Doubts about the Italian Free Software Conference 2007

[Nicola Larosa]

[This message is sent to the conference organizing committee, to the FSF
Europe main mailing list, to the it.comp.software.libero newsgroup, and to
the Associazione Software Libero main mailing list.]

I have a few doubts about the Italian Free Software Conference 2007; i
cannot find a dedicated mailing list or forum, so I'll try discussing them
here.

http://hacklab.cosenzainrete.it/confsl07/

I've been working in information technology for 17 years, almost
exclusively with free software for seven, and got my degree at the Calabria
University (where the conference will take place); when I got to know about
it, I tried to participate, submitting three different subjects related to
my professional work.

The committee answered reiterating what is written in the "Call for Papers":

http://hacklab.cosenzainrete.it/confsl07/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=43

A couple things look peculiar to me. I wholly agree that:

"The primary target of the Italian Free Software Conference is to make the
point about The Free Software art in Italy."

and that:

"This Conference wants also to be a gather for everyone who is involved in
the Free Software diffusion and use in Italy, like companies, public
institutions, universities, developers, researchers and neckers(?) to
convey and have collaborations and projects."

but how can this be reconciled with:

"For this reason the technical level of the conference would like to be
high-grade, with strongly innovative contents..."

and with:

"This Conference has the intention of being the first Free Software
Conference of scientific nature..."

then going back to the formerly declared aims:

"...that involves all the souls of Italian Free Software, and would like to
be the first of a series of annual meetings that would further the Free
Software diffusion in Italy increasing the consciousness both of technic
and economic implication, ethic and philosophic."

I am a developer, use free software, take part in its communities, and am
interested in its diffusion.

I can contribute my experience in study and professional usage of free
software, and also in the dynamics of its communities. Unfortunately I
cannot deliver "strongly innovative contents", nor did I deal with "Free
Software [...] of scientific nature".

I find such criteria as damagingly limiting, and in conflict with the other
stated objectives stated.

I hope someone will help me get a better understanding of such matters.


-- 
Nicola Larosa - http://www.tekNico.net/