The 7th Annual Seneca Free Software and Open Source Symposium is coming up, and it is a great event worth checking out if you want to learn more about what really drives the Internet. Unfortunately I won't be attending this year, however I have given presentations in past years, including this improvised rant from last year:

The past two weeks have seen a number of announcements by Microsoft, Google, and Facebook that have set the stage for an incredible clash of the titans when it comes to the future of the Internet.

Well, I'm getting kind of fed up with all the iPhone hype. Apple is not a company I've ever been fond of, because I see right through their marketing machine and understand just how bad and manipulative their message actually is. When the device was initially announced, I wrote a post pointing out that the actual cost of the device would be way higher than advertised, given that you have to sign up for a minimum 2 year contract with AT&T.

I've recently taken up quite an interest in the online environment second life, and the potential it holds as an emerging virtual reality.

It was with considerable pleasure that I heard the news that Linden Labs the owner of Second Life had open sourced their client software. This was quite a bold move, as it lays out their strategy as an environment, rather than as just software. It also allows for considerable possibilities when it comes to user-directed design and development.

On Monday Oct 24th I gave a talk at the Seneca’s 4th Free Software and Open Source Symposium. The event overall was quite neat, and successful. I was only able to stay for the morning, but was quite impressed by the turnout and general enthusiasm amongst the people gathered. The talk I gave was about Openflows, and our approach to the Open Source world.

Fernando Duran wrote up a great summary of the entire day as well as some generous comments about me: