The first Wednesday of every month is...

WINDOWSLESS WEDNESDAY!!

Join us for a free DROP IN night of skill-sharing, problem-solving & education

7:00-9:30pm at Free Geek (back door)

• Getting help: all are welcome, beginners and up
  
• Helping others: we always need helpers with skills, please consider dropping by to help others
  
• Free or by donation.
• Note: we help with free & open source software/hardware issues only.

Want to try free and open source software? Find out how to install GNU/Linux on your computer? Or have a more complex question...? These evenings are first come, first serve. Drop in & write your name/question on the whiteboard; someone will come find you and lend a hand.

We assist folks who have GNU/Linux issues, hardware problems, or who are just plain curious. If you want to see what free and open source is all about, or try the Ubuntu operating system, you're welcome to drop by!

If you are already running a distribution of GNU/Linux, you might consider bringing your box down, so we can work together to solve your difficulties.

**CAN YOU HELP? We're always in need of extra helpers with skills and patience! Particular areas in demand: GNU/Linux & wireless, Ubuntu installs, hardware issues. Feel free to drop by and let us know you've come to help.

Check back here for updates, or join our announcement mailing list to stay posted about upcoming events!

Please note: Entry via back door. Indoor bike parking. Unfortunately our new location is not wheelchair accessible yet. We appreciate your patience while we work to change this; call us with concerns: 604-879-4335.

Activist, hacker and author Richard Stallman to speak on "Copyright vs. Community in the Age of Computer Networks"

Friday February 6, 7:30-10pm

Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph St (at Victoria) [MAP]

Admission FREE or by donation, no one turned away for inability to pay. Live music by the Creaking Planks! Tea and coffee will be provided.

Come hear about the total liberation of cyberspace!  There will be plenty of time for questions after the talk. This speech is designed to be accessible to everyone; the public is encouraged to attend! 

"Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.

"The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while suppressing public access to technology. But if we seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright--to promote progress, for the benefit of the public--then we must make changes in the other direction."

Richard Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system (see www.gnu.org) in 1984. GNU is free software: everyone has the freedom to copy it and redistribute it, as well as to make changes either large or small. The GNU/Linux system, basically the GNU operating system with Linux added, is used on tens of millions of computers today. Stallman has received the ACM Grace Hopper Award, a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer award, and the the Takeda Award for Social/Economic Betterment, as well as several honorary doctorates. His book "Free Software, Free Society" will be available for purchase, and there will be a book signing after the talk. 

This lecture is being sponsored by Free Geek Vancouver, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Hack Society (VHS) and the Vancouver Fair Copyright Coalition. Richard Stallman will also be appearing at UBC; see the fsf.org website for details.

Links for the eager:

Free Software Foundation 

Free software for freedom

Linux and GNU

FREE GEEK MONTHLY MEETING - all welcome!

6:30-8:30pm

1820 Pandora St. (3 blocks NE of Commercial & Hastings); come to the back door please.

Please note: Our new space is not wheelchair accessible yet. We appreciate your patience. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns at 604-879-4335.

Join us as we make decisions and discuss issues relevant to a community non-profit, dedicated to computer recycling, education, empowerment and free & open source software. Open to the curious, the beginner and the programmer. Folks with no computer experience welcome!

Feel free to check out more info about our meeting procedures [HERE]

Want to help others learn free software? Get some teaching experience? Share  your brain matter? Join us as we discuss how to support software freedom, and make more educational resources available to all. If you would like to share your skills with others, or start learning ways to do that, we strongly encourage you to attend!

Agenda items include:

• Retrospective of past workshops
• Assessment of most-needed areas of instruction
• Adoption class
  
• Support for hardware grant recipients
• Upcoming curriculum, including regular workshops
• Training for trainers
• Future directions

MORE:

Join the education mailing list [HERE]
Read the burgeoning education section on the FG wiki [HERE]

** Sorry folks, this workshop has been postponed until future notice. **

If you would like to receive a notice of the new workshop date, you may want to join the Announcements mailing list [HERE].

Free Workshop: Introduction to GNUCash

Wed. Feb. 18th, 6:30pm-8:30pm

@ the Hackery, 2nd floor, 304 Victoria [Map]

Registration not required

"GNUCash is personal and small-business financial-accounting software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL and available for GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows."

"Designed to be easy to use, yet powerful and flexible, GNUCash allows you to track bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. As quick and intuitive to use as a chequebook register, it is based on professional accounting principles to ensure balanced books and accurate reports."

[GNUcash website]

The workshop will have a home and/or small business flavour. Topics to be covered:

• basic account structure
• importing bank statements
  
• bookeeping entries
• accounts payable/receivables
• reports
• scheduled transactions
• general ledger 
• reconciliation
  

**Accounting/bookkeeping principles will NOT be covered during this workshop. Attendees should have a basic undestanding of bookkeeping. 

The first Wednesday of every month is...

WINDOWSLESS WEDNESDAY!!

Join us for a free DROP IN night of skill-sharing, problem-solving & education

7:00-9:30pm at Free Geek (back door)

• Getting help: all are welcome, beginners and up
  
• Helping others: we always need helpers with skills, please consider dropping by to help others
  
• Free or by donation.
• Note: we help with free & open source software/hardware issues only.

Want to try free and open source software? Find out how to install GNU/Linux on your computer? Or have a more complex question...? These evenings are first come, first serve. Drop in & write your name/question on the whiteboard; someone will come find you and lend a hand.

We assist folks who have GNU/Linux issues, hardware problems, or who are just plain curious. If you want to see what free and open source is all about, or try the Ubuntu operating system, you're welcome to drop by!

If you are already running a distribution of GNU/Linux, you might consider bringing your box down, so we can work together to solve your difficulties.

**CAN YOU HELP? We're always in need of extra helpers with skills and patience! Particular areas in demand: GNU/Linux & wireless, Ubuntu installs, hardware issues. Feel free to drop by and let us know you've come to help.

Check back here for updates, or join our announcement mailing list to stay posted about upcoming events!

Please note: Entry via back door. Indoor bike parking. Unfortunately our new location is not wheelchair accessible yet. We appreciate your patience while we work to change this; call us with concerns: 604-879-4335.

Free Workshop: INTRODUCTION TO UBUNTU GNU/LINUX

Curious? Or just starting out, and need a boost? Come and get a friendly introduction to Ubuntu, a free and open source operating system. You'll learn what you can do with it, what its advantages are, and why its name means 'humanity to others.'

This workshop is for folks who have not had any prior experience with Ubuntu, or who are just starting out...or who just need a bit of extra attention.

****Please note: this workshop is limited capacity. Please register by sending an email to

info {at} freegeekvancouver {d0t} org

[More on Ubuntu]

[Why Use Free Software?]

This workshop is presented by Free Geek and Ubuntu Vancouver.