Last Friday some Italian bloggers met Bruce Perens, it was a trial of running an open source awareness meeting to get in touch to individuals outside our network.
In Italy Open Source is experiencing a clique phenomenon, and there is a need for hubs to be in place in other areas. I asked Nicola Mattina, an Italian known blogger with a wide professional experience in Communication and new media, to help me to organize the event.
Italian bloggers meet Bruce Perens by Roldano De Persio
Here the list of bloggers at the event: Alessio Jacona (corporate blogging), Luca Sartoni (free software activist), Leo Sorge (journalist), Francesco Romeo, Massimiliano Mirra (developer), Tara Kelly (entrepreneur and designer), Roldano De Persio (marketing and photographer), Fabio Masetti (IT freelance), Andrea Martines (web accessibility expert), Nicola Mattina and myself.
Bruce gave a speech introducing himself and his job over the last twenty years, getting a chance to tell people about his relationship with his previous and actual employer, with his customers, but also about freedom and democracy.
Among non-open source topics covered, it is worth to mention the network neutrality and the importance of bloggers independence, and his invite to work hard to keep the Internet for everyone.
I wish to thank Bruce Perens, who kindly welcomed the idea to meet Italian bloggers, Ernst & Young who guested our informal meeting by its office in Rome and, last but not least, all participants that made it a reality.
I hope it to be the first meeting of a long series, and I agree with Roldano saying that in its simplicity it was a great thing: a get-together of bloggers, Internet citizens eager to know more and talk about a phenomenon that is changing our daily life.
[italian bloggers, open source, perens]
Bruce Perens is a great person. In 30 years of journalistic activity, I never found a single person who moves around the room to get close to each person who asks him a question.
He touched some great topics and he answered a few questions. What he said was interesting, but I mostly appreciated the way he pronounced those words. The words of a most respectful person.
I thank Bruce for the time he gave us. I wish him the very best.
Leo Sorge
After more than half a decade spent coding and breathing open source software, meeting someone who played a chief role in shaping the open source movement was an honour; discovering a wonderful person, a pleasure. Bruce Perens gets too easily pigeonholed into the “pragmatic” character, especially when contrasted with the likes of Stallman; if you have a chance to listen to him in person, though, I think you’ll find that “pragmatism” here is simply the kind of passion strong enough that it’s willing to step back and give way to reason when that helps the goal.
Thanks, Roberto & friends for arranging the meeting, and thanks, Bruce, for the words of wisdom.
All the best,
Massimiliano