UK Technology Newswire Archive
Chavéz, Chevron and Microsoft
31-08-2004 09:20
Despite all the expectations to deepen the Bolivarian process, the president Hugo Chavés Frias, made 2 partnership with the multinational companies Chevron-Texaco and Microsoft. Both agreements were signed before the referedum took place, but were as deliberately mugged by the progressive media and ignored by the conservative media.
One of them is a binacional gasoduto, sponsor by the Venezuela government and the Colombia government and coordinated by the American multinational Chevron-Texaco. Acording to Chavéz it´s a “direct way out of this giant asian market”. To construct the gasoduto, Venezuela volunteer to enter in the Plan Pueblo Panamá, a collection of infrastructure with the objective to respond to the American multinationals needs.
Parallel to that, the Venezuela´s government, via the education ministry, signed with Microsoft a contract to provide software to the schools across the country, contradicting the incentive policy of free software, which the government had adopted until Felipe Péres left the Planification and Development Ministry. According to Richard Stallman, the founder of the GNU movement (free software): “The Venezuela´s government just made a critical error, which consequences will give control of computing to a global corporation: make a contract with Microsoft to use the program in the schools.”
The silence and the non-resistence of the popular movements just amplified this situation, disarticulated by the expectations of the left government speech. In case Chavéz continue with immune posture before popular movements, we will see those movements fight against the local bourgeoisie just to let a free way to the global bourgeoisie, which has no problem to negotiate with the “bolivarian revolution”.
Links :
Indymedia Brazil [pt]
Rebeldia magazine [es]
Venezuela: gasoduto binacional e Chevron Texaco [pt]
Mais do que nenhum lugar, as escolas devem usar software livre [pt]
New York RNC Protesters to Use SMS Comms System
27-08-2004 12:37
Hungary: Action Required: NO to Council Software Patent Agreement
25-08-2004 00:07
Hungarian Council wants to patent sofware. All Hungarian IT associations are against the proposal. Action is required to write all EU MEPs to stop software patent directives.Monad Squat – new radical project for social change - looking for people
24-08-2004 14:03
Of course which is not new and even still not a project…Project which will be opened soon (hopefully this week) will look for people interested in:
- squatting
- getting involved in the project happening inside
- helping out (incl. staying overnights/throug the day)
Anyone interested call 0789 739 2160
And check more details at
http://bombless.cjb.net/ LARC the movie, now with subtitles!
24-08-2004 02:41
aug18 - camcorder activists unite
20-08-2004 10:02
Date: Monday 23rd August,Time: from 7pm
Location: Rampart Creative Centre (15-17 rampart street, London E1 2LA)
An evening of radical film screening/exchange, discussion, and skill
sharing, for people interested in or involved with the use of video as a tool for
social change...
Home Office surveillance at london linux meeting
18-08-2004 21:22
Home office pushes the case for mass surveillance on the streets, and linux role in techno-monitoring. at linux world expo in london 6-7 oct, regsiter now for free ticket, but not for paying conference.We are not deceived by claims that the technology is only for 'ID parades', it can easily be used on the streets.
It would appear they cant even put proper english sentences together1
frre media workshops by pavillion media in leeds
15-08-2004 17:58
MEDIA RELEASE: 11 AUGUST 2004
MOOT
MOOT is a unique opportunity for people over the age of 16 to attend three five-day workshops to express their ideas through cutting-edge media arts
Free vs Closed (society, software)
13-08-2004 16:05
A society with closed propietary software is a closed society a free society uses free software, by nature... logic.MECD and Microsoft sign "Alliance for the Education"
13-08-2004 13:29
MECD and Microsoft sign "Alliance by the Education" - State schools will have access to new technologies https://www.me.gov.ve/modules.php/?name=News&file=article&sid=9 (Caracas Presses - MECD). Minister of Education, Cultura and Sports, Aristóbulo Istúriz and Alfonso Gutiérrez Moon, representative of Microsoft Venezuela, signed the Agreement "Alliance for the Education" to update the use of new information and communication technologies (TIC) in the Venezuelan population via education.
e-voting furor
08-08-2004 11:06
The world's fifth largest producer and exporter of oil will be using a e-voting system produced by an american company in a presidential recall referendum called for by the Venezuelan elite and backed by Washington. Despite the use of a paper record of votes, some people claim to have found security flaws and weak cryptography. "Computers can be made to produce any outcome that you want without anybody really knowing that's what was done," said one US observer. One thing is clear, who ever wins the vote, the use of the untested e-voting system will leave room for doubt from either side about the results...AktiviX II - Another System is Possible!
05-08-2004 15:16
A weekend for environmental / animal rights / peace / social justice /anti-capitalist campaigners / activists and cultural creatives to get to know GNU/Linux, each other, and to discuss political strategies and actions around Information and Communication Technology
Mobile Mast Torn Down
05-08-2004 12:31
This is the sort of action that anyone interested in changing the world we live in for the better should be engaged in...what's to stop you? Tear down all the masts-forget about your phone- live a little- be uncontrollable for a while?Resisting ID Cards Gathering, Manchester
05-08-2004 10:01
A gathering to organise resistance to the Government's plans to introduce identity cards and a national population database is taking place in Manchester on September 11th 2004.Resisting Identity Cards Gathering, 11/9/04
03-08-2004 12:35
A gathering to organise resistance to the Government's plans to introduce identity cards and a national population database is taking place in Manchester in September. With ID cards firmly on the cards, and iris scans and a national population database just around the corner, it’s time to get moving for those of us who believe we need to resist these scary and dangerous developments.Birmingham Flashmob Story
28-07-2004 14:56
2003's Birmingham flashmob was the UK's first altruistic flashmob. I've made a 15 minute radio retrospective, in which the mob's organiser gave me an exclusive interview.Biometrix Conference
27-07-2004 10:12
The biometrics conference in London in October seems like a perfect opportunity to make people more aware of the dangers of biometric ID cards in Britain.Copyleft
23-07-2004 16:57
e-democracy thesis / feedback needed
23-07-2004 04:04
a thesis on e-democracy questioning whether the digital media can boost people's participation/interest in politics - participation needed