Press Release Jan 2006
From SoftwareFor
Contents |
Software for Starving Students (SSS) Version 2006.01 is now Released
New versions of the Software for Starving Students (SSS) CD are now available via BitTorrent. If you have a BitTorrent client, you can download the latest versions for Windows or Mac here:
http://www.softwarefor.org/get_software.html
If you don't have a BitTorrent client, you may want to try Azureus. Or, if you need help downloading the CD and burning it to disk, we will have step-by-step instructions on SoftwareFor.org in a few days.
What is SSS?
The Software for Starving Students CD enhances the Windows and Mac desktop computing experiences by providing an easy way to install free, high-quality software titles via a user-friendly interface. It includes popular open source programs like Firefox and OpenOffice, intended to help students learn about and benefit from open source and free software programs. The SSS team put all the most commonly used free programs onto one CD to make it easier for students to install useful software (including fully-featured office suites, 3D graphic editors and much more) for free. To preview the new SSS interface, check out some screenshots of the latest release:
http://www.softwarefor.org/wiki/index.php/Ad_Lazarum:Screenshots
New packages with this version
This version includes many programs not available in previous versions. These include Azureus, Juice, DeepBurner Free, Inkscape, Paint.Net, VUPlayer, winLame, NVU, EAC (Exact Audio Copy), Spybot Search & Destroy, and Wink. A full list of included packages is available at: http://www.softwarefor.org/wiki/index.php/SoftwareFor:Available_Packages
Why do you do this?
We created the SSS CD because we love open source software and want to help make it more accessible to students all around the world. Although all students need good software to be successful, many have a hard time getting it on student budgets. We empathize with them because we've felt that pinch ourselves. This software enables students to achieve more for less, and that inspires us. People all over the world are using free software to make their lives better.
After all of these years of mooching off of great volunteer programmers, this is our little way of saying thanks. By providing a tool that makes their great free software more accessible to software-hungry students from Boston to Bangalore, we feel we've given a little back to the free software community and to students all over the world. We are proud and happy to do so.
How can I help?
Share SSS with a friend
Unlike some of the other software programs you have, you are free to make copies of these programs, or even the whole disc, and give them away to anyone you like -- in fact, we encourage you to share! We hope you enjoy this software, and if you do, chances are your friends will too. So burn away!
Set us up on your campus
We're also starting a program to distribute these disks at help desks and computer labs in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities all over the country. We'd also like to place small boxes of free CDs in college dormitories, restaurants, and theaters that receive heavy student traffic. If you can help by being a liaison at your school or anywhere else please email distribution@softwarefor.org.
Spread the word
If you enjoy using the SSS CD, share your experience with your local user groups or post about it on your blog. This a community, volunteer-based effort, so any help you can give is especially appreciated. Even if you can just post some pre-made fliers around town, that would be helpful. Just email marketing@softwarefor.org and we'll send you the files.
Feedback can also be sent to feedback@softwarefor.org if you're interested in letting us know what you think.
Make a donation
We could use some financial help to copy CDs and distribute them in the mail. We also spend money on hosting and the hardware needed to run our website. Unfortunately, those things aren't free!! We spend a lot of our own money for the cause, so if you like our free product and can ease our financial burden a little that would be very helpful. To make a donation please visit: http://www.softwarefor.org/wiki/index.php/SoftwareFor:Fundraising
Sign up on the development team
We're looking for volunteer contributors who can assist in:
- LAMP development
- NSIS development
- OS X interface/.dmg development
- Graphics and Artwork
- Translation and Documenting
- Recording of software demos for distributions
- Software package evaluation and submission for inclusion
- Publicity, Marketing, and Sponsorship
- Distribution (including CD mailings and BitTorrent seeding)
Interested parties should contact admin@softwarefor.org.
How is this free?
These programs are free to copy and distribute because they were made by volunteers in the open source and free software community and released under the GPL or a similar license. In some cases where there was no GPL compliant program sufficient to fill an important student function, some copyrighted programs were included with the explicit permission of copyright holders. This was allowed to maximize students' benefit from using the SSS CD. For a great CD that uses exclusively open source or GPL-compliant software, try a similar project at TheOpenCD.org. For more information on what open source and free software is, please visit:
http://www.opensource.org/ and http://www.fsf.org/
If you really want to learn more or become involved with free software in your community, contact a Linux Users Group near you: http://lugww.counter.li.org/groups.cms
Thank You
Thanks again to all of our contributors for making this new release possible.
Don't forget to get your copy at: http://www.softwarefor.org/get_software.html
