More information on the UKUUG can be found at http://www.ukuug.org/

Dear Matthew,

I write in support of the BBC Creative Archive, and the significant scope that a successful archive has to enhance technological skills in the UK.

With any project encouraging use of a new technology, the most difficult part is having some compelling content that makes it worth learning to use the new tool. The World Wide Web made it worth learning how to use a web browser. Email made it worthwhile learning how to use a mail client. The invention of the spreadsheet or "desktop publishing" gave businesses a reason to buy the computer. They could then go on to learn how to use it. Skills required for the one were built on earlier skills.

The BBC Creative Archive offers scope for a vast array of compelling content to be made available for non-commercial use by license fee payers for minimal cost. This is a huge opportunity for novel reuse of skills and content in ways we can not currently forsee.

The use of free and open formats for this content will allow anyone to modify it and create new, derivative works both now an into the long term future - anyone with the skills can write a program to read and write the files, even if the software used to originally create the file is long abandoned or superseeded.

A wide user community will encourage and provide a good market for better tools; both commercial and otherwise, driven by the needs of the most adventureous users working with content in ways we can not envisage. Some of these tools will be free, others commercial; but maximising the flexiblity and potential for reuse is only possible if the content is freely accessible, without the barrier of having to use particular software.

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With this barrier to entry of manipulating film significantly reduced, the "digital divide" which currently exists in some areas will go away as high quality, relevant content becomes available to all across a wide range of areas. It will no longer be necessary to obtain, transport and use an expensive camera to obtain footage. Of course, this will continue, and the archive can not replace creation of new material, but it will mean that the lowest step of the editing skills ladder becomes much easier to reach; the rewards closer and more satisfying for those starting out.

We look forward to a free and open creative archive with minimal limits imposed by technology on how the content may be reinterpreted and reused. It will be an incredible resource available that can be used many different groups who would otherwise not have access to such potential.

Yours,

• Sam Smith, Council Member, UK Unix Users Group*\footnote{* denotes a signature on behalf of the organisation.} \\ Alain Williams, Council Member, UK Unix Users Group* \\ James Youngman, Council Member, UK Unix Users Group* \\ Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media* \\ Niall Mansfield, UIT Cambridge* \\ Mick Farmer, Birbeck College \\ Phil Gyford

About the signatories:

The UK Unix Users' Group is a non-profit organization and technical forum for the advocacy of open systems, the promotion of free and open-source software, and the advancement of open programming standards and networking protocols.

Tim O'Reilly is the founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media, thought by many to be the best computer book publisher in the world. O'Reilly also publishes the O'Reilly Network and hosts conferences on technology topics. Tim is an activist for open source and open standards.

Niall Mansfield is Technical Director of UIT Cambridge, which specializes in Internet security and networking.

Mick Farmer is a Lecturer and Programme Director of the Diploma in E-Commerce at Birbeck College in London.

Phil Gyford is the person behind the weblog of Samuel Pepys' diary (www.PepysDiary.com) and spends time on other community projects such as TheyWorkForYou.com.