Sunday's talk will be given by Tony Smith from Perforce who will discuss software configuration management and give a hands-on technical demonstration of their popular software.

Date: Sunday 3rd November 2002 Time: 6.30pm Venue: Comlab The meeting will (as always) be followed by drinks at the Lamb and Flag.

Comlab entrance is from Parks Road and there are directions at http://web.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/about/directions.html

Links: Perforce website: http://www.perforce.com/ Free licences for open source projects: http://www.perforce.com/perforce/opensource-faq.html

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InstallFest in Central London: Greater London Linux User Group InstallFest, Saturday 1st Nov 12-5pm http://gllug.linux.co.uk/20021102.html

=========================================================================== And some other top-notch talks happening over the next month or so within reach of Oxford:

Professor Harold Thimbleby (Director UCLIC, University College London) Revolting calculators Oxford University Invariant Society, Tues 5th Nov 8.15pm Mathematical Institute, 24-29 St. Giles', Oxford (small charge for non-members)

> Calculators have been around for centuries, and they were one of the > first handheld computerised gadgets. They are now to be found inside > mobile phones, on desktop computers, even in wristwatches. > This talk will demonstrate, with your participation, that current > calculators have severe mathematical problems. The talk reviews the > straight-forward maths behind calculation and calculators, and thence > provides a solution to the surprising range of problems identified. A > program will be demonstrated and compared with commercial systems (which > are all worse). > Please come to this talk with your own handheld calculator, mobile, PDA, > or laptop... http://users.ox.ac.uk/~invar/termcard.html

Dave Green (http://www.ntk.net/ http://www.davegreen.co.uk/) Known Vulnerabilities in the Technology Media Oxford University Computer Society, Tues 12th Nov 8.30pm http://www.ox.compsoc.net/events/termcards/current/ (small charge for non-members)

Extreme Programming, Nick Fortescue Oxford University Computer Society, Weds 13th Nov 8.30pm http://www.ox.compsoc.net/events/termcards/current/ (small charge for non-members)

Computer Security? Professor Roger Needham CBE FREng FRS (Managing Director, Microsoft Research Ltd) Thurs 14th Nov 7pm, Royal Society http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/events/ > The technical aspects of computer security have fascinated researchers > (including the lecturer) for decades. It is however beginning to appear > that the challenging problems are to do with people, rather than with > mathematics or electronics.

Linux on IBM zSeries mainframes, Malcolm Beattie Oxford University Computer Society, Tues 19th Nov 8.30pm http://www.ox.compsoc.net/events/termcards/current/ (small charge for non-members)

Professor Ian Stewart (University of Warwick) Sierpinski and his Gasket http://members.aol.com/istewjoat/homepage.html Oxford University Invariant Society, Tues 26th Nov 8.15pm Mathematical Institute, 24-29 St. Giles', Oxford (small charge for non-members)

> One of the most famous fractals is the Sierpinski gasket (or triangle), > made by repeatedly removing the central part of an equilateral triangle. > This strange object turns up in several different areas of mathematics, > from the geometry of curves to the Tower of Hanoi puzzle, and from the > markings on seashells to Pascal's triangle. The lecture will introduce > the Gasket, explain some of its many appearances, and may even prove the > odd theorem.

Integer Factorization & Distributed Computation, Paul Leyland http://research.microsoft.com/~pleyland/ Oxford University Computer Society, Weds 27th Nov 8.30pm http://www.ox.compsoc.net/events/termcards/current/ (small charge for non-members)

Richard Stallman at the LSE, Mon 2nd/Tues 3rd Dec. (Free; must register) > Seminar Announcement > > As part of the new ESRC Transdisciplinary Research Seminar Series 'ICTs in > the Contemporary World: Work, Management and Culture' The Department of > Information Systems will host 2 seminars given by Richard Stallman founder > of the gnu project > > 2nd & 3rd December 2002 > > Monday 2nd December, 16:30 to 18:30 > Hong Kong Theatre (D1) > > COPYRIGHT VS COMMUNITY Copyright developed in the age of the printing > press, and was designed to fit with the system of centralized copying > imposed by the printing press. But the copyright system does not fit well > with computer networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it. > > The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for > draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while > suppressing public access to technology. But if we seriously hope to serve > the only legitimate purpose of copyright - to promote progress for the > benefit of the public - then we must make changes in the other direction. > > Tuesday 3rd December 2002, 18:30 to 20:30 > Hong Kong Theatre (D1) > > AGAINST SOFTWARE PATENTS Richard Stallman will explain how software > patents obstruct software development. Software patents are patents that > cover software ideas. They restrict the development of software, so that > every design decision brings a risk of being sued. Patents in other fields > restrict factories, but software patents restrict every computer used. > Economic research shows that they even retard progress. > > Attendance is free. > To register for one or both of the seminars please contact: > Ms Emma Peel, Research Co-ordinator > Department of Information Systems > London School of Economics > Houghton Street > London WC2A 2AE > > Tel: +44 (0) 207 955 6398 / Fax: +44 (0) 207 955 7385 > Email: e.s.peel@lse.ac.uk

Lots of cutting-and-pasting here, but please email me if you find this sort of list useful and would like me to compile it more often.

Alasdair