Every Day Is Special: free software

Showing posts with label free software. Show all posts

September 19 – Software Freedom Day

Posted on September 19, 2015

According to the official website, Software Freedom Day is a yearly celebration of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). We are encouraged to use FOSS for our educational, business, and entertainment needs.

The word "Free" in FOSS refers to "freedom" rather than no-cost, but a LOT of apps and software are, in fact, no cost!

I use Open Office instead of Microsoft Word or other costly word processor / spreadsheet programs. It's powerful, easy to use...and free!

There are many free apps for kids – and the University of Redlands shares some of the best!

The internet has so many resources – including Open Ed resources!

I'm sure you have heard that many colleges now offer free online courses and OpenCourseWare. Check out this list for some examples...

If you have been wondering, as I have, how the creators of free apps and FOSS make money, check out this article on free apps and this article on FOSS.

Find out more about Software Freedom Day on last year's post.

Also on this date:

Talk Like a Pirate Day

St. Kitts and Nevis Independence Day

Chocolatier George Cadbury's birthday

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

September holidays
September birthdays
Historical anniversaries in September

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

September 20 – Software Freedom Day

Posted on September 20, 2014

A conference to explain what sorts of free software is out there, and why free software is a good deal.

Or an “Install-Fest”!

That's when inexperienced computer users bring their computers and the operating system or program disks that they wish to use, and experienced users help them install and get started.

Or demonstrations of free software products...or discussions...or workshops...

Or...?

Software Freedom Day has been held the third Saturday of September since 2004, with events held around the world to spread the word about great free software and how to use it.

I use some of the most common sorts of free software, including Open Office and Calibre. I use free apps on my phone and free games on Facebook and a variety of websites.

Here are some free software programs and websites for kids: