[okfn-help] free software for teleconferencing, etc.

Mon Jul 11 09:10:59 UTC 2011

Thank you very much for your input Richard! It is much appreciated.

Asterisk sounds like an attractive option.

All: is it technically possible/feasible to enable people to dial into
this using an ordinary phone call? How robust is it? Do we know anyone
else who runs this kind of setup, so we can ask them about projected
costs (e.g. hardware requirements, maintenance, etc.)?

J.

On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 8:54 PM, Richard Stallman <rms at gnu.org> wrote:
>    I guess we're aware of Asterisk (and Freeswitch) and those are not so
>    hard, the concerns have more to do with client software. SIP clients
>    tend to suffer NAT traversal problems unless all the network equipment
>    on the call path is reasonably well behaved. IAX2 is better in this
>    respect but is not so widely implemented because it isn't an
>    IETF-blessed standard.
>
> If they don't have a will to get the job done, even a little obstacle
> can defeat them.  You need to insist.
>
> Is there a way you can call in with an ordinary phone call?
>
>    Does the FSF have any experience with or recommendations about client
>    software for these kinds of users?
>
> I doubt we ever do this, but I can ask.
>
> Maybe they can set up Asterisk and gateway it to whatever else
> they are using.  Then you, at least, can call Asterisk instead.
>
> You could also subsequently help those other users switch to Asterisk
> at their own pace.
>
> --
> Dr Richard Stallman
> President, Free Software Foundation
> 51 Franklin St
> Boston MA 02110
> USA
> www.fsf.org  www.gnu.org
> Skype: No way! That's nonfree (freedom-denying) software.
>  Use free telephony http://directory.fsf.org/category/tel/
>
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>

-- 
Jonathan Gray

Community Coordinator
The Open Knowledge Foundation
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