GNU turn thirty!

Can you believe it? The GNU system is thirty years old today!
In 1983, Richard Stallman launched the free software movement with the words, "Free Unix!" We've freed a lot more than that in the last thirty years. The GNU system is now a vast universe of fully free operating systems, window managers, and software that serves almost every imaginable purpose. More than 95 percent of the world's supercomputers run free software. A majority of web servers run free software. Even more impressive, there are estimated to be tens of millions of free software users worldwide.
That's a lot to celebrate. This weekend, the Free Software Foundation will be honoring thirty years of GNU with a celebration and hackathon in Cambridge, MA. Around the world, there are over eighteen celebrations planned on almost every inhabited continent. And online, people are showing their love for GNU by embedding the special 30th anniversary badge on their websites and donating to support GNU's future work.
Please join us in the celebration:

• Watch the livestream from the Cambridge celebration to see John Sullivan speak at 10am EDT (14:00 UTC) and Richard Stallman speak live at 5pm EDT (21:00 UTC) on Saturday, September 28.
• Find the celebration nearest you.
• Embed the special 30th anniversary badge.
• Donate to keep GNU going strong for another thirty years.

Happy Hacking,
The entire Free Software Foundation team

MIT Announces Two MOOC Sequences as edX Strategy Begins to Take Shape

Inside Higher Ed (09/18/13) Carl Straumsheim 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is planning to package some of its online courses into more cohesive sequences, known as the "XSeries," while edX is preparing to launch a certificates of completion program using identify verification. The two initiatives may provide a look at what the future holds for the massive open online course (MOOC) provider. The XSeries adds a new layer of structure to MITx, the university's section of the edX platform. Each XSeries sequence will feature topics found in two to four face-to-face courses, and the first of seven courses in the Foundations of Computer Science XSeries will be offered this fall. edX's verified certificates are intended for students who enroll in online courses to further their careers. "Students have been asking for certificates that have more verification, more meaning behind them that they can add to their resumes," says edX's Dan O'Connell. A spokesperson for MIT says the new XSeries is part of an experiment to find new ways to offer programs. "Personally, I think it's pretty obvious we're headed into a new era of education," says MIT senior lecturer Christopher J. Terman. "I would be surprised if in 10 years the lay of the land wasn't really a lot different."

View Full Article

New open source crowdfunding site, Linux is the future of gaming, and more

WEEKLY NEWS New site Bountysource focuses on crowdfunding and bounties for open source software Open source software projects are seeing some success on fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. But Bountysource CEO Warren Konkel believes open source software needs a better funding model that's more aligned with how software is built. The U.S. Constitution version 2.0 In this clever post, Opensource.com moderator Luis Ibanez takes a fresh look at the U.S. Constitution with open source eyes. When people freely share, it makes things better for everyone This month's contributor spotlight on Joshua Holm. Open source hardware holds the same promise as software Interview with SparkFun Electronics IT Director. Open source to bridge the global digital divide Low cost, yet sophisticated solutions are needed. NC Datapalooza 2013: Why publicly available data is innovative Community-powered innovation is becoming a trend. Opensource.com highlights from August See what was hot on Opensource.com in August. Weekly wrap-up: IBM pledges $1 billion for Linux, CEO takes on patent troll, and more Stories you may have missed on the web last week. FROM THE ARCHIVES A guide to free and open source education A listing of many open education resources. 10 ways to start contributing to open source The benefit is high and the barrier to entry is low.

Last chance to register: Take enterprise Platform-as-a-Service to the next level

If you have trouble viewing this email, read the online version.

 

Take enterprise Platform-as-a-Service to the next level

With all the talk about running applications in the cloud, you may have noticed few enterprises putting real workloads on today's cloud platforms. Join our webinar to learn what the obstacles have been and how Red Hat can help you overcome them.

Cloud PaaS from the open source enterprise expertUntil now, there's been an absence of important enterprise capabilities provided by vendors who truly understand the cloud and the needs of enterprises.

In this webinar, Paul Cormier, Red Hat's president of Products and Technologies, lays out our vision and roadmap for enabling next-generation application development with an open hybrid cloud. You'll learn:

• What is really needed in an enterprise-grade cloud platform.
• Why only a vendor who truly understands both enterprise and cloud can help you.
• How unique cloud capabilities from OpenShift by Red Hat and Red Hat JBoss® Middleware can help you achieve greater IT agility and competitiveness.

Join the live event:
Time zone converter

• Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013 | 15:00 UTC | 11 a.m. (New York) / 5 p.m. (Paris) / 8:30 p.m. (Mumbai)

Speaker: Paul Cormier, president, Products and Technologies, Red Hat
Paul Cormier leads Red Hat's technology and products organizations, including engineering, product management, and product marketing for Red Hat's technologies. He joined Red Hat in May 2001 as executive vice president, Engineering.
Paul's leadership and experience in enterprise technology has led to the introduction of Red Hat's acclaimed line of enterprise products, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux®, Red Hat JBoss Middleware, and OpenShift by Red Hat. He has been instrumental in forging tight partnerships with many leading technology companies.

Only two weeks until GNU turns thirty!

GNU turns thirty in less than two weeks! Wherever you live, we hope you'll join us for our big anniversary celebration and hackathon on September 28 - 29.
GNU lovers from all over the world will converge on MIT in Cambridge, MA for cake, coding, and a special address from Richard Stallman. If you want to attend the event in person, there is still time to register! If you'll be watching online, be sure to tune in to the event page on Saturday the 28th at 17:00 EDT.
Ten projects will be hosting hackathons during the celebration: Commotion, coreboot, Gnash, GNOME, GNU FM, GNU MediaGoblin, GNU Octave, GNU social, Tahoe-LAFS, and Tor. Most of these hackathons will have an online presence as well, so visit the event page on September 28th to participate virtually.
And for those of you who'd like to make sure GNU begins its next decade in its strongest financial position ever, we encourage you to consider donating or attending our special fundraising dinner on September 27th at Rendezvous in Cambridge.
Of course, if you're in it for the cake, you'll have to be at the celebration in person. And you won't want to miss the opportunity to meet many early contributors to GNU, project maintainers, privacy and security experts, and more. So, register today, book that last minute plane ticket, mark your calendars, and tell your friends. We'll see you in Boston!
Happy hacking,
Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
P.S. We are collecting well wishes for GNU from around the world. Send us a picture of yourself with an anniversary greeting (we recommend a sign that says, "I <3 GNU!").

A cloud exit strategy, behind-the-scenes of Red Hat internships, and more

WEEKLY NEWS Do you have a cloud exit strategy? Here is one clear path. The best and brightest solutions ... for now. New report: What the Government Accountability Office has to say about Non-Practicing Entities Report paints a grim picture of patent system. Wikipedia Takes America photo event for your city Your hometown Wikipedia page may need your help. Open source under the lens of an intellectual property lawyer "Looking back, it started in law school." Four tips for building better apps for government New systems and shipping quality code in no time. Envy Labs developer Carlos Souza talks about Code School and playing in a band First interview in our All Things Open series. Weekly wrap-up: Picking an open source hardware license, mom writes programming teacher, and more Stories you may have missed on the web last week. FROM THE ARCHIVES Growing the next generation of open source hackers Dave Neary, Red Hat Key statistics from the 2013 Linux Jobs Survey & Report Jen Wike, Red Hat "What I did on my summer vacation" would be a fun question for Red Hat interns to answer because it sounds like they had a blast. Go behind-the-scenes of a summer internship at Red Hat. Each year Raleigh, NC, hosts a large creativity, art, and design festival, and it's all organized the open source way. Find out what goes into organizing a big open source festival. Momentum seems to be building in Congress to tackle patent reform. But will reform truly address patents on software?