About a year ago, I registered softwarefreedom.com, softwarefreedom.net, and softwarefreedom.org, to use for an idea I had for a page that would be a metaindex of everything having to do with free software. Soon after, however, I quit the job I had then, and didn't have much time to work on it. Now, the domains are about to expire, but I hope someone here would have time to do some work on this.
Basically, I still think a metaindex of everything having to do with free software would be a good idea. It could point to projects, companies, news sites, and so on, and I'm sure it could build a decent community, and be a useful resource.
I don't have the time to work much on it, though, and I definitely don't have the time to be the driving force behind it. In 30 days or so, the domains will expire. Since I think it's not a very good thing to just sit on domains that aren't used for anything, I'll likely let them expire... unless...
If someone wants to work on such a metaindex site (or can propose another good, relevant use for the domains), I will renew the registrations, and secure server space for the project, so that whoever that person or persons is, will be able to work on it. I will probably want to contribute and advise a bit, but mostly, I'll keep my hands off. So if someone has ideas, suggestions, or want to take on the role as project leader for softwarefreedom, feel free to post below, or contact me on joakim@ximian.com.
So people can directly jump to the definition of free software.
Another choice is to redirect to www.free-soft.org, which I meant to be an overview site for free software, but currently I only have brief content there.
If you let them expire, they will quite possibly be bought up by someone who will make some really terrible use of them. Renew them, and look for someone to re-assign them to once they are safe, that way you can make sure they go to a good home!
Engaging paranoia for a moment, wouldn't it be a shame if www.softwarefreedom.org (etc) took you to an advert for the MS .Net thing, for instance? I imagine their marketing team could make good use of such a nice domain name, implying all sorts of things about their product which might not be quite true.
I'd love to get involved with a project like the one you mention, but I'm already swamped with running my LUG, being server admin for Linux UK, coding for work and working on another community-type website which I am sole coder and admin for (not the Linux community though, hence no link) :)
Until you find someone to take them on, I like the idea someone else posted, of making them redirect to fsf.org, or if the FSF are happy with it, to a subpage thereof...
Regards,
Denny
I'm sure he'd find an appropriate use for the domain as well as finance the renewal.
...that you hogged domains instead of having a single one (with the same functionality as a .orgcomnet trio) for trice as long.
I see advogato registering itself under every TLD too. Can we stop the madness??? TLD's exist for a reason, and this abuse is even worse than ignoring the heirarchy.
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