FOSS (Free, Open-Source Software) Workshop Morse Library in Natick on Monday night

[gaf-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org (Jerry Feldman)]

From:
Dick and Jill Miller <TheMillers-92erbo29B3c66LQ5Rmw1cA at public.gmane.org>
Date:
Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:46:50 -0500



Hi, Friends! Dick and Jill Miller are inviting you and your friends to
something special, this coming Monday night. Many of you know us as
volunteers for environmental and other causes. We also work and play
with computers.

This meeting is about *free software that works*. It works for casual
computer users, and for very savvy computer users who want to learn
about alternatives to commercial software. Some of it runs on Windows or
on Mac OS X, and some runs instead of them. It often fits onto older
computers. We will introduce the universe of free, open-source software
that includes nearly every type of software imaginable, little of which
you are likely to learn about in a store (because it's free). We will
highlight some of the very best free software and show how you can use
it on your own, or share it freely with others on your volunteer
projects and in professional environments.

Thanks to the Natick Morse Institute Library (and to us), this meeting
is free. Like the software. But we just got the go-ahead, so we're
relying on you to *spread the word quickly* to make this a success.

Our FOSS (Free, Open-Source Software) meeting will be 7-9PM Monday,
November 16th in the Community Room (the smaller meeting room on the
library's lower level) of the Natick Morse Institute Library, 14 East
Central St., Natick MA.

If you bring a recently-backed-up notebook PC, we can try loading a
RAM-only version of Linux for your temporary use. (This method will
*not* affect the computer's hard drive. But, like all good programmers,
back up first Just In Case.)

If this workshop proves to be popular, we can consider repeat
introductory workshops and informal monthly follow-up meetings.

Thanks. That's all you need to know. But if you want to know more now,
read on. And we hope to provide *a meeting poster for you to print and
post for others*; late Thursday, find links to that and more on our
calendar of events (see Nov. 16th), at:
http://www.millermicro.com/eventscalendar.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Extra Feature #1* - Our friend Brad Rodriguez has a way with words, and
says it this way:
http://www.goodbyemicrosoft.net/news.php

*Goodbye, Microsoft!*

Are you tired of paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for your
computer's software? Tired of having to buy upgrades, and new hardware
to run the upgrades? Tired of crashes, security flaws, cyber-attacks,
and worrying if your computer is safe to use? Had enough of license
agreements, lock-downs, and restrictions on what you can do with your
computer? Worried about your business being sued for making a careless co=
py?

It doesn't have to be that way. You can live your life free of
Microsoft, and free of their thousand and one petty annoyances. And you
can save money in the process.

This website/talk is devoted to helping you say Goodbye to Microsoft,
and to "Take Back the PC."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
Extra Feature #2 - Where we're coming from.*

A. Richard (Dick) and Jill Miller have lived in Natick since 1968, and
have owned Miller Microcomputer Services since 1977. MMS was designed to
provide us with tools and time for our volunteer pursuits, while
assisting our consulting clients. At first we wrote and marketed our own
software - including MMSFORTH - for TRS-80 and IBM PC-compatible hardware=
=2E

MMS now features some of the very best FOSS programs that run on
Microsoft Windows or on the alternative Linux operating system. Linux is
a version of Unix, and we will demonstrate one of many Linux
"distributions", Ubuntu Linux. Natick's libraries have a good selection
of Linux and FOSS books. We may be able to give each attendee a free
Ubuntu Linux Live CD to take home. These Live CDs can be booted on your
computers and run in memory only - not writing to the hard drive, so the
computers will not be modified for future use. An option permits actual
installation at a later date, should a user decide to add it to the
computer for regular use. The Ubuntu Linux CD includes powerful
applications such as Firefox (for browsing the Internet), Thunderbird
(for e-mail and more), Open Office (like Microsoft Word, Excel,
PowerPoint and more), the GIMP (like PhotoShop), games and more. Over a
thousand other FOSS offerings are available on-line. Many of them can
also be downloaded to run under Windows or Macintosh OS-X.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

This workshop is NOT about paying us. It's about sharing, about software
that's NOT about money. If this workshop proves to be popular, we will
consider repeat introductory workshops and informal monthly follow-up
meetings.

Can you join us on Monday night? Will you please share this message with
your friends?

Thanks, from
--Dick and Jill Miller, Partners, MMS <TheMillers-92erbo29B3c66LQ5Rmw1cA at public.gmane.org>
<mailto:TheMillers-92erbo29B3c66LQ5Rmw1cA at public.gmane.org>
  E-MAIL LISTS (opt-in/out/etc.): http://millermicro.com/newURL.html
--
*A. Richard & Jill A. Miller            | MILLER MICROCOMPUTER SERVICES |=

Mailto:TheMillers-92erbo29B3c66LQ5Rmw1cA at public.gmane.org      | 61 Lake Shore Road            |
Web: http://www.millermicro.com/       | Natick, MA 01760-2099, USA    |*=


--=20
Jerry Feldman <gaf-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
PGP key id: 537C5846
PGP Key fingerprint: 3D1B 8377 A3C0 A5F2 ECBB  CA3B 4607 4319 537C 5846