PLUG-INS The Electronic Newsletter of the Phoenix Linux User Group Volume 1 Issue 3 February, 2000 -------------- The Mail Lists -------------- The mail list move was scheduled to be effective February 1, 2000. If you are reading this, you have already updated your subscription data. If someone you know complains that they are no longer seeing discuss or any other mailing lists, tell them how to get back in touch. All the list links seem to be updated on the PLUG mailing list web page. ------------ Meeting Info ------------ The February meeting schedule is as follows: The Thursday Meeting When: February 10, 2000 Where: Scottsdale Boys & Girl Club Time: 7:00 p.m. Topic: Databases The Saturday Meeting When: February 26, 2000 Where: Inficad Time: 2:00 p.m. --------- Plug News --------- Seems that the little slips that we had to use to get more stuff from the Linux Mall went over better than I expected. I am sending those slips back to Linux Mall because that is the way they want it if we want to get more stuff from them. This month, we will, of course, have more free stuff at the Thursday meeting, but I think it will be from a combination of vendors - maybe some RedHat stuff and some MandrakeSoft stuff or CheapBytes stuff or S.u.S.E. stuff . Guess you just have to show up to see what I decide to bring for you. ------------- PLUG Projects ------------- PLUG has two development projects starting up. The first is what we're terming the semi-automatic web site. We want to automate the building of the PLUG web site on the back end, then have the static embodiment available through the web server. Many pages are just plain static, but others change to some extent. Examples are pages that list items such as the meeting page and the mailing list page. On the build machine there could be a directory with data files for each of the meetings. The build would parse these and put in the information for meetings within a specific time frame, e.g. not already past and within the next 6 months. One of the goals is to reduce the load on the webmaster team. Another is to have a project where beginning coders can get some experience working with others on a project. The second project is www.LinuxJobs.org, which will be a fully dynamic database based web site listing Linux jobs in the valley. The idea is to build a GPLed engine for things here in Phoenix that can then be made available for other locations. We want to promote the fact that Linux is being used here in Phoenix as well as learn how to build a db web site. If you're interested in working on either of these projects please join the PLUG-devel mailing list and let us know. ---------------------------- Three Battle Lines for Linux ---------------------------- We all know that there is a battle going on for the web browsers. If M$ wins, they will be able to dictate the specification of protocols for the web, in spite of W3C. We know their track record, so this is important to all of us. We should also be following the dirt trail being left by the UCITA folks and the MMPA and the DVD-CCA slimers. UCITA will make closed-source software vendors the gods that they think they are. The DeCSS issue will do the same for the MMPA and DVD-CCA. The RIAA will be close behind. These are real freedom fights. Your freedoms and mine are at stake. If you havent been following these issues, here are some links to start off. RMS on UCITA http://linuxtoday.com/stories/15948.html EFF on DeCSS http://www.eff.org/IP/Video/DeCSS_prosecutions/Johansen_DeCSS_case/20000125_ eff_johansen_case_pressrel.html Mozilla http://www.mozilla.org/ I just cant pass up the opportunity to plug (pun intended) both the EFF (www.eff.org) and the W3C (www.w3c.org). Both organizations are working to keep the Internet free. They deserve our interest and support. ------------- The Addresses ------------- Me farli@wiredglobal.com PLUG http://plug.phoenix.az.us