Re: [Fsfe-uk] BECTA discriminate against FLOSS?

[Ramanan Selvaratnam]

> More impact if AFFS writes independently and I write on behalf of OO.o.
> We could start by writing to the Chief Exec, Owen Lynch (no relation
> ;-)) and asking for clarification. If other organisations do too it will
> have more impact because that letter then represents a lot of people.

I wish there were other orgs. Or even affs was big enough with diverse 
interests to counter this BECTA thing.
I see more and more new people with concerns and possibly justifiable
anger at this.

I emailed BECTA sometime last year regarding missing mail archives that
could have been helpful to nail a persistent scammer.
Basically one of his scam was listed captured in the lists that BECTA
were running to facilitate these scams (the government money for IT
training that was ripped apart by scams ... or was it allowed to be
ripped apart as such?).

[My initial concern was free software was being used to spice up the
scam that was totally aimed at pushing proprietary software. 

Then it turned out this particular scam was used to decieve and deny
other more important freedoms. That possibly is a different issue as
BECTA will not have a clue what this means even if they were sincere.]

Once I noticed the tracks were being covered up as soon as the whole
scheme was collapsing I noticed the BECTA list dissapear.
It could be coincidental but my email got an invalid reply.
I cannot remember what exactly it was but I remember mailing back and
there was no reply.
I was courteous and do not see how they can continue to be responsible
enough to meddle with schools!

The mail archive did not reappear for a long time during which period
the scammer in question metamorphosised into other forms. Worryingly he
continues to wreck havoc within matters related to freedoms.

BECTA stinks.

Maybe more people know such incidents that are not directly related to
schools, which I must admit is a more serious matter.

So please contact me offlist if anyone can organise interest in other
areas. Writing on my own will not go anywhere. Time constraints will not
allow me to organise things but I might be able to help with some
networking.

Ah! did I tell you currently I am a memeber of a community IT project (
a mil came through the door to show interest as a local memeber)  where
they continue to cancel meetings and miss me in communications blatantly
hoping I will go away :). All becuase I questioned what is the 'software
spec' they were on about! I would not be surprised if it was drafted by
the same ***** who wrote the one for the LEA Ian mentions.


Sincerely,

Ramanan