with you that #2 and #3 are the critical issues. For instance, one of the key tasks of the Freedom Task Force is to push agenda #2, by educating people in what Free Software licences really mean.
For the record, I'd be delighted to have the opportunity to present Free Software licensing in a business context at any event in Ireland.
I think one key thing with this event is to look for a positive message promoting the idea of sustainable revenue and expanding markets through the use of Free Software. It's really important to speak the language of the people who need to show sustained returns month by month.
Regards
Shane