The slides from this weeks talk on the ‘Snoopers Charter’ are available here : wmk.me/10bdcFq
Also a brief reminder to come along to The Lass on Monday and plan what we are going to get up to with the deputy Information Commissioner :
http://www.meetup.com/ORG-Manchester/events/121186472/
On the 12th we are having two talks from Open Rights Group director Simon Phipps. We’ll be in the upstairs meeting from of The Town Hall Tavern from 7pm, full details are on http://www.meetup.com/ORG-Manchester/events/121186352/
After the invasive and over-reaching Communications Data Bill was shelved in the UK at the start of May, the ‘Snoopers Charter’ is already being re-animated by politicians with strong connections to the shadowy world of the security services. All the time the core need remains unfilled, the same proposals will keep coming back until the legislature finally gives in. To fix it, we need positive legislation that fills the need, not just opposition.
When Open Source Initiative was founded in 1998, the term “open source” was newly coined to provide a pragmatic face to software freedom, an idea that was already at least 15 years old. Today, open source is the default for most new software business activities. OSI is re-inventing itself as a member organisation to support that change – find out how and why.
Saturday 13 April
11.00am – 5.30pm
Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS
Headline speaker: John Buckman
What’s happening?
ORG are coming to the North this year! We are bringing an ORG flavoured digital rights conference to Manchester: April 13th
The event is packed with exciting speakers, panel debates and workshops. We have John Buckman, chairman of the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and founder of the record label Magantune giving the keynote speech on challenges for ORG in the coming year.
There will be further talks on copyright, data protection, Section 127 and the Communications Data Bill.
We are also offering an “unconference track” with room for any attendees, pannel guests or ORG staff to pop up a talk or debate on something you care about. This is your conference!
We’ll be focusing this conference on our current key campaigns, and supporting the local groups in Manchester, Sheffield and the North East. If you haven’t joined one of your local groups yet, now is the time to meet them and get involved. If you would to volunteer to help on the day please email: ruth@openrightsgroup.org
6.30pm-8.30pm Tuesday 19th March, MadLab, 36-40 Edge Street.
An Open Data Future is a debate that aims to look under the hood of the open data movement.
Over the past few years open government data has evolved from a niche concern to one that has been embraced by national government, European Commission and other states and organisations around the globe.
It has been advocated that Open Government Data will expose the inner workings of state institutions and thus enable an environment for greater understanding, accountability and efficiency.
The release of open government data has also been seen as an opportunity to add value to national economies through the creation of new services, new intelligence and a more networked economy through the free flow of data.
But ultimately what are the drivers behind this movement, who are the winners and losers and what should a society based upon open practices look like?
Panelists
Jo Bates – Academic at University of Sheffield
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/
Tim Davies – Researcher and Activist http://www.timdavies.
Javier Ruiz – Campaigner for the Open Rights Group
http://www.openrightsgroup.
Tom Slee – Canadian writer and commentator, author http://whimsley.
This event is free but likely to reach capacity very quickly so registering is essential http://www.
On the 13th I was interviewed on a variety of ORG topics for Peace FM. Here is the recording:
Part 1 : https://soundcloud.com/alken-2/20130131210001_trimed-mp3/s-uCTj6
Part 2 : https://soundcloud.com/alken-2/20130131220001-mp3/s-47sHd
Have a listen, add some bookmarks, give some feedback.
The other month I went along to see the fine folks at Open Data Manchester. Here’s what they are up to, based on my notes. There was a lot of other stuff, including a really fun ‘mood map’ that will have to wait for another time.
On the 19th March there is a ‘Business of Open Data’ event, which will look at the current trends in use of open data by business, and address things like liability, business models and other issues of interest to business owners. This event will be free, and is part of the Future Everything events.
The main news is the Routes to the Future challenge, with a prise fund of over ten thousand pounds available for reusing some excellent new data the council is making available for open reuse – from how full car parks are to where the shuttle buses go.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find out Manchester is a European centre for open council and transport data, and there are some great things afoot in this area.
All in all, a great evening and chat in the pub afterwards; I’d encourage anyone to go – the less technical you are the better !
Manchester Central candidates will be invited to explain how they will support the local digital economy and defend citizen’s privacy and free speech online.
Candidates will be asked how they will protect Manchester’s voters from dangerous Internet policies, and also ensure that the local digital economy is supported.
Newly formed Manchester Open Rights Group has teamed up with NUJ New Media, No2ID Manchester and Free Software Foundation Europe to run the event which is being widely promoted.
How would candidates follow up on recent initiatives to make Manchester a Digital Hub on a world scale? Can they stop the brain drain to London and other cities better able to support growing digital businesses?
Have your say about digital issues!
Presentations will also be followed by a Q and A and debate giving the public a chance to quiz candidates on issues effecting one of Manchester’s largest and fastest growing industries.
Recent arrests for “offensive tweets” and proposals to put the whole UK population under Internet surveillance and data collection have thrown digital issues into the forefront of political debate.
Free Tickets are available from http://www.thedancehouse.co.uk
There is a booking cost if you book online – But you can get a free reservation by ringing the Dancehouse Box Office on 0161 2379753
Speakers
with support from
This event is a partnership between the following groups NUJ New Media Industrial Council, Free Software Foundation Europe, Manchester Open Rights Group and Manchester No2ID.
For Press contact -Mick Chesterman 07913 882193 or Tom Chiverton 07967 672404 from the newly formed Manchester Open Rights Group – http://manchester.openrightsgroup.org
The Dancehouse Manchester is supporting the Digital Debate
Manchester Film Co-op and Manchester Open Rights Group would like to invite you to a special screening of The Real Social Network– a film about the new generation of protest.
Protest has changed. Between the first UK student protests in November 2010 and the global uprising in the spring of 2011, a new radicalism, fuelled by modern technology, has hit the streets.
Over 6 months of government cuts, a collective of filmmakers has had exclusive access to the backroom meetings of a group of London students as they hacked software, occupied universities and shut down banks. In the process, they’ve helped build the movement currently sending ripples across the globe.
The Real Social Network captures the passion, the anger and the technology that has forever changed the game between those in power and us.
ORG Zine