[Gfoss] [Fwd: [GNULug] Fw: Re: Event in Perugia]
ivan marchesini
marchesini at unipg.it
Tue Feb 28 07:47:55 CET 2006
Allora pare confermato l'incontro con Stallman il 20 a perugia...
vi farò sapere data ed ora...
di seguito trovate una sua e-mail in cui spiega gli interventi e moltre
altre cosette ... è una sagoma!!!!!!!
ciao
------- Messaggio inoltrato -------
Da: Andrea.castellani <andrea.castellani at email.it>
Rispondi-a: Andrea.castellani <andrea.castellani at email.it>, Lista dei
soci dello GNULug Perugia <lug at perugia.linux.it>
A: lug at perugia.linux.it
Oggetto: [GNULug] Fw: Re: Event in Perugia
Data: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:21:39 +0100
--------- Original Message --------
Da: Richard Stallman
To:
Oggetto: Re: Event in Perugia
Data: 28/02/06 00:46
>
>
> Here's the info packet about my speeches.
>
> My usual speech about the Free Software Movement and GNU takes a
> little under 1.5 hours in English, plus time for questions. It is
> best to allow plenty of time for questions, because people usually
> want to ask a lot of questions.
>
> A typical title would be this:
>
> Free Software in Ethics and in Practice
>
> or
>
> The Free Software Movement and the GNU/Linux Operating System
>
> Other possible topics include
>
> Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks
>
> and
>
> The Danger of Software Patents
>
> These topics take a little over an hour in English.
> Each topic takes substantially longer in other languages.
>
> I can also possibly speak about some other topic if you suggest one.
>
>
> Abstract:
>
> For a speech about Free Software, you can use this abstract:
>
> Richard Stallman will speak about the goals and philosophy of the
> Free Software Movement, and the status and history the GNU
> operating system, which in combination with the kernel Linux is
> now used by tens of millions of users world-wide.
>
> For Copyright vs Community, you can use this abstract:
>
> Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed
> to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing
> press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer
> networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.
>
> The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying
> for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers,
> while suppressing public access to technology. But if we
> seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of
> copyright--to promote progress, for the benefit of the
> public--then we must make changes in the other direction.
>
> For The Danger of Software Patents, you can use this abstract:
>
> Richard Stallman will explain how software patents obstruct
> software development. Software patents are patents that cover
> software ideas. They restrict the development of software, so
> that every design decision brings a risk of getting sued. Patents
> in other fields restrict factories, but software patents restrict
> every computer user. Economic research shows that they even
> retard progress.
>
>
> Brief bio:
>
> Richard Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system
> (see www.gnu.org) in 1984. GNU is free software: everyone has the
> freedom to copy it and redistribute it, as well as to make changes
> either large or small. The GNU/Linux system, basically the GNU
> operating system with Linux added, is used on tens of millions of
> computers today. Stallman has received the ACM Grace Hopper Award, a
> MacArthur Foundation fellowship, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's
> Pioneer award, and the the Takeda Award for Social/Economic
> Betterment, as well as several honorary doctorates.
>
> (A longer version is available if you want it.)
>
>
> Photo:
>
> There is a black-and-white photograph of me as a
> 5820K Encapsulated Postscript file (http://www.stallman.org/rms-bw.eps)
> 3762K JPEG file (http://www.stallman.org/rms-bw.jpeg), and
> 5815K TIFF file (http://www.stallman.org/rms-bw.tiff).
>
>
> Asking for the text:
>
> I don't write my speeches in advance--that would take too much time.
> However, transcripts of my past speeches are available. If you can
> make a transcript of my speech after I give it, that would be quite
> useful.
>
>
> Participation in a larger event:
>
> I am selective about the events I participate in. If you are inviting
> me to speak at a larger event, please inform me now of the overall
> nature of the event, so I can make an informed decision about whether
> to participate.
>
> I usually decline to participate in "open source" or "Linux" events.
> See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html for why it is incorrect
> to refer to the operating system as "Linux". "Open source" is the
> slogan of a movement that was formed as a reaction against the free
> software movement. Those who support its views have a right to
> promote them, but I would rather promote the ideals of free software.
> See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html for
> more explanation of the difference.
>
>
> Erecting a larger event:
>
> If you are thinking of erecting a larger event around my speech,
> please talk with me about the plans for such a larger event before
> proceeding with them. I want to make sure the event entirely supports
> what I am trying to achieve, and I want to review the publicity plans
> for the event.
>
>
> Facilities:
>
> A microphone is desirable if the room is large, but I have a very loud
> voice, so I don't need one for a small or medium room. A supply of
> tea with milk and sugar would be nice; otherwise, non-diet pepsi will
> do. (I dislike the taste of coke, and of all diet soda; also, there
> is an international boycott of the Coca Cola company for killing union
> organizers in Colombia). If it is good tea, I like it without milk
> and sugar.
>
> No other facilities are needed. I do not have slides or any sort
> of presentation materials.
>
>
> Languages:
>
> I can speak in English, French, and Spanish. However, for Spanish it
> is very important for a person to be seated next to me who speaks very
> good English and Spanish, so I can ask him how to say certain things
> when I need them.
>
> If the audience won't be comfortable with a language I can speak, it
> is important to have a translator. However, consecutive translation
> is not feasible, because it would more than double the length of the
> speech. Please do not ask me to do that.
>
> I have found it works to do simultaneous translation without special
> systems: I speak into the ear of the interpreter, and the interpreter
> speaks to the microphone. This avoids the need for special
> transmitters and headsets. It does require an interpreter capable of
> doing simultaneous translation for more than an hour.
>
>
> Restricting admission:
>
> If you plan to restrict admission to my speech, or charge a fee for
> admission, please discuss this with me *personally in advance* to get
> my approval for the plan. If you have imposed charges without my
> direct personal approval, I may refuse to do the speech.
>
> I'm not categorically against limiting admission or fees, but
> excluding people means the speech does less good, so I want to make
> sure that the limitations are as small as necessary. For instance,
> you can allow students and low-paid people and political activists to
> get in free, even if professionals have to pay. We will discuss what
> to do.
>
>
> Sponsors:
>
> If corporations sponsor my talk, I am willing to include a small
> tasteful note of thanks in announcements and brochures, but no more
> than that. There should be no descriptions of their products or
> services, and no banners with their names. If a would-be sponsor
> insists on more than that, we have to do without that sponsor.
>
> If my speech is part of a pre-existing larger event that I have agreed
> to participate in, I can't impose such conditions for the whole event.
> However, if banners will be on display next to me while I am speaking,
> that is rather obnoxious; if they advertise organizations that I
> disapprove of on ethical grounds (which is not unlikely) I would want
> to take them down, cover them up, or turn them off during my speech.
>
>
> Publicity:
>
> The GNU Project constantly struggles against two widespread mistakes
> that undermine the effectiveness of our work: calling our work "open
> source", and calling the GNU operating system "Linux". Another very
> bad mistake is using the term "intellectual property".
>
> The Free Software Movement and the Open Source Movement are like two
> political parties in our community. I founded the Free Software
> Movement in 1984 along with the GNU Project; we call our work "free
> software" because it is software that respects the users freedom. The
> Open Source Movement was founded, in 1998, specifically to reject our
> idealistic philosophy--they studiously avoid talking about freedom.
> See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html for
> more explanation of the difference between the two movements.
>
> So please make sure that all the publicity about the event (web site,
> email announcements, conference programs, direct mail, signs, etc),
> uses the term "free software", not "open source", when you refer to
> work that includes mine. This includes to the title and descriptions
> of my speech, of the session it is in, of the track it is part of, and
> of the event itself.
>
> Of course, some of these names and descriptions may not refer to this
> work at all; for example, if a track or the whole event covers a much
> broader topic in which free software is just a small part, its name
> may not refer to free software. That is normal and appropriate. The
> point is not to ask you to refer to this work more often than you
> normally would, but that you should describe it accurately whenever
> you do refer to it.
>
> If other speakers in the same session, track, or event want their work
> to be categorized as "open source", that is a legitimate request for
> them to make. In that case, please give "free software" equal mention
> with "open source".
>
> If you think it is useful to tell people how free software relates to
> open source, you can say that "since 1998, another group has used the
> term `open source' to describe a related activity." That will tell
> people that my work has a relationship with "open source", which they
> may have heard of, without implying it is right to describe my work as
> "open source."
>
> The other widespread confusion is the idea of a "Linux operating
> system". The system in question, the system that Debian and Red Hat
> distribute, the system that tens of millions of people use, is
> basically the GNU operating system, with Linux added as the kernel.
> When people call the whole system "Linux", they deny us the credit for
> our work, and this is not right. (See
> http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html for more explanation.)
>
> So please call this combined operating system "GNU/Linux" in all
> the publicity, in the titles and description of the session, track,
> event, etc., if and when you have reason to refer to it.
>
> For similar reasons, please don't use a penguin as a symbol for my
> work, or on the posters or notices for my speech. The penguin stands
> for "Linux"; the symbol of GNU is a gnu. So if you want to use a
> graphical image to symbolize GNU or my work, please use a gnu.
>
> If you have handled these issues well, nobody who looks at your
> material will get the impression that I work on "open source", or that
> I support "open source", or that my work is "part of Linux", or that I
> participated in the "development of Linux", or that GNU is the name of
> "a collection of tools".
>
> As for the term "intellectual property", that spreads confusion and
> hostile bias. See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html
> for explanation. I hope you will decide to reject that expression, as
> I do; but in any case, don't use it in connection with my speech.
>
>
> Printing Free Software, Free Society
>
> Please print copies of my book, Free Software, Free Society, to sell
> at the event if you can. The English version (230 pages) is available
> in http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/fsfs/rms-essays.ps and the Spanish
> version (318 pages) is in
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/fsfs/free_software.es.pdf.
>
> If you use ordinary copying and avoid fancy covers, you can sell them
> for two or three times the cost of copying, and they will still be
> cheap enough that many people will buy them. Then you can give the
> remaining money to the FSF, keeping some for your organization.
>
>
> At the speech:
>
> Please arrange for someone to hand out and collect our "contact cards".
>
> FSF would like to keep in touch with those who support us, to give
> you updates on what we are doing and how you can help. If you are
> willing, Dr. Stallman asks that you fill out these contact cards,
> which he can take back with him so you can receive updates about
> FSF. The FSF will not release this information unless forced to.
>
> Please talk with my assistant to arrange this.
>
>
> Changes of plans:
>
> Don't assume that I can still come if you change the date. My
> schedule is tight. If you change the date by even one day, I may be
> unable to come. However, I will certainly be flexible if there is no
> obstacle. Please consult with me before making any change, and I will
> see what I can do.
>
>
> Scheduling other meetings:
>
> I have agreed to give a speech for you, and if the press wants to talk
> with me, I will do that for the sake of the cause. However, if you
> would like me to give additional speeches or go to additional
> meetings, please ask me first. Please ask me about *each* activity
> you would like me to perform.
>
> Many people assume that because I am traveling, I am having a
> vacation--that I have no other work to do, so I can spend the whole
> day speaking or meeting with people. Some hosts even feel that they
> ought to try to fill up my time as a matter of good hospitality.
> Alas, it's not that way for me.
>
> The fact is, I have no vacations. (Don't feel sorry for me; idleness
> is not something I wish for.) I have to spend 6 to 8 hours *every
> day* doing my usual work, which is responding to email about the GNU
> Project and the Free Software Movement. Work comes in every day for
> me, and if I skip it one day, I have to catch up another day. During
> the week I usually fall behind; on weekends I try to catch up.
>
> Traveling takes up time, so I will be extra busy during my visit. And
> it might be nice if I could do at least an hour or two of sightseeing
> during the visit. So please ask me *in advance* about *each*
> additional speech, meeting, or other activity that would take time. I
> don't mind being asked, and I may say yes, but I also may say no.
>
> Remember that an additional speech, even if it is just a one-hour
> speech, probably takes up two hours counting questions, autographs,
> etc. And then there is the travel time.
>
>
> Interviews:
>
> I am glad to give interviews to the press about the GNU system, but
> before I do, I want to be sure they will not repeat the two common
> mistakes (calling the whole system "Linux" and associating GNU or me
> with "open source"). Please explain this, and ask the journalist if
> he will agree to call the system "GNU/Linux" in the article, and to
> make it clear that our work is "free software" not "open source".
> Recommend reading http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html and
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html for
> explanations of these issues. If the journalist agrees, then I agree
> to an interview. Please have this discussion by email, and save the
> messages in both directions.
>
> Sometimes a journalist gives a vaguely affirmative-sounding or
> sympathetic response which does not really answer "yes". Examples are
> "I will do this as much as I can" and "I understand the distinction."
> Such an answer is actually just "maybe", so when you receive one,
> please ask for clarification. If he says that the editor has the
> final decision, please respond with "Would you please consult the
> editor now, and tell us a firm decision?"
>
> Also please ask journalists to *see my speech* before the interview.
> My speeches are not technical; they focus on precisely the sort of
> philosophical questions that a journalist would probably want to
> cover. If the journalist does not attend my speech, he will probably
> start by asking me to answer the same questions that I answer in the
> speech. That is inefficient.
>
> Please ask each journalist to agree to make a recording of the
> interview. Written notes are not reliable, so I have decided not to
> do that sort of interview any more.
>
> It is also a good idea for the journalist to read
> http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html and some of the articles
> in http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/ before the interview. Those
> articles provide important background. This is especially important
> for anyone who cannot come to my speech first.
>
> I am willing to meet with any number of journalists, but if there are
> many, I can't meet all of them individually (it would take too much
> time). So what I will do is give private interviews to 2 or maybe 3
> of them, whichever ones you think are most important, and see the rest
> of them as a group (i.e. in a press conference).
>
> You and your associates can judge better than I do which journalists
> and which publications I should focus on. So I would like you to
> advise me about that. Please try to judge both the importance of the
> publication and the merits (intelligence, attention to accuracy,
> openness of mind, and absence of bias) of the journalist, if you can.
>
> If you schedule a press conference or group interview, please *plan
> the time of my speech to allow the inteview after it*. It may be a
> good idea to find out from journalists what times are good for them,
> then schedule the conference, then schedule the speech before it.
> This way, they will all be able to get the full picture.
>
>
> Recording my speech:
>
> Please do record the speech if you can. We are always looking for
> good recordings of my speeches, both audio and video, to put on line.
> However, please do not record using a system that produces a
> proprietary format such as Windows Media Player format. I will not
> speak to make a recording that requires non-free software to be
> viewed.
>
> The GNU Project keeps an on-line audio and video collection of speech
> recordings in audio-video.gnu.org. If you are making an audio or
> video recording of my speech, please write to Nick Hill
> <nick at nickhill.co.uk> well in advance of the speech. He can advise
> you on how to make a recording that is good for further use, and can
> arrange to install your recording on our site.
>
> If you are making a recording, please *make sure* to tell me when the
> tape needs to be changed. I will pause. Please help me help you make
> the recording complete.
>
>
> Recording formats:
>
> Please make sure that your audio or video recording is not compressed
> with a substantially lossy codec (unless it is an Ogg codec). If we
> have to transcode the file, starting from a lower-quality base will
> reduce the quality of the result.
>
> It is best to provide audio recordings in the original recorded sample
> rate, up to 44100Hz. Monophonic is generally adequate for speech
> recordings and saves a lot of space over stereo.
>
> For video recordings, please use a high-quality encoding such as DV.
>
> Please don't transcode recordings from one format to another before
> sending to us, unless they have such a high bit rate that files are
> impractically large. If you do need to encode or transcode, please
> convert audio to 64Kbps mono Ogg/Vorbis, and convert video to
> ogg/theora with video quality set to 5 or more. If you need advice
> for how to do this, please ask.
>
>
> Putting my speech on the net:
>
> If you would like to put my speech on the Internet, or distribute it
> in digital form, that is ok provided you make sure that a user can
> play the recording on a GNU/Linux system using only free software.
> For instance, this means RealPlayer format is unacceptable.
> OGG/Vorbis format is good for audio, and OGG for video.
>
> This requirement is very important, because if it is not followed,
> viewing my speech will require people to do the exact opposite of what
> I ask them to do. The medium's message would contradict my message.
>
> Because this is so important, please make sure everyone who might be
> involved in broadcasting the event, or who might be directly or
> indirectly involved in planning such a broadcast, knows this
> requirement in advance of the event.
>
>
> Remote speeches by video connection:
>
> I can do a speech remotely through a videoconferencing system. This
> can be done by Internet or by ISDN. For good quality by Internet, we
> need a maximum of 100msec response time for ping between your site and
> where I am, and 100kbytes/sec transfer rate.
>
> Using two or three ISDN lines gives good quality but the calls cost
> money. If I am at home, there is a facility I can use at no charge;
> you would have to pay for the ISDN calls and for the facilities at
> your end. If I am somewhere else (which is true more than half the
> time), then we will need to find a videoconferencing facility for me
> to use; most likely you will need to pay for that.
>
>
> Warning about giveways:
>
> You may find companies offering you CD-ROMs, books, fliers or
> publicity materials to give away or sell at my speech. Please check
> them before you accept them, to make sure that they don't promote the
> very thing that we are working to replace.
>
> For instance, the CDs may contain non-free software. Most commercial
> CDs of GNU/Linux contain non-free software in addition to the free
> software. If it isn't the official Debian GNU/Linux system, it almost
> surely contains non-free software, so please don't hand it out or
> offer it at my speech. Even if it contains the official Debian
> GNU/Linux system, the publisher may have added some non-free software
> to that, so it is necessary to check.
>
> Books about use of the GNU/Linux system and about GNU programs are
> fine if they themselves are also free. But many of them are non-free
> (see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-doc.html). To see if a book
> is free, check the license on the back of the title page. If it uses
> the GNU Free Documentation License, or the Open Publication License
> version 1 without options A and B, then it is free. If it isn't one
> of those, please show me the license and I will tell you if it is a
> free license.
>
> If companies send you publicity materials, please check with me before
> giving them out at my speech.
>
>
> Flights:
>
> The FSF does not pay for my travel, and I can't afford to. I will
> need you to arrange to cover the cost of my traveling to your city
> (unless I've told you someone else will do it).
>
> I am traveling most of the time, and most of my trips include several
> stops. Chances are your city is neither the first nor the last stop
> in the trip. Please don't make assumptions about the itinerary;
> instead, please ask me for whatever information you need.
>
> Many organizations ask to buy the tickets and send them to me. I do
> not object to that method in principle, but it typically assumes the
> trip goes to just one city. That approach is hard to use for a
> multi-destination trip, unless you want to pay for the whole trip. So
> normally I buy the tickets myself and get reimbursed by the various
> places I am visiting. For a multi-destination trip, we will need to
> agree on what parts of the travel expenses you should cover.
>
> Some organizations feel that hospitality calls for providing me with a
> business class ticket. That is indeed more comfortable, but an
> economy class seat is good enough even on an overnight flight if it is
> a window seat. Meanwhile, speaking is my main source of income, and
> the extra price of a business class ticket would be a lot more useful
> for me if I can spend it on something else. So if you were thinking
> of spending extra for business class, how about if you pay the
> extra to me as a speaker's fee instead?
>
> We should plan for me to arrive (in the city itself, not just at the
> airport) at least 24 hours before the speech; that way, even if the
> flight is cancelled, there is a good chance I can still arrive in time
> for the speech by taking the same flight the next day.
>
>
> Lost tickets:
>
> If you are not paying me a speaking fee, but you are paying for the
> airline tickets, I must insist that you cover the costs if I have to
> replace a lost ticket, the fee for changing the ticket if I miss a
> flight, or any other surprise expenses associated with my travel to
> and from your location.
>
> This might seem unfair--if a ticket is lost, it could be my fault.
> But my income is not large, and I cannot afford to assume this risk
> myself if the event offers me no income. The frustration I feel when
> I suffer such a loss is excruciating. It is better for me to decline
> to travel to a certain place than to take such a risk.
>
>
> Other expenses:
>
> I expect you to cover expenses such as visa fees, fees for mailing my
> passport back and forth, taxis to and from the airport, and so on.
>
>
> Accommodations:
>
> I am willing to stay in a hotel if that is the way you want to do it.
> Please book the hotel for me and arrange to pay the hotel directly.
>
> But if there is anyone who wants to offer a spare couch, or even some
> spare floor, I would much rather stay there than in a hotel (provided
> I have a door I can close, in order to have some privacy). Staying
> with someone is more fun for me than a hotel, and it would also save
> you money. Floor space is sufficient because I bring an air mattress
> with me.
>
> Above 70 fahrenheit (21 centigrade) I find sleeping quite difficult.
> (If the air is very dry, I can stand up to 23 degrees.) A little
> above that temperature, an electric fan enables me to sleep. More
> than 3 degrees above that temperature, I need air conditioning to
> sleep. If there is a substantial chance of temperatures too hot for
> me, please arrange in advance for me to have what I need.
>
> If you are planning for me to stay in a hotel, DO NOT take for granted
> that the hotel has air conditioning--or that it will be working when I
> arrive. Some hotels shut off their air conditioning systems for part
> of the year. They often think it is unnecessary in seasons when the
> temperature is usually in the mid 20s--and they follow their schedule
> like stupid robots even if there is a heat wave.
>
> So you must explicitly ask them: "Do you have air conditioning? Will
> it be functioning for the dates XXX-YYY?"
>
> In some hotels with central air conditioning, it simply does not work
> very well: it can make a room less hot, but can't make it cool.
> Before using a hotel that has central air conditioning, find out what
> temperature it can actually lower a room to, during the relevant
> dates.
>
> If you put me in a hotel, please cover the costs of the telephone
> calls I will need to transfer my email. Some hotels charge a lot of
> money for this.
>
> Many countries have a law that hotels must report all guests to the
> police. In most cases, this orwellian policy applies not only to
> foreigners like me, but to citizens as well! The citizens should be
> outraged by this, but often they are not.
>
> Please call the hotel and ask whether they will demand to see my
> passport. If it has this policy, please join me in striking a blow
> against Big Brother, by looking for a place I can stay in that doesn't
> demand to see my passport. If the police want information about free
> software, they are welcome to come to my speech.
>
> If you have found a person for me to stay with, please forward this
> section and the two following sections to that person.
>
>
> Pets:
>
> I like cats if they are friendly, but they are not good for me; I am
> somewhat allergic to them. This allergy makes my face itch and my
> eyes water. So the bed, and the room I will usually be staying in,
> need to be clean of cat hair. However, it is no problem if there is a
> cat elsewhere in the house--I might even enjoy it. Dogs that bark
> angrily and/or jump up on me frighten me, unless they are small and
> cannot reach much above my knees. But if they only bark or jump when
> we enter the house, I can cope, as long as you hold the dog away from
> me at that time. Aside from that issue, I'm ok with dogs.
>
> If you can find a host for me that has a friendly parrot, I will be
> very very glad. If you can find someone who has a friendly parrot I
> can visit with, that will be nice too.
>
>
> Email:
>
> It is very important for me to be able to transfer email between my
> laptop and the net, so I can do my ordinary work. While traveling, I
> often need to do the work and the transfer late at night, or in the
> morning before a departure. So please set up a way I can connect to
> the net from the place I am staying. I do NOT use browsers, I use the
> SSH protocol.
>
> If a hotel says "We have internet access for customers", that is so
> vague that it cannot be relied on. So please find out exactly what
> they have and exactly what it will do. If they have an ethernet, do
> they have a firewall? Does it permit SSH connections? If they use a
> wireless network, will an Orinoco Gold card work with it? What
> parameters does the user need to specify in order to talk with it?
>
> Please check those things directly with the people who actually run
> the network. If you talk with someone who doesn't understand what
> "SSH connection" means, or if he doesn't understand the difference
> between "Internet" and "web browsing", that person is not competent to
> give reliable information. Don't rely on information from such a
> person--talk to someone who knows!
>
> A modem connection is fine if it works, so please verify in advance
> that the telephone line you expect me to use has a modular jack and
> that it works to call the ISP from that line. Hotels in Europe and
> Asia often have peculiar phone systems; the staff may tell you it is
> possible to call an ISP from the hotel *but they may be wrong*. For
> instance, their phone switchboard may not recognize the tones produced
> by modems. The only way to tell for certain is to go to the hotel,
> try phoning with a computer from a guest room, and see if it actually
> works. Until you have tested it, don't believe it!
>
> I already have ISPs to call in the US and in many countries in Europe;
> elsewhere, please find me a local ISP to call. (It is best if you
> lend me a permanent account that someone else uses, one that will
> continue working afterward, so that I can use it again if I come back
> or use it from other places in the region.) Hotel phone rates may be
> high; I expect you to cover them. However, I normally connect to the
> net only for around ten minutes at a time, twice a day, so the total
> won't be too bad.
>
>
> Paying me a reimbursement or a fee:
>
> Please pay my reimbursement or fee to me personally; do not send it to
> the FSF. The FSF and I have completely separate finances, and the FSF
> never pays for my travel. The FSF welcomes donations, but please make
> sure that money intended to me is not sent to them, because moving it
> afterward would mean accounting headaches as well as extra work.
>
> My assistant is not involved with my finances, so he cannot help you
> with that issue. Please send questions about payments to me directly.
>
> If you pay me by check, and you're not in the US, make sure to get a
> check that lists a corresponding US bank--otherwise it will cost me a
> fee to deposit the check. Please mail the check to:
>
> Richard Stallman
> 77 Mass Ave rm 32-S381
> Cambridge MA 02139
> Phone number: 617-253-8830
>
> Do not mail it to the FSF!
>
> A wire transfer is also a good method of payment. I will send you the
> coordinates; ask if you need them. The bank you use will charge a
> fee, and my bank charges me $10 for each incoming transfer; please add
> those fees to the amount, rather than taking them out of what I
> receive.
>
> If you are outside the US, please convert your currency to dollars in
> your bank, then use one of the above methods to pay me the dollars.
> My bank gives very bad exchange rates; yours is surely better.
>
> Cash is also fine.
>
> If you want an invoice, I will be glad to give you one. Let's work
> out what it should say by email before I arrive. Please also check
> before the visit whether you need any other forms, such as tax forms.
> I would like to be able to take care of any necessary forms while I am
> there, rather than wait till afterward.
>
>
> Hospitality:
>
> It is nice of you to want to be kind to me, but please don't offer
> help all the time. In general I am used to managing life on my own;
> when I need help, I am not shy about asking. So there is no need to
> offer to help me. Moreover, being constantly offered help is actually
> quite distracting and tiresome.
>
> So please, unless I am in grave immediate danger, please don't offer
> help. The nicest thing you can do is help when I ask, and otherwise
> not worry about how I am doing. Meanwhile, you can also ask me for
> help when you need it.
>
> One situation where I do not need help, let alone supervision, is in
> crossing streets. I grew up in the middle of the world's biggest
> city, full of cars, and I have crossed streets without assistance even
> in the chaotic traffic of Bangalore and Delhi.
>
> In some places, my hosts act as if my every wish were their command.
> By catering to my every whim, in effect they make me a tyrant over
> them, which is not a role I like. I get to thinking that I might
> subject them to great burdens without even realizing. I start being
> afraid to express my appreciation of anything, because they would get
> it and give it to me at any cost. If it is night, and the stars are
> beautiful, I hesitate to say so, lest my hosts feel obligated to try
> to get one for me.
>
> When I'm trying to decide what to do, often I mention things that
> MIGHT be nice to do--depending on more details, if it fits the
> schedule, if there isn't a better alternative, etc. Some hosts take
> such a tentative suggestion as an order, and try moving heaven and
> earth to make it happen. This excessive rigidity is not only quite
> burdensome for other people, it can even fail in its goal of pleasing
> me. If there is a better alternative, I'd rather be flexible and
> choose it instead--so please tell me. If my tentative suggestion
> imposes a lot of trouble on others, I want to drop it--so please tell
> me.
>
>
> Dinners:
>
> If you are thinking of setting up a lunch or dinner for me with more
> than 4 people total, please consider that as a meeting, and discuss it
> with me in advance. Such meals draw on my strength, just like
> speeches and interviews. They are not relaxation, they are work.
>
> I expect to do work during my visit, but there is a limit on the
> amount of work I can handle each day. So please ask me in advance
> about any large planned meal, and expect me to say no if I have a lot
> of other work already. If we are having a meal that I did not agree
> to as a large meal, and other people ask if they can join, please tell
> them no. In both cases, please tell them that I need a chance to
> relax after the other work I will have done.
>
> Please don't be surprised if I pull out my computer at dinner and
> begin handling some of my email. I have difficulty hearing when there
> is noise; at dinner, when people are speaking to each other, I usually
> cannot hear their words. Rather than feel bored, or impose on
> everyone by asking them to speak slowly at me, I do some work.
>
> Please don't try to pressure me to "relax" instead, and fall behind on
> my work. Surely you do not really want me to have to work double the
> next day to catch up (assuming I even COULD catch up). Please do not
> interfere as I do what I need to do.
>
>
> Food:
>
> I enjoy delicious food, and I like most kinds of cooking if they are
> done well (the exception being that I cannot eat anything very spicy).
>
> Some foods I dislike include:
>
> avocado
> eggplant, usually (there are occasional exceptions)
> hot pepper
> liver (even in trace quantities)
> stomach and intestine; other organ meats
> oysters
> egg yolk, except when boiled completely hard
> many strong cheeses, especially those with green fungus
> desserts that contain fruit or liqueur
> sour fruits, such as grapefruit and most oranges
> beer
> coffee (though weak coffee flavor can be good in desserts)
> the taste of alcohol (so I don't drink anything stronger than wine)
>
> Don't ever try to decide what food I should eat without asking me.
> Never assume that I will surely like a certain dish, merely because
> most people do. Always ask me in advance!
>
>
> Wine:
>
> Wine is not very important to me--not like food. I like some kinds of
> wine, depending on the taste, and dislike others, but I don't remember
> the names of wines I have liked, so it is useless to ask me.
>
> Therefore, if you're having dinner with me, please don't ask me what
> to do about wine. I can't decide intelligently, and it matters more
> to others than to me. Have wine or don't, as you prefer, but whatever
> you decide, choose it to please yourself and the others, not for me.
>
> If you get a bottle of wine, I will taste it, and if I like the taste,
> I will drink a little, perhaps half a glass.
>
>
> Restaurants:
>
> So I like to go to restaurants that are good at whatever kind of food
> they do. I don't arrive with specific preferences for a kind of food
> to eat--rather, I want to have whatever is good there: perhaps the
> local traditional cuisine, or the food of an immigrant ethnic group
> which is present in large numbers, or something unusual and original.
>
> So please don't ask me "Where do you want to eat?" or "What kind of
> restaurant do you want to go to?" I can't make an intelligent
> decision without knowing the facts, and unless I am already familiar
> with the city we're in, I can only get those facts from you.
>
> The only general thing I can tell you is that what I like or dislike
> about a meal is the sensation of eating the food. Other things, such
> as the decor of a restaurant, or the view from its windows, are
> secondary. Let's choose the restaurant based on its food.
>
> A good approach is to ask around *in advance* among your acquaintances
> to find people who like good food and are familiar with the area's
> restaurants. They will be able to give good recommendations.
>
>
> Sightseeing:
>
> If I am visiting an interesting city or region, I will probably want
> to do a few hours of sightseeing in between the work. But don't try
> to plan sightseeing for me without asking me first--I can only spare a
> limited time for it, so I am selective about where to go. Please
> don't assume I want to see something just because it is customary to
> take visitors there. That place may be of no interest with me.
> Instead, please tell me about possible places to visit--then I can say
> what I would like.
>
> I enjoy natural beauty such as mountains and rocky coasts, ancient
> buildings, impressive and unusual modern buildings, and trains. I
> like caves, and if there is a chance to go caving I would enjoy that.
> (I am just a novice as a caver.) I often find museums interesting,
> but it depends on the subject.
>
> I tend to like music that has a feeling of dance in it, but I
> sometimes like other kinds too. However, I usually dislike the
> various genres that are popular in the US, such as rock, country, rap,
> reggae, techno, and composed American "folk". Please tell me what
> unusual music and dance forms are present; I can tell you if I am
> interested. If there is a chance to see folk dancing, I would
> probably enjoy that.
>
> If there is something else interesting and unique, please tell me
> about it. Maybe I will be interested.
>
>
> More arrangements:
>
> Once we have a precise date for the speech, my assistant will contact
> you with questions about the arrangements for the trip. Please
> respond as soon as possible with the information he asks for.
>
>
--
Email.it, the professional e-mail, gratis per te: http://www.email.it/f
Sponsor:
Telefona con Email.it Phone Card, tanti minuti di conversazione con il
massimo del risparmio, clicca qui
Clicca qui: http://adv.email.it/cgi-bin/foclick.cgi?mid=2687&d=20060228
_______________________________________________
GNUlug Perugia mailing list
lug at perugia.linux.it
https://lists.firenze.linux.it/mailman/listinfo/lug
--
Ivan Marchesini
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Perugia
Via G. Duranti 93/a
06125
Perugia (Italy)
e-mail: marchesini at unipg.it
ivan.marchesini at gmail.com
tel: +39(0)755853760
fax: +39(0)755853756
More information about the Gfoss
mailing list