Fairly Informed

Every poll says that more than 90% of desktop and laptop computers run MS-Windows, and computers belonging to progressive activists seem to be pretty consistent with that figure. But there are also a handful who are vocally opposed to all Microsoft products, and who insist on using free or open-source software (see later articles for the distinction). Why is this?

You might think it's because free/open-source software is usually free of charge. This is quite nice, but it actually ranks fairly low on most users' lists.

One reason is security. At last count, MS-Windows has some 60,000 known viruses (remember Melissa? Code Red? the I Love You virus?). Linux has six, and they don't circulate, because they only transfer under very particular circumstances. Likewise, computers running free/open source operating systems are vastly more difficult to "crack."

Q. >What is free/open-source software? What are some good examples?

A. Let's just call it "freeware", for simplicity, shall we? That way we emphasize "freedom" without distracting folks with a detail of how we do it. Or you could call it "truly free computer programs." Then if it turns out you're talking to somebody technical, you can say "free and open-source" and they'll know you know.

Much of the software that moves email from here to there and makes the World Wide Web work is freeware. But unless you're in that business you've probably never heard of any of it.

Perhaps the best known freeware program is a Web browser called "Mozilla Firefox."

1. What inspired you to start your own desktop publishing application? What was wrong with the existing ones?

The first version of Scribus was developed for private use only. I simply needed a tool which was able to put text and images freely onto pages. TeX is good for text only docs but images are a bit problematic. And every other tool i've tried had one or more other missing parts, so i decided to write my own.

2. Do you make any money off this project? If not, what inspires you to continue your work?

No, I don't made any money off this project, and this is not even intended, it's just for the fun of programming and giving people a good tool for free.

Intro

The Internet opens up new possibilities for distributing information. People have the option, and even the need, to be more finicky about the sources they pay attention to. More and more, we get our news off the web. It is my sense that this is not the end of print, but a step in its evolution.

A New Take on Subscriptions

There is already publish-on-demand for books, in which an author uploads content and a small publishing house will print a short run, even a single copy. There is nothing equivalent for magazines. I plan to change that.

Experience shows that people still like to print off long texts they want to read closely. However, few people will print dozens of pages, because they simple won't read them, even if they were willing to use that much paper in the first place.

Articles for issue 2....

- Editorial
- Letters to the Editor???
- Lappe article, part 3
- Fair Industry Article
- USAS article
- Maggie's article
- JHC article
- women's article
- Brendan Martin's article
- other fair-trade clothes articles???
- Sidebar on fair-trade jewelry??? (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, )

You can download it here!

Mostly state governments. This might seem tangential to fair trade, but in fact, transparency is one of the pillars of fair trade, and this article points out how the state feels that it knows better than the people what they should be allowed to find out.

The fair and balanced folks at Reason magazine take a look at fair trade coffee.

Edit: more folks who think fair trade is unfair.

(via my email)

IWW Starbucks Workers Union
March 8, 2006

Union Scores Big Victory Against Starbucks at Labor Board

Coffee Giant Must Rehire Fired Baristas and Rescind National Anti-Union Policies

New York, NY- The IWW Starbucks Workers Union won a watershed victory yesterday in the first National Labor Relations Board conflict overunfair labor practices between the world's largest coffee chain and the baristas who work there. Faced with the prospect of having its widespread union-busting campaign exposed in a public hearing, Starbucks agreed to remedy all of the myriad violations committed against workers who have organized a union.

They talk about peace and the "Third World" and so on, but they badmouth co-ops, organics, and fair trade.