FSFE Potteries
Information
- Description
- A local group for anyone interested in the free software movement.
- How to join
- Subscribe to our mailing list and optionally introduce yourself!
- Mailing list
- Location
The Potteries and surrounding areas (including Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire Moorlands, Alsager, Crewe, Kidsgrove, Stafford, and Stone).
- Coordinators
- Steven M (Lantizia) and Darren M (d72)
Resources
About
We aim to bring back some much needed attention to why this movement began in the first place, at a regional level. To restore the belief that technology should be accessible to everyone, and to share and promote software that respects a user's right to use, study, distribute and modify it. We try to draw attention to the social and political aspects of Free Software, share news and ideas, campaign, and host presentations and social events.
As free software has become more popular, it is important to spot projects and authors that can confuse what is truly free. This includes "open core" projects where significant portions of the software isn't under a free license, those that confuse things with non-free open source offerings, or actors like Microsoft that entice users to use non-free operating systems or development environments together with free software.
Feel free to come along to any of our meetings, we're friendly and enthusiastic, and can likely help if you're just trying to find out what free software would be suitable for you.
Meetings
Note: Please click the Calendar icon above for upcoming and past meetings.
We try to aim for a minimum of 3 each year and to have them evenly space them out. They are usually on a Tuesday on odd numbered weeks and start from 6:30pm onwards. Feel free to bring along any friends or family of all ages that might be interested.
Normally our presentations take place at the Community Computer Lab (CoCoLab) at Keele, however that venue is currently between locations at the moment and we're waiting for it to reopen.
Socials are typically at the KPA Clubhouse which is a social space and bar up at the Keele campus that is open to all. We also join other local groups to host an annual event at Lymelight Lanes called Flörgåsbord! that includes free ten-pin bowling all evening in a privately hired room.
We take part in I Love Free Software Day each year and you should check the calendar to know which venue.
History
Our group began on Tuesday 6th October 2020, with an online meeting between several people who discussed the goals of the new group. Unfortunately not a great deal happened in the first couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However since then we've had several great presentations and socials, and we have participated in the I Love Free Software Day celebrations since 2023.
Friends
There are other local groups and organisations that assist us and help to spread the word about our group, we'd like to mention them here...
Function Office: A local non-profit with FSFE Supporter status that supports groups to use Free Software and hosts various projects.
ORG Stoke-on-Trent: A local group representing the national Open Rights Group which campaigns for digital privacy and free speech.
Potteries Hackspace: The local hackspace that often enjoys working with open source hardware.
Staffordshire Linux User Group: The local Linux user group, we often co-host presentations with them that deal with purely Free Software topics.
Hack Keele: A KeeleSU society for both Keele University computing students and members of the public who are interested in their workshops and hackathons.