Diaspora: The Future of Free Software Funding?

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Diaspora, a free software project to create a distributed version of Facebook that gives control back to users. Since then, of course, Facebook-bashing and Diaspora-boosting have become somewhat trendy. Indeed, Diaspora has now soared past its initial $10,000 fund-raising target: at the time of writing, it has raised over $170,000, with 15 days to go. That's amazing, but what's more interesting is the way in which Diaspora has done it.

On Open Enterprise blog.

Germany Funds Open Source Software

I missed this when it first came out a couple of weeks ago:

Der Bundesrat hat am 20.2.2009 dem Gesetz zur Sicherung von Beschäftigung und Stabilität in Deutschland zugestimmt und so den Weg für die geplanten Investitionen frei gemacht. Im „Pakt für Beschäftigung und Stabilität in Deutschland“ sind auch 500 Mio. Euro für Maßnahmen im Bereich der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik enthalten, deren Verwendung durch den Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Informationstechnik gesteuert wird. Von diesen 500 Mio. Euro stehen 300 Mio. Euro sofort zur Verfügung. 200 Mio. Euro wurden durch den Haushaltsausschuss des Deutschen Bundestages bis zur Vorlage konkreter Maßnahmen gesperrt.

...

„"Ziel der Maßnahmen ist es, die Bereiche Green-IT, IT-Sicherheit und Open-Source auszubauen sowie innovative zukunftsfähige Technologien und Ideen für die Verwaltung nutzbar zu machen."“ sagt Staatssekretär Dr. Beus. Hierzu gehöre auch, ergänzend in die Weiterentwicklung der zentralen IT-Steuerungsmechanismen des Bundes zu investieren, um IT-Großprojekte künftig effizienter und schneller umzusetzen.

[Via Google Translate: The Federal Council decided on 20.2.2009 to the law to secure employment and stability in Germany, and approved, paving the way for the planned investment made. In the "pact for employment and stability in Germany" are also 500 million for activities in the field of information and communications technology, whose use by the Federal Government for information technology is controlled. Of these 500 million euros 300 million immediately available. 200 million euros were fixed by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag pending concrete actions blocked.

...
"The aim of the measures is to improve the areas of Green IT, IT security and open-source develop sustainable and innovative technologies and ideas for the administration to use." Says Secretary of State Dr. Beus.It also includes, in addition to the development of the central IT control mechanisms of the federal investment to large-scale IT projects will be implemented more efficiently and faster.]

Every little helps. (Via PSL Brasil.)

How to Save Investigative Journalism

There's increasing hand wringing over the fact that revenues at dead-tree newspapers are diving, leading to redundancies, and loss of the ability to conduct high-quality investigative journalism. At the same time, one of the best sources for investigative journalism, Wikileaks, is a bit short of dosh. Problem, meet solution: newspapers should fund Wikileaks.

The Anti-Intellectual Monopolies Trust

Apparently, there's something called the Intellectual Property Education Trust, a UK registered charity, with lots of dosh to give away:

"The Intellectual Property Education Trust proposes to make a closing award in the region of £25,000 for the promotion of education in the field of intellectual property, and seeks applications from interested institutions.

The Trust was established in 1995 with the object to advance education and promote research in the law and practice of Intellectual Property. The Trust proposes to make a final substantive award with its remaining funds. Institutions interested in making an application for the award should first notify the Trust's secretary by phone (01458 270 882) or email by 28 February 2009 with an expression of interest, and should submit a formal application by 17 April 2009.

So long as the purpose of the application is within the above object of the Trust, there are no other limitations on the nature of the application. Thus the award may be given, purely by way of example, for the preparation of courses or course materials, the establishment of courses, the award of bursaries to assist students to attend courses, or the preparation of material to educate the public at large.

Maybe it's time to set up an Anti-Intellectual Monopolies Trust: anyone want to fund it?

Alfresco Gets Funding for Growth

On Open Enterprise blog.