What is the Freely Project?
The Freely Project was setup for the advocacy and encouragement of Open Source Software (OSS) and Linux usage within churches and Christian organisations. Members of the project have a range of technical abilities and denominations. The Project does not have a statement of faith, nor does it require members to be of the Christian faith in order to participate, on the understanding that the Project is specifically for Christian organisations, and thus most members will likely either be connected with the Christian community, or the Linux/OSS community.
Why was the Project setup?
The Freely Project was setup following the realisation that churches could benefit greatly from using OSS and Linux, and the belief that there are sound ethical and philosophical reasons why this should happen. However, it was recognised that many churches were unaware or unable to take advantage of these benefits, and that a coordination of resources would be advantageous.
What does the Project do?
We hope that, over time, the project will:
- Provide free consultancy on the use of OSS and Linux within churches and Christian charities
- Coordinate with Linux users and local Linux User Groups (LUGS) to provide installation services for churches and Christian organisations
- Encourage the use of OSS and Linux to churches - recognising that OSS for Windows may provide an initial step for the majority of churches
- Raise awareness of the ethical/philosophical reasons behind Linux and OSS, and also the issue of piracy and/or licensing issues
- Encourage and be actively involved in the development of open source applications specifically designed for churches