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Let's welcome WriteType 1.3.163

WriteType 1.3.163 is now available! WriteType is a word-processor designed to help elementary school students write better. It gives students who have a hard time writing an easier approach in putting their ideas on paper. In addition to fixing many bugs, the latest WriteType release has several new features to help students succeed.

It’s Not About the Software

A few days ago, I had an epiphany. I, like many of my readers, have spent a good portion of my life advocating for libre software. There has always been a particular glow to the idealistic concept of information flowing through society, and to the possibility of adaptation to a particular context.

WriteType 1.2.130 released, a program to help students write

  • writetype.bernsteinforpresident.com (Posted by trombonechamp on Apr 18, 2011 1:20 AM EDT)
WriteType 1.2.130 is now available! WriteType is a word-processor designed for schools to help young students write better. It gives students who have a hard time writing an easier approach in putting their ideas on paper. The new release makes it even easier for students to succeed!

Announcing WriteType 1.0.98

  • trombonechamp.wordpress.com; By Max Shinn (Posted by trombonechamp on Sep 3, 2010 1:02 PM EDT)
  • Story Type: News Story
The next version of WriteType (1.0.98) is now available for download! WriteType is a word processor designed to make typing easier and more efficient for young students and students with disabilities.

The Decompiler Dilemma

  • trombonechamp.wordpress.com; By Max Shinn (Posted by trombonechamp on Aug 17, 2010 1:49 PM EDT)
  • Groups: GNU; Story Type: News Story
The whole advantage to free software is that you can take it apart and look at it, right? That is what most free software advocates would have you believe. So what would happen if the GNU Project released a Perfect Decompiler, a decompiler that could perfectly decode any binary into source code understandable by humans? Would this help or hurt the Free Software Movement?

Women's Caucus internship opportunity

The Women's Caucus is seeking an intern to assist with its work to increase the number of women involved in free software.

Writing made easy for young students: Introducing WriteType

  • trombonechamp.wordpress.com; By Max Shinn (Posted by trombonechamp on May 15, 2010 10:10 PM EDT)
  • Story Type: News Story
After several months of development, it is finally time to introduce the world to WriteType. WriteType is an application designed to aid young students in writing and typing on the computer. It offers text completion to make touch typing more efficient. It also will read back the document with one of the four implemented text-to-speech engines, enable teachers to easily highlight areas for review, and more.

The Magic Black Box Paradox of Freedom

The free software community understands that free software gives the user more freedom than proprietary software. Proprietary software confines its users, prohibits them from making changes that would allow everyone to benefit, etc. Free software advocates (myself included) have a habit of claiming that using free (libre) software means the same thing as having freedom. But does the fact that someone is using free software necessarily imply that the person has as much freedom as is possible?

GNU Generation 2.0

After many successful months of GNU Generation, GNU Generation 2.0 was officially announced at LibrePlanet 2010. This builds upon the original GNU Generation by lowering the entry barrier to free software contribution, and making the program more extensible. So what is new?

Five things Free Software has taught me

  • trombonechamp.wordpress.com; By Max Shinn (Posted by trombonechamp on Dec 21, 2009 12:46 AM EDT)
I’ve been in Free Software for a few years now and learned a ton from it. Sure, I learned how to use new types of software, became efficient on them, and honed my programming skills, but stopping there would be missing the point. Free software has so much more to offer than just computing and technical benefits. In fact, the technical side is the least important thing I’ve learned from my experiences. Free Software has brought me far beyond knowledge of its source code and taught me lessons I will value for a lifetime.

The Situation Now (2019)

  • trombonechamp.wordpress.com; By Max Shinn (Posted by trombonechamp on Oct 10, 2009 10:30 PM EDT)
  • Story Type: Editorial
Sam opened his eyes to the sun shining in his window, birds chirping outside, and the smell of a fresh summer breeze. It was a glorious day, perfect for the launch of the campaign. Sam got himself ready, grabbed a bite to eat, and jumped on the bus on his way to his job at the Proprietary Software Foundation.

GNU Generation: Calling all pre-university students

GNU Generation is a new project sponsored by the Free Software Foundation to involve high school age pre-university students (approximately ages 13-18) in free software. Participants will have the opportunity to get involved with the free software community, and win some prizes! If you have never considered contributing to a free software project before, or if you wanted to but had no idea where to start -- this is your chance!

When you see Flash, Duck and Cover

  • TromboneChamp.Wordpress.com; By Max Shinn (Posted by trombonechamp on May 30, 2009 5:03 PM EDT)
  • Story Type: News Story
The best thing anyone can do to continue making the Internet more closed, restrictive, and prohibiting is to use Adobe Flash as it exists today. The Internet was created to allow for the open and unconfined infrastructure to share information; yet, it is being used today for the opposite purpose: to stop this information torrent.

The Fear of Knowledge

  • TromboneChamp.Wordpress.com; By Max Shinn (Posted by trombonechamp on May 3, 2009 3:11 PM EDT)
  • Groups: Community
I had the opportunity of listening to a presentation by a poorly-informed faculty member at my school regarding copyright laws. This was an eye-opening experience for me into the way those who believe to have a solid grasp of copyright view it. My class of 30+ students listened intently, believing everything they were told, as Mrs. Smith started her lecture…