Re: [Fsfe-uk] Membership

[David Casal]

Hi,

On Fri, 23 May 2003, Richard Smedley wrote:

> On Thu, 2003-05-22 at 23:29, MJ Ray wrote:
> > Ramanan Selvaratnam <address@hidden> wrote:
> > > If we were to build up an  electronic system to scale for the many
> > > number of users Ian is talking about then a lot of  new possibilities
> > > can be explored.
> >
> > My opinion is that it would have to be entirely automated.  I'd suggest
> > that the option to publish the details is the "fee" that we ask from these
> > supporters.  What do you think?  This then could give us the directory that
> > Ian suggests.
>
> A membership directory would be incredibly useful - we
> did this in the Landscape&Art Network, which put landscape
> architects in touch with artists working in the landscape.

Sorry to come out of the shadows on this, but I've been reading this
thread and something's happened recently which is pertinent.

At University of East Anglia, I recently put in a bid for a JISC (joint
information systems committee) call, for an Open Source Advisory Service
(their title). You can see the text for the bid here:

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=circular_3_03

As some of you know, we asked for AFFS support for the bid in writing,
because we argued that if successful, we would integrate services with
organisations such as AFFS as part of the service.

I'm glad to say our bid has now been shortlisted, and that we are summoned
to defend it monday week.

At this point, we need to put a presentation together on how we'd run it,
etc. I want to put special emphasis on the Regional Support Network for
FE, and will be in contact with the Anglian node shortly to try to meet
about this.

Easy point of entry for membership to the AFFS for any FE
group/teacher/student using free software actively would be a great thing
to be able to argue, as well as a directory, etc.

I want to propose that this service could mediate (as it is meant to, as
far as JISC are concerned) between FE/HE and the AFFS, and I would very
much like to, when we get to present this in London, to be able to say
that it's a done thing, if you see what I mean. The service is meant to
provide advice, but also actual guidelines, licensing advice, discussions
boards, workshops, etc.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Could we crack on with the <http://member.fsf.org/>
system so that I get to say we're on to it already?

D

David Casal
e:  address@hidden
w:  ariada.uea.ac.uk/~dcasal
p:  (+44) 07803 173 959