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Re: [Fsfe-uk] AFFS strategy (Was: Beyond bitching...)


From: Alex Hudson
Subject: Re: [Fsfe-uk] AFFS strategy (Was: Beyond bitching...)
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 20:39:14 +0100

On Wed, 2005-06-29 at 18:48 +0100, nveitch wrote:
> ...to be brutally honest, many LUGs have  probably done more for Free 
> Software than the AFFS has since it started, mainly by being there when 
> required by individuals or organizations in need of help and advice.

Actually, I acknowledge that in many ways. I don't agree AFFS hasn't
done much, but I do agree that it's pretty difficult to put your finger
on what it has done.

As a LUG person myself (and most involved with AFFS are active LUG
people too, I think) there's a stark difference between that scenario
and AFFS. LUGs are different: they can engage switchers -
businesses/individuals - and get them using free software, and show them
how. That's not the aim of AFFS, nor does it suit a national org. It's
basically virtually impossible for AFFS to achieve anything without
anyone else, and it's not possible to attribute success to AFFS work. 

For example - we give talks and make information available in many ways.
How can we measure whether or not we're achieving anything? I guess we
could measure how many times we're asked to speak, but that's more a
metric of profile. 

Even more obviously, how do we measure the effect we have on Government?
We've attended parliamentary IT committees. We've spoken to MPs. But
AFFS is never going to achieve anything on it's own, and they move so
slowly that it's difficult to tell what we do right and what we do
wrong. 

So, it's a bit like we can't ever succeed - but I would say that it's
work that needs to be done. Unless, of course, you disagree with the
aims and having some kind of national voice :)

Cheers,

Alex.







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