Category Archives: FOSS

Comments on NSF’s Merit Review Criteria

Posted on 15 March 2011 by Gavin Baker

Today, I submitted these comments to the consultation on the National Science Foundation’s Task Force on Merit Review (see). They are provided solely in my personal capacity. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of each criterion? The … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Copyright, Creative Commons, FOSS, Open access, Publishing, Science | Leave a comment

How to improve OJS: a reader’s perspective

Posted on 31 December 2008 by Gavin Baker

Open Journal Systems is a free and open source software package for journal publishing. It’s probably the most widely-deployed platform for publishing open access journals; at least 2,000 journals use OJS. As such, it’s critical infrastructure for the OA movement: … Continue reading →

Posted in FOSS, Open access | 4 Comments

Towards autono.my

Posted on 16 July 2008 by Gavin Baker

I’ve been an advocate for freedom in Web services for, well, years now. So I was happy to learn of the launch of open microblogging service identi.ca recently, and of autonomo.us and its Franklin Street Statement on Freedom and Network … Continue reading →

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FOSS and socially responsible investing

Posted on 30 June 2008 by Gavin Baker

Check out the post at the SFLC blog. I’ve said for some time that free culture is a matter of social responsibility — I think it’s a good frame for the issue, and helps people understand why it matters.

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My latest column on Web apps and FOSS

Posted on 3 June 2008 by Gavin Baker

(I had accidentally posted this in the wrong place earlier; posting it here now.) My new column for Free Software Magazine is titled “Free software vs. software-as-a-service: Is the GPL too weak for the Web?”. It looks at the rise … Continue reading →

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Speaking @ Fla. Linux Show on FOSS vs. SaaS

Posted on 11 February 2008 by Gavin Baker

I’m giving a presentation at the Florida Linux Show in Jacksonville on Monday, Feb. 11. My presentation is on Software as a Service: Implications of Web Apps for Software Freedom (a topic I previously ranted about at GatorLUG); it’s at … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, FOSS, Linux, Personal | Leave a comment

FSF to libraries: boycott DRM

Posted on 7 February 2008 by Gavin Baker

Sometimes, different interests of mine will intersect in fascinating ways. Here’s one: the Free Software Foundation’s DefectiveByDesign.org campaign is asking libraries to boycott DRM, digital restrictions on content the library purchases or subscribes to. Specifically, DbD is targeting the Boston … Continue reading →

Posted in Copyright, DRM, FOSS, Libraries | Leave a comment

EPrints sells out free software: more Apple crippleware prizes

Posted on 30 October 2007 by Gavin Baker

EPrints, the important FOSS open archive project — widely used by open access repositories — is organizing a call for plugins. Unfortunately, EPrints has followed Mozilla’s lead and is awarding DRM-crippled, proprietary Apple products as prizes. The EPrints package is … Continue reading →

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