The New Zealand Open Source Society is a charitable, non-profit organisation set up to educate, advocate and advance the use of Free and Open Source Software in Government, Business and Society in New Zealand. Read More
New to Free and Open Source Software? Learn how to educate, advocate and advance the use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in New Zealand. Read More
We exist to share the freedom of open source software, open standards, and open information for the benefit of New Zealand. Do you want to help? Read More
Free and Open Source Software exists for the benefit of all. The NZOSS provides some basic community services as alternatives to large commercial organisations. Read More
By joining the NZOSS you are promoting Free and Open Source Software in New Zealand, advocating against Software Patents, and supporting open, sustainable, collaborative, and effective computing. Read More
The community of volunteers who develop and promote OpenOffice.org, the leading free office software, announce a major change in the project’s structure. After ten years’ successful growth with Sun Microsystems as founding and principle sponsor, the project launches an independent foundation called "The Document Foundation", to fulfil the promise of independence written in the original charter.
On the day before the Software Patent Debate Igor and I got some bad news. The lawyer who had said he would be able to present for the Pro Patent position would be unable to attend the debate. We needed to find someone credible, someone knowledgeable, someone who could put on a show. And we needed someone at almost the last minute. Despite impossible odds Igor thought of the perfect person; Brett Roberts, former Platform Manager, strategist and my long time and good natured protagonist. Thanks to the magic of modern communications in short order we had secured Brett as our debating opponent.
The University of Auckland IEEE Student Branch is proud to present the public Software Patents Debate on Friday 15th of October. If you're a programmer, this debate is for you. It will debate the issue of whether or not software should be patentable. It's important to come to this debate because the Patents Bill reform currently before Parliament. It affects everyone, from budding programmers to large multinational companies (think Microsoft).
The moot will be: "This house should disallow software patents in New Zealand".
It is easy to think that the software patents issue is this year's news. But it is worth reflecting on the fact that, in New Zealand as elsewhere, practically the entire IT industry has been campaigning against software patents for years. What was highly unusual *this* year was an New Zealand IT vendor organisation, NZICT, coming out in favour of software patents.
Seven open source experts, chosen for their eminence in or championship of open source technology, will form the judging panel of the 2010 Open Source Awards, which will be announced at a gala ceremony in Wellington on Tuesday 9th November.
This recent article by AJ Park is a gross misrepresentation of the New Zealand Commerce Select Committee's position and the publicly stated Government position.
It states:
"The news that the government intends computer program inventions to be patentable in the same way as in Europe is important to New Zealand industry, not just for multinational companies.
by Peter Harrison
I wish to Congratulate Rachel in becoming President. We are honoured to have a new President that has the proven track record of success in the open source field that you do. In order for the NZOSS to be strong we need capable people with real passion for free and open source software. We are therefore very luck to have Rachel at the helm to take the solemn responsibility of piloting the society into the future.
Rachel Hamilton-Williams has been elected President of the New Zealand Open Source Society in yesterday's Annual General Meeting. After gaining a degree in Sociology from Massey University Rachel started her own business, Wellington based Katipo Communications in 1996. Katipo has created many open source software solutions, including the award winning Koha Library Management Software. Joining Rachel on Council will be three new councillors, Brenda Wallace, Scott Newton and Peter Fletcher.
The 2010 AGM of the New Zealand Open Source Society has been held. Thanks to all those who took the time to attend.
Wednesday the 28th of July starting at 5pm.
The meeting will be conducted via an IRC channel for minutes and logging purposes. There will also be a conference line open.
The IRC channel is:
irc://chat.freenode.net #nzoss
Instructions to access the conference call are:
- Conference Dial-in Number: +1 (661) 673-8600
- Participant Access Code: 1051251#
Note that this is an International Toll call and normal toll charges will apply.
The Final Agenda is:
The healthAlliance, which runs ICT for several northern DHBs has put out an expression of interest for an Enterprise Content Management Solution.
The relevent documentation can be found on GETS:
https://www.gets.govt.nz/Default.aspx?show=TenderDetail&TenderID=30383
In the tender documents there is the following statement:
"We are open to solutions from open source vendors, proprietary solution vendors and hosted solution providers"
