[Linux-aus] Grant proposal: Software Freedom Day CDs for Australia

[Paul Wayper]

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Arjen Lentz wrote:
| Hi Paul,
|
| On 13/06/2008, at 1:38 PM, Paul Wayper wrote:
|> i) The 'target' CDs are the latest available version of the OpenDisc
|> (http://theopendisc.com) and Ubuntu 'Hardy' LTS version 8.04 in 32-bit
|> and
|> 64-bit Intel versions.  I anticipate a 80%/20% split between 32-bit
|> and 64-bit
|> of the latter.  I would prefer to keep the range of distributed
|> objects to a
|> minimum for simplicity and to ensure a better price.
|
|
| For ubuntu, why not just issue a special SoftwareFreedomDay request to
| shipit.ubuntu.com
| They do the Ubuntu disk thing for free already. You just need to give
| 'em enough time to get it done + sent to you.

For two reasons: shipit is already overloaded for Software Freedom Day, and
because I feel a little wrong having CDs sent all the way across the world
when they can be made 'locally' (i.e. at least closer to home than The
Netherlands - which is close to Nether for Australia).

Last year the Canberra SFD group put down a request for 1,000 CDs.  We got 30.
~ The year before we requested 250 and got around 100.  This to me doesn't look
like a good situation.  And my feeling is that if Australia can take its
burden off shipit, then other groups who are more strapped for cash may get
closer to what they need.

And in this age of soaring fuel prices, having a piece of cargo go from SE
Asia (where the CDs are manufactured) across to The Netherlands for printing
and then back to Australia for distribution seems wrong to me.  While I
appreciate Donna's point that if I really wanted to make a difference I'd get
local communities to print them and keep the money local, in reality I think
Australia-wide printing is a good trade-off between cost and supporting local
business.

Have fun,

Paul
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