Free Skool:Summer 2013

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Free Skool, Free Software: Beyond Open Source

• The focus of this class will be empowerment through free software.
• We'll need a quick overview of wiki editing as well, so that we can use this wiki for collaboration.
• The facilitators will hammer home the importance of freedom, openness, and the role of FOSS (free/open-source software) in building and maintaining a free Web.

Class Description

Free software (commonly called “open source”) is in most of our pockets, in the mutant forms of Android and iOS. The conflict between human freedom and software surveillance is more real than ever. The dual nature of this technology, and technology in general, presents a challenge for activists, educators, and everyone. Learn about free (as in freedom) software, its history, and what you can do to empower and protect yourself with it.

Time and Location

Classes take place Wednesdays 5:00pm to 6:00pm EST, July 17 thru August 28 at The People's Arts Collective of New Haven:

212 College St, New Haven, CT 06511

Optionally, after class sessions can be scheduled, preferably somewhere with beer and the Internet.

Signing Up

There are a few ways to do this, there's a signup sheet at the Free Skool website, but it requires giving your information to Google via Google Docs. You can also just contact the facilitators (listed below) directly, or just show up. Classes are typically 13-16 people, but we have room for (maybe) 20 people and will try to make computers available for participants upon request.

• To edit this wiki, you must request an account.

Facilitators

Sean "Diggity" O'Brien

me@seandiggity.com or sean@webio.me

Tony Baldwin

tony AT tonybaldwin.info

Participants

• List will go here, if you want your name published!
• Please consider joining Foojbook, which will make communication much smoother.

Cyberwar?

Class Outline

Session 1

July 17, 2013

FOSS Overview

• Presentation from the first session [ODP]
• Presentation from the first session [PDF]

Video

• Revolution OS Part 1 (first 35 mins)

Readings

• GNU Manifesto and the Preamble to GNU GPLv2
• Debian Social Contract

Freedom Tips

1. Block ads and browse the Web more securely.
2. Take a look at all the FOSS operations systems out there.

Session 2

July 24, 2013

• Loose discussion about PRISM and Snowden revelations, why it's a new thing and not just the "same old spying".
• Short discussion of the PRISM slides by a very excited and animated dude.
• Overview of the slides that were leaked, and a visually nicer presentation.
• There are other programs, like Stellar Wind, which we know less about and use the "power of FOSS" against us. There are also "old-fashioned" methods like tapping undersea cables.

Readings

• The dotCommunist Manifesto
• After the dotCommunist Manifesto

Videos

• Eben Moglen summary of FOSS to the EU
• Revolution OS Part 2 (35 mins - end)

Freedom Tips

1. Take a few minutes and browse these browser addons to stop tracking.
2. Make sure you check out PRISM Break and try the FOSS alternatives there, or see our list

Session 3

July 31, 2013

• Loose discussion about XKeyscore, another deeply troubling NSA program revealed today.
• XKeyscore queries, in real time, "strong selectors" such as email, or "soft selectors" such as content. It can look for "anomalies", without any specific person attached, such as a person speaking a foreign language, using encryption, or unidentified protocols/software.
• NSA hearing cancelled

Readings

• Leaked XKeyscore presentation from 2008
• PDF version of presentation

Videos

• Richard Stallman: Snowden & Assange besieged by empire but not defeated
• Greenwald: Is U.S. Exaggerating Threat to Embassies to Silence Critics of NSA Domestic Surveillance?

Session 4

Aug 7, 2013

• More discussion about the latest NSA/Snowden news.
• Business report says NSA spying could cost billion dollar losses to U.S. "cloud" industry.
• "Cloud computing" pushes most of what you would normally do on your own machine (e.g. computer, phone) to another machine (server). Web browsers and "thin apps" (software "wrappers" that run mostly on another machine somewhere on the Internet) are quickly removing our options for running our own software (app stores!).
• Although this diagram uses some complex terms, it clearly shows the role of our computers in the Brave New Cloud World: running a Web browser, as a thin client, etc. (and therefore losing control to whoever owns the servers).
• The Cloud is a trap. We need to ask, Who does that server really serve?

Readings

• On Obama's cancellation of summit with Putin and extradition

Videos

• Viewer questions for Jacob Applebaum of the Tor project
• Obama's dismissive comments on PRISM
• Obama lying about the NSA on the Tonight Show

Session 5

Aug 14, 2013

• LavaBit shutdown, Silent Mail shutdown, and what it means.
• The PirateBay: Away From Keyboard (TPB AFK)
• Bittorrent tutorial and Deluge setup.
• A quick overview of the Software as a Product model, to bring things full circle.

Videos

• Steal This Film II interview with Eben Moglen
• Steal This Film
• Steal This Film II

Readings

• NSA to world+dog: We're only watching 1.6% of Internet, honest
• Transcript: Obama’s Remarks on NSA Controversy

Freedom Tips

• Check out our recommendations for private Web browsing, including thoughts on ThePirateBrowser.
• Bradley Manning has been tortured, humiliated, and coerced into an apology. Share his story!

Class Materials

Did you know you can "roll your own" PDF from any page(s) of this site by clicking Print/export > Download as PDF in the sidebar?

More Resources

• Links to all kinds of cool (and helpful!) stuff.

Wiki Editing Help

Tips on editing this wiki.