Web Strike - 1st of June

For what it's worth I want to row in behind Al here. Maybe this isn't the place for a protest on European copyright laws. Striking would really be just spiting ourselves, especially with the increased traffic that's to be expected coming up to the transit.

Protest; Yes.
Strike; No.

I would have to disagree with Al.

We are users of free software, free software is hindered by software patents as is software written by small software firms (like mine!).

Some of you may be interested in this talk recently held on this very subject in trinity college: www.minds.may.ie/stallman.php

This is not an IFAS policy, this is a Bart policy! I do this voluntarily and put a lot of time into this place. I feel very strongly about this and I want to do this. I decided to give the users a say on this so here is the poll and what ever it says will go (the result can be Vetoed by the IFAS committee if they want).

The temporary page I would put up on the day of te strike wouldl contain a link to the www.venustransit.ie and the venus transit logo.

Bart B.,
IFAS webmaster.

In that case I would like to ask the IFAS committe to veto this proposal in advance and formalise the procedure for this type of action in future.

Not knocking Bart, but I understood that this site was being devleoped for the IFAS along the lines that your proposal set out over a year ago, the proposal which was appoved by the IFAS committee. I dont think this extends to giving you the right to take a personal protest against something using this site. (ok yes you have the passwords, which arguably gives you the right to do anything!).

Again I'm not knocking Bart, or the vast amount of hard work thats gone into the site, I just strongly disagree about this strike.

Cheers,
~Albert

Fair enough.

Consider it a request for a favour for me from the users. I feel very strongly about this and I also think that it affects the users of IFAS becaue we will always be reliant on free software which is threatened by software idea paptents.

I would just like to re-iterate that I would never dream of abusing the "power" I have on this site.

Bart B.,
IFAS Webmaster.

Given that people here seem to understand what this protest is about and judging by Bart's poll being very much in favor of this protest going ahead, surely democracy should hold true? Really, if people don't want to support this go ahead and vote against it!!!

This site would not exist without the use of free software, and not only that, a lot of astro related free software (registax etc) could also be affected. This is important.

Dostoevsky once wrote that "in the end they will lay their freedom at our feet and say to us, 'Make us your slaves, but feed us.'"

I am for this strike.

Firstly, the strike is a full week before the transit, if it were 2/3/4 days before, then I'd say no.

Secondly, June 1st is on a Tuesday, they'd be more activity on a weekend day, Tuesday might not be busy until the evening ??

Maybe on the strike page, you'd have 1 liners for each club, simply each web address ??, would that be enough for the anti--strikers ??