Swiss lobbying group founded: Free Software and Open Standards..

Robert Ribnitz ribnitz at linuxbourg.ch
Thu Jun 13 11:10:29 UTC 2002


Wilhelmtux to stand for Open Standards and Free Software in
Switzerland. 

Last Thursday, June 6th, members of the LUGs of Murten[1],
Berne[2],Fribourg[3] and Basel [5], as well as people with
interest in Free Software and lobbying, got together to formally
found what is
to become a lobbying group for Free Software and Open Standards.

About 20 people, most of them with an IT background, assembled to
found Wilhelmtux[4]. The goal of the exercise ia to raise
awareness for Free Software and to promote the use of it mostly
within the Swiss Government, and the Swiss Administration. 

A public discussion much like those already under way in other
european countries, is to be started. This discussion should
allow a critical approach towards  Software development and point
out the shortcomings of Closed Source/Proprietary Software.


Two delegations left for Linuxtag in order to talk to 
organisators of Bundestux in Germany (a source of inspiration),
and to members of FSF Europe and to spread the news to other
organisations present at the conference.

Since the group focuses mainly on swiss interests, the website
[4] is available in the official languages of Switzerland. An
english version is not planned at the moment.

For feedback and enquiries, support, etc. please contact the
people mentioned on the website, or get back to me. All people
involved in the organisation are fluent in english.

[1] http://www.lugmu.ch
[2] http://www.lugbe.ch
[3] http://www.linuxbourg.ch
[4] http://www.wilhelmtux.ch
[5] http://www.blug.ch
--
Robert Ribnitz		<ribnitz at linuxbourg.ch>



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