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Links 30/6/2014: Linux 3.16 RC3, Many New Android Devices



GNOME bluefish

Contents





GNU/Linux



Free Software/Open Source



  • the struggle of open social networks


    identi.ca did not move the needle against Twitter at all. Diaspora still doesn't show up as even a blip in the social networking audience. Why is this? I think that there are good reasons, and then there are the real reasons.

    The good reasons include network effects (particularly as a late-mover), good-but-not-excellent implementations, few if any "killer features" (for the common person), and a lack of marketing resources. These all contribute in one way or another to preventing open social network alternatives from flourishing.

    [...]

    Is it imaginable to have (truly) decentralized social networks that are not server-centric? Can we imagine ways of delivering some or all of the features of today's social networks without having everyone talking through server software? Can we imagine a fully decentralized system that not only allows but encourages deep local app integration? Could a system be developed that does not imply the topic in the implementation (e.g. professional networking versus restaurant reviews)?


  • Paying With Your Time
    Nicole Engard takes that phrase that you Get what you paid for with open source head on at Opensource.com. The phrase is normally used in a derogative fashion, but Nichole accepts the phrase and makes it her own by explaining how everyone benefits when you pay with your time.

    In the world of standard economics, nothing is ever truly free of cost. If something is given to you for nothing, someone had to pay for it at some point along the line. In the modern, advertising based economy, If you are not paying with your money, than you are most likely paying with your personal information. Another example of would be public services, which are normally paid for with taxes. In the world of open source, the phrase is normally meant to imply that the program you are obtaining for free is of such low quality that it has little to no value. “Oh, you are having a problem with that open source app? Well, you get what you paid for!” Laughter ensues.


  • Web Browsers



    • Mozilla



      • Mozilla at work: See the web evolve with VR
        He provided links for Windows and OS X builds in his blog, and he said Linux is coming soon. Although only the Oculus Rift is currently supported, other devices, he said, will come soon, including Google's Cardboard.






  • Oracle/Java/LibreOffice



    • Hacking LibreOffice in Paris
      Less technical particpants (such as yours truly) had the opportunity to work on the Bern Conference planning, the messaging of the upcoming LibreOffice releases, and explain how the LibreOffice project works to our guests. And of course, food and drinks were not forgotten during the Friday evening…




  • CMS



  • BSD



  • Public Services/Government



    • The government says, “we will break away from OS dependency with open source software by 2020”
      As the support for the Microsoft (MS) Windows XP service is terminated this year, the government will try and invigorate open source software in order to solve the problem of dependency on certain software. By 2020 when the support of the Windows 7 service is terminated, it is planning to switch to open OS and minimize damages. Industry insiders pointed out that the standard e-document format must be established and shared as an open source before open source software is invigorated.


    • What would you do with millions of pounds?
      There’s a lot that you can do with €£5.5m. You could employ a couple of hundred people for a year for starters, or set up some small businesses. You could be sensible and invest in technologies, or you could pay for lots of operations. Alternatively, you could buy lots of sweets or several million copies of the Adam Sandler movie of your choice.


    • Why The Korean Government Could Go Open Source By 2020
      A similar suggestion that Korea might embrace more open source (but couched more cautiously, with more "should" and "may") is reported on the news page of the EU's program on Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations, based on a workshop presentation earlier this month by Korea's Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning. (And at a smaller but still huge scale, the capitol city of Seoul appears to be going in for open source software in a big way, too.)


    • Seoul, South Korea, plans new cloud platform to share data


    • Government Of Korea Is Into FLOSS For The Long Run




  • Openness/Sharing





Leftovers



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