Philly: Sotware freedom day 2007

Philly, let's start planning this as I think this should be our next *big* event. Location? I'm thinking some place in Philly that is central and public. Fairmount/love park? Love park might be nice as love sort of goes with our message of software freedom, fairmount is also a nice place and might be a better place since people tend to linger there longer and it gets more traffic.

The problem with these become that how do we get power? Do we have any ultra high power batteries, or a quiet generator, or really long extension cords?

I think our primary goal of SFD isn't necessarily to showcase /ubuntu/ but to explain free software and get people aware, of course the cds we give out will be Ubuntu cds, but we are an Ubuntu group, so we have to incorporate them somehow.

Is it legal to cook in fairmount park? A free bbq would be a good way to explain free software to people, distribute all of our recipes with the food, sort of a GPL bbq. Lets start hammering out the details, if needed I can take the lead on this one and start finding out what it takes to get permits to bbq in Fairmount and hold an event. If someone has connections they're welcome to but I'm happy to head this one up.

Suggestions? Comments? Ideas? Lets make this a good publicity event.

Good job Alex, way to step up.

I am just going to brainstorm what I was thinking:

Contact 94 Wysp FREE FM and see if they are interested in doing something with us around Software Freedom Day. Same demographics.

Get a demonstration permit for 4th and Market if they are with us. It is only 1 block away from Independence Visitors Center - guaranteed to be alot of people around and what better place to celebrate freedom then that area.
Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Declaration of Independence, Betsy Ross.... yada yada yada.

Just my initial thoughts.

Fairmount park and power is easy, the yoda van can support power strips when laptops need to be recharged. Big AC inverter and battery brain to prevent from draining battery too low.

jim fisher
jedijf

BTW for those that don't know Software Freedom Day is Saturday, Sept. 15th 2007.

I think that this would be great to have an event in every region of PA. This is where our LoCo can shine presenting a unified regional approach!

I know the alleghany/susquehana guys are planning something already, so central and west get on the ball!!

Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr and Penn have local chapters with the free culture - http://freeculture.org/ - movement. (Over in Lancaster Conty, F and M has a local chapter.) Those chapters could be contacted. The UF chapter (Florida Free Culture) partnered with the UF Linux Users Group (GatorLUG) last year for a very successful event.

There are no chapters in Susquehanna County. Of course there are no colleges in Susquehanna County either.

Software Freedom Day in the Philly / Southeastern Area
will be held in conjunction with PACS.

The speaker for the Main Presentation at 12:00 Noon will be Dave Harding.

Flyers to print are also available here:

http://web.myfisher.org-a.googlepages.com/home