• home
  • posts
  • category
  • free open source
  • Info, news & debate

    Free & open source software posts

    Low-impact & the city 10: how to install Linux on your hard drive (alongside Windows)

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 06-Mar-2017 | 4

    This is the latest in a series of articles intended to help you become Windows- and corporate-software-free. Read more

    Low-impact & the city 9: learning to use Linux

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 16-Feb-2017 | 0

    Remember the previous two blog articles about switching to open source / free software? The first was about switching to free / open source programmes whilst still using Windows, and the second was about downloading the Linux operating system onto a datastick so that you can play with it and familiarise yourself with it, but… Continue reading Low-impact & the city 9: learning to use Linux Read more

    Low-impact & the city 8: how to test drive Linux from a datastick, but keep Windows for the time being

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 17-Jan-2017 | 13

    A while ago I blogged about the various open source programmes I’m using. I’m absolutely non-techie when it comes to IT. I have no interest in the technical underpinning of what I want to do with my computer, and this makes it difficult for technical people to explain things to me. Read more

    Reasons not to buy from Amazon

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 03-Jan-2017 | 0

    In 1983, Richard Stallman launched the GNU free software project, on which many people could collaborate, and in 1985 he founded the Free Software Foundation, to promote and assist the development of free software. Here is a page from his website Read more

    Low-impact & the city 5: if a non-techie like me can switch to open source, so can you

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 12-Oct-2016 | 8

    I’ve found that learning about how to change to open source software can be difficult for non-techies. Yes, you can easily find the websites that contain the information you need, but it’s almost never written in a style that non-techies can understand. Read more

    Thinking of starting a community enterprise? Win a free place on a three-day workshop

    Our friend Jonathan at Stir to Action (incorporating STIR Magazine) is hosting a three-day workshop for people who are interested in starting a community enterprise, rather than joining the corporate rat-race. He’s offering one place on this workshop for free Read more

    Mutualism: a philosophy for changing society with a difference – it’s implementable

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 21-Feb-2016 | 11

    There are lots of ideas for changing the world – from voting to demonstrations, petitions, lifestyle change, incremental change, revolutionary change, or more of the same, only harder. The problem with many of them is that they are either ineffective or not implementable. Read more

    Nationalising assets does not mean that ‘we’ then own them. Let’s hold things ‘in common’ instead

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 29-Jan-2016 | 1

    Nationalising something doesn’t then mean that it’s owned by ‘the people’ – i.e. by us. That would only be true if states weren’t controlled by the corporate sector. Read more

    Beware the ‘sharing’ economy – back door for a more rapacious form of capitalism

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Nov-2015 | 3

    Something that’s been troubling me for a while. The ‘sharing’ economy must be a good thing, right? I’ve been trying to see the good in it for a while. Sharing anything must mean that fewer resources are used, less waste produced, people get to know each other in their communities. All sounds great, doesn’t it? Read more

    There’s a crash coming – a slap from Mother Nature. This isn’t pessimistic; it’s realistic.

    The human impact on nature and on each other is accelerating and needs systemic change to reverse.

    We’re not advocating poverty, or a hair-shirt existence. We advocate changes that will mean better lives for almost everyone.

    Sign up to our newsletter

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Youtube icon

    All rights reserved © lowimpact 2023