Category: Open

Everything open source or inspired by the movement. Free and open-source software is moving to the FOSS category.

More thoughts on copyright

I got in a discussion behind the walled garden of Facebook about hymns, copyright and what we (as ministers and content providers) and I’ve brought some of my comments here. In particular, what do we do with hymn texts we think are in the public domain, and thus subject to republication, reuse or adaptation. But… Continue reading More thoughts on copyright

Double circle symbol for you to use

OK, the flaming nectarine was a bit of fun, but here’s something that might be more useful. The linked, double circles are an older emblem of the Unitarian and Universalist consolidation, and deserve some attention, at least in “communion of the churches” settings. It uses the gradient standard of the new UUA visual identity. You… Continue reading Double circle symbol for you to use

Teaching ministry subjects online

Again, my love/hate relationship with Google appears. Now it sponsors free (libre) software to manage online classes; also help organizing online learning, which seems like an even more important tool than the software. See the project, course-builder and watch the video describing the project. HT: OpenCulture.org

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Categorized as Open, Technology

A “free culture” worship site to note: Psalter Commons

I first learned of Kathryn Rose, an Anglican and a (church) musician in London, from her work to organize worship outside St. Paul’s, where the Occupy London encampment is. (For reasons I don’t quite believe, St. Paul’s is closed for health and safety concerns.) She also runs a free culture/liberal license project call Psalter Commons,… Continue reading A “free culture” worship site to note: Psalter Commons

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Categorized as Hymns, Open

New posts on Christians, copyright and Bible

Be sure to read this new blog series on Christians, copyright and the Bible written by Nathan Smith at The Library Basement. It lines up some of the basic issues and tensions around restricting the use of newly translated biblical translations. (He doesn’t get into the value of giving preferential value to some translations or… Continue reading New posts on Christians, copyright and Bible

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Categorized as Bible, Open

The language of faith cries to be free

In the open-source software world, advocates make a distinction between “free as in beer” and “free as in freedom.” While free (of cost) beer is nice, the freedom to share, modify, extract and even profit from (depending on the license) is truly precious, and has allowed an ecosystem to develop around not only software but… Continue reading The language of faith cries to be free

Orphan works and Unitarian Universalism

Orphan works — works like books, music and film that are under copyright but for which no copyright holder can be found — live in a legal limbo, leaving them unused. A lost opportunity. Because older works have entered the public domain, they can be shared and adapted without permission, but for most works published… Continue reading Orphan works and Unitarian Universalism

Statistics lesson

No other blogging today than note that I’m reading the Introduction to Statistics class notes — that was something I never took in college — taught by Dana Lee Ling, a professor at the College of Micronesia – FSM. Thank you! I’m especially glad because he uses OpenOffice.org, a free- and open-source office suite I… Continue reading Statistics lesson

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Categorized as Open Tagged

The new order of service (at the grocery store)

Ever since Gaddafy blamed the Libyan revolt on drag-laced Nescafé, I’ve been drinking a lot of instant coffee. (But so far, I haven’t found the jar with the democratizing hallucinogens.) And I ran out of powder just in time to buy some Maxwell House — and get the free haggadah. For three generations, the coffee… Continue reading The new order of service (at the grocery store)