LocalGroups/Potteries

FSFE Potteries

fsfepotteriescover.jpg

Information

Coordinators

Darren M (d72) and Steven M (Lantizia)

Description
A local group for users of Free Software in the Potteries area.
Joining

Please join the mailing list and introduce yourself!

Location

The Potteries (including North Staffordshire and the surrounding areas, including Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire Moorlands and parts of Cheshire).

Meetings

A minimum of 3 evenly spaced over each year, usually on a Tuesday's on odd numbered weeks starting from 6:30pm in a room provided by Internet Central in Keele. We'd be setting up an iCal and/or RSS feed for these events, but we haven't got one yet!

https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/Potteries

Old Temporary Web Site

https://lists.fsfe.org/mailman/listinfo/potteries

Mailing List

https://meet.fsfe.org/potteries

Jitsi (Online Meetings)

ircs://irc.libera.chat:6697/fsfepotteries

Libera Chat (IRC)

ircs://irc.oftc.net:6697/fsfepotteries

OFTC (IRC)

Meetings

Scheduled

These meeting have had their dates, times, presiding persons, and topics all confirmed. Each of them should have been confirmed in an announcement with at least 25 days prior notice. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, usually only for reasons we can't control, we'll try to give at least 4 days notice. Please make sure you're subscribed to the mailing list for updates.




None yet, see the below section for possible dates that we might run the next meetings on.




Planning

These are ideas for future topics that we will schedule soon, or possible dates where we've not yet chosen the topic to first see if people can make that date. Once all the details are confirmed it'll become a scheduled meeting with at least 25 days prior notice via the mailing list, so make sure you're subscribed for updates!




Tuesday 4th July 2023 - Topic: n/a

Presiding: n/a

Location: CoCoLab (see the section below below)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Not available yet.




Tuesday 7th November 2023 - Topic: n/a

Presiding: n/a

Location: CoCoLab (see the section below below)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Not available yet.




Tuesday ??th ??? 202? - Topic: Open Firmware

Presiding: Steven Maddox

Location: CoCoLab (see the section below below)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Not available yet.




Previous

These meetings have already happened, so you can see what you might have missed, read any notes that were taken, and perhaps suggest repeating a topic in later years if you enjoyed it or would like an update on that topic. Please let us know your thoughts by subscribing to the mailing list.




Tuesday 14th February 2023 - Topic: I Love Free Software Day 2023

Presiding: Steven M

Location: CoCoLab (see the section below below)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Not available yet.




Tuesday 5th July 2022 - Topic: Free GNU/Linux distros

Presiding: Steven M

Location: CoCoLab (see the section below below)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.




Tuesday 15th February 2022 - Topic: Checking for non-free software

Presiding: Darren M and Steven M

Location: Jitsi (use this link)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.




Tuesday 12th October 2021 - Topic: FSFE sister and alternate organisations

Presiding: Richard B

Location: Jitsi (use this link)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.




Tuesday 16th February 2021 - Topic: Free Software friendly conferences in the UK

Presiding: Darren M and Keira T

Location: Jitsi (use this link instead as the fsfe.org hosted one didn't work so well last time)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.




Tuesday 6th October 2020 - Topic: Launch of FSFE Potteries

Presiding: Darren M and Steven M

Location: Jitsi (use this link)

Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)

Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.

CoCoLab

The Keele CoCoLab (which stands for Community Computer Lab) is a name that several local groups, inclusing FSFE Potteries, use to describe a room which is useful for giving presentations, getting on with some work, training, and general lab tasks... due to it's large number of computers, phones and desks.

In reality the room is really is a part of the local ISP of Internet Central who allow their customers to use it as a 'Workplace Recovery Suite'. So if you ever bump into anyone at Keele asking to find the CoCoLab... they'll likely look at you strangely. Instead it's better to ask to find Internet Central who are based in the IC1 building (IC stands for 'Innovation Centre')... and you'll find that building just has a big 'IC' written on the side (so don't confuse it with IC2, IC3, etc...). Out of all the IC buildings on Keele Science and Innovation Park, you'll find IC1 is the closest one to the actual main part of the Keele University campus.

ic1rear.png 📍 Innovation Centre 1 building, Keele University, ST5 5NB, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
🌐 Latitude: 53.003668 Longitude: -2.269742
🚗 Use the spaces marked 'Internet Central' in the lower and rear car park behind the building (as per the red arrow on the photo)... or alternatively you can use the Keele Campus “Pay and Display” parking (by the Students’ Union).
🚌 If you're coming from Stoke-on-Trent or Newcastle-under-Lyme then you’ll likely want the number 25 operated by First or if you’re coming from Cheshire you may want the 85 operated by D&G.
🚪 Ring the door bell next to the door with the big 'Internet Central' sign next to it, at the rear of the building (as per the red arrow on the photo).

cocolabphoto.png

About us

The FSFE Potteries local group began Tuesday 6th October 2020. Nothing much had particularly happened on that date other than a bunch of us getting together (via Jitsi Meet, due to the COVID-19 pandemic!) and deciding to start this FSFE local group, the general goals and ways it could work.

Today it feels like more and more the entire point of keeping software free is being eroded. Whether that be...

We aim to bring back some much needed attention to why this movement began in the first place, at a regional level. To promote software that respects a user's right to use, study, distribute and modify it, and believe technology should be accessible to everyone. Feel free to come along to any of our meetings, we're friendly and enthusiastic, like to share news and ideas and can likely help if you're just trying to find out what free software would be suitable for you.

What we do

We are an active Free Software group that advocates for Free Software at a regional level. Working as a local group of the Free Software Foundation Europe and with the general assistance of FSFE Supporter Function Office (a nearby based non-profit that assists other non-profits and charities using Free Software), we draw attention to the social and political aspects of Free Software, share news and ideas, and plan future events and campaigns.

Resources


Category/UnitedKingdom

LocalGroups/Potteries (last edited 2023-02-20 14:42:59 by Lantizia)