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Read and share online: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/the-campaigns-team-and-the-community-work-together-for-free-software
Dear Free Software Supporter,
Campaigning for software freedom isn't an easy task. Each and
every day, the tech press has headlines about some product a
multinational conglomerate is trying to get us to buy, while at
the same time trying to tempt us to hand over our freedom in exchange
for flashy features and convenience. All too often, we ourselves are
the products. This is because nonfree software, when we don't refuse
it, can send our data to its developers. Meanwhile, Internet
platforms sell information about our habits to the highest bidder. In
response to this, the campaigns team's message is a consistent one:
all computer users deserve the right to freely study, share, and
modify the software that they use in their daily lives. This hasn't
changed in our long history, and it isn't going to change.
Luckily, we're not alone in the fight for user freedom. We're
continually inspired by the work of free software contributors or
groups of contributors that dedicate their time and energy to
developing software that supports rather than attacks our
freedom. Today, we're sharing Working Together profiles of just
three of these individuals. While their voices may be those of just a
small fraction of the community, we hope their outstanding dedication
to the free software movement will inspire you. We hope that you'll
share them with others, too, under the #WorkingTogether hashtag.
Our first profile follows two developers from the Free
Software Award-winning GNU Jami project, a free as in
freedom solution for private videoconferencing. Adrien and Sébastien
from the project tell us about their reasons for writing free
software, what motivates their work on GNU Jami, and why all
software should be free. Next, we hear from fellow Free Software Award winner
Protesilaos Stavrou on what motivates his work on GNU Emacs. In
addition to his prolific writing and recorded introductory GNU Emacs
materials, Prot is the developer of the Denote and Logos packages,
as well as the Modus and Ef color themes. As Prot is a relative
newcomer to free software development and the free software
movement, his work shows how much a dedicated beginner can learn and
accomplish in a short amount of time. We round out this update to the Working Together profiles
with an interview of Ali Miracle, a developer with the Uruk
project. In the interview, you'll learn about Ali's unique
introduction to free software, and how he's using his background to
help others learn about software freedom.
As you may have read in our fundraiser extension email, we were
unable to meet the first ambitious goal we set for ourselves during
this season's associate member drive. We rely on your support to fuel
our campaigning for free software across our many different
campaigns, both newer efforts like Fight to Repair and the
Freedom Ladder as well as our older campaigns like Defective by
Design. This said, the surge in new members during the extension,
which ends Friday, July 28 has been encouraging, and is precisely the
momentum we need to keep offering such campaigns.
Can you join as an FSF associate member to help us support FSF
campaigns, GNU, our technical work, and the Licensing and Compliance
Lab? The associate member program started in November of 2002
to maintain the core work of the free software movement, independent
from major individual or corporate donors. The FSF wanted to be
sustained by the community we serve. As of today, associate membership
dues and individual donations make up most of the FSF's operational
costs. Without members we would not be able to carry out the
important work the FSF does for the free software movement.
The associate membership program keeps us working, and the FSF
campaigns team is nonstop working for the free software
community. Together with your help, we can strive towards a world
where computer user freedom is universal. You can start an FSF
associate membership for as little as $10 per month ($5 for students),
or $120 per year.
You'll be able to enjoy all the associate member benefits, which
include merchandise discounts, a 16GB bootable membership card, and
use of our associate member videoconferencing server. When you join as an annual
associate member at $120 or more, you'll also be eligible for this
year's sustainable and stylish, genuine wood GNU head sticker.
Thank you for following our efforts as we work for computer user
freedom. We're a small team up against much larger and much
better-funded groups, but we have the dedication that we need to
succeed. While this year has been a challenge for the FSF, we're
determined to, by working together with you, keep fighting the good
fight.
In freedom,
Greg Farough
Campaigns Manager
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