FSFE Potteries / Calendar
On this page you will find dates, times, topics, and locations for past and upcoming meetings.
This includes both presentations and socials and some meetings will also have additional links to official announcements or notes.
To stay notified of new meetings, please subscribe to the mailing list.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
The main reason why we haven't got more scheduled, is that the CoCoLab is currently in the process of relocating and that is where meetings involving presentations would normally take place. It is hoped that in the first quarter of 2024 this will start to be resolved.
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.
I Love Free Software Day 2024
Date: Tuesday 13th February 2024
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: KPA Clubhouse (open that link for venue details)
Presiding: Steven M
Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.
FSFE Events URL https://fsfe.org/events/events.en.html#event-20240213-01
Agenda:
The 14th traditional celebration of 'I Love Free Software Day' as organised by FSFE!
Our groups 2nd celebration of this event, no longer on Valentines Day which should help!
Meet like minded people, discuss the benefits of Free Software, and perhaps tell us what Free Software you're thankful for the most.
Soft drinks and hot food will be provided at this event for free.
We'll be running Trisquel GNU/Linux on some laptops so people can try Free Software (including games!).
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!
?
Date: Tuesday 7th November 2024 n/a
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: CoCoLab (open that link for venue details)
Presiding: n/a
Notes: Not available yet.
Agenda:
Give us your thoughts on which topic you'd like to see presented on this possible upcoming date!
Open Firmware
Date: Tuesday ??th ??? 2024
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: CoCoLab (open that link for venue details)
Presiding: Steven Maddox
Notes: Not available yet.
Agenda:
Looking at free software projects that replace proprietary firmware.
Including looking at coreboot and Libreboot.
As well as things that can be loaded from them such as iPXE and SeaBIOS.
Hopefully some hardware and VMs we can play with that uses these.
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.
Flörgåsbord! 2023
Date: Tuesday 19th December 2023
Time: 6:30pm doors open
Location: Lymelight Lanes (open that link for venue details)
Presiding: Steven Maddox
Notes: Not available yet.
FSFE Events URL https://fsfe.org/events/events.en.html#event-20231219-01
Agenda:
A social with completely free bowling all evening.
Hot food, drinks (including alcohol), are available purchase at the venue.
Get caught up with the latest news from your peers and relax.
A chance to mingle with other like minded people from FSFE Potteries and other local groups.
Free software respecting system builders
Date: Tuesday 29th August 2023
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: Online (open that link to join FSFE Potteries hosted Jitsi meeting)
Presiding: Richard Bateman
Notes: Not available yet.
Agenda:
Companies that ship free software friendly devices like Star Labs.
The difficulties finding hardware that doesn't require binary blobs.
What free software projects hope to replace proprietary firmware.
Briefly looking at things like coreboot and Libreboot.
I Love Free Software Day 2023
Date: Tuesday 14th February 2023
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: CoCoLab (open that link for venue details)
Presiding: Steven M
Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.
FSFE Events URL https://fsfe.org/events/events.en.html#event-20230214-10
Agenda:
The 13th traditional celebration of 'I Love Free Software Day' as organised by FSFE!
Our groups 1st celebration of this (due to COVID-19 preventing it for the last 2 years)!
Meet like minded people, discuss the benefits of Free Software, and perhaps tell us what Free Software you're thankful for the most.
Soft drinks and pizza will be provided at this event for free.
We'll be running Trisquel GNU/Linux on the computers to try Free Software (including games!) for yourself.
Free GNU/Linux distros
Date: Tuesday 5th July 2022
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: CoCoLab (open that link for venue details)
Presiding: Steven M
Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.
Agenda:
Looking at Debian-based distros like PureOS and Trisquel GNU/Linux.
A look at Arch-based distros like Hyperbola and Parabola GNU/Linux-libre.
Other distributions listed by FSF.
What is wrong with distributions that are not completely free.
Checking for non-free software
Date: Tuesday 15th February 2022
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: Online (open that link to join FSFE Potteries hosted Jitsi meeting)
Presiding: Darren M and Steven M
Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.
Agenda:
A little bit on Free Software licenses.
How to check what license your software has.
Using tools like vrms.
How the DFSG differs for checking purposes.
FSFE sister and alternate organisations
Date: Tuesday 12th October 2021
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: Online (open that link to join FSFE Potteries hosted Jitsi meeting)
Presiding: Richard B
Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.
Agenda:
The FSF* network as a whole.
Breakaway groups like Free Software Fellowship.
Issues with RMS and the FSFE statement on that.
Differences between FSFE and FSF.
Free Software friendly conferences in the UK
Date: Tuesday 16th February 2021
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: Online (open that link to join FSFE Potteries hosted Jitsi meeting)
Presiding: Darren M and Keira T
Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.
Agenda:
Talk about OggCamp 2019 and meeting FSFE there.
How COVID-19 prevented OggCamp 2020 and possibly again this year?
Other technology conferences and unconferences near and far from the Potteries.
Possibly incorporating lightning talks (as seen at OggCamp) in to future FSFE Potteries meetings.
Launch of FSFE Potteries
Date: Tuesday 6th October 2020
Time: 6:30pm (main activities starting at 7pm)
Location: Online (open that link to join FSFE hosted Jitsi meeting)
Presiding: Darren M and Steven M
Notes: Some notes have been written up for this meeting and can be downloaded here.
Agenda:
Look at e-mails from FSFE president Matthias Kirschner who's approved the group.
Decide on a name for the group and get it approved.
Discuss promotional material FSFE has to offer and put a request in.
Buy some merchandise for possible future prizes.
Discuss how to organise and the mailing list.
Getting access to the FSFE wiki to list the new group and who has edit rights.
Work out when meetings should take place and co-operation with other local groups.
None yet, see the below section for possible dates that we might run the next meetings on.