Fireworks are bright, but not as bright as freedom
Now that 2024 is coming to an end, many people are looking forward and thinking about
what they want their 2025 to look like. This thought process looks
different for everyone, from more general hopes for the New Year to
highly specific goals for each month. For others, they say: "just leave me alone
with this whole nonsense. It's still 2024, after all!" When I think
about how I want to live my life next year, living in freedom is often
at the front of my mind. Why not join me in adding a few computer user
freedom resolutions to your vision board for next year? The sky is the
limit with software freedom, but here are a few New Year's resolutions
and tips to get started.
In 2025, I want to:
Replace one proprietary program I use on a regular basis with free
software. I recommend having a look at our Freedom Ladder
campaign for examples of libre programs that are easy to adopt.
Switch to a federated social media platform that respects my
freedom, such as Mastodon.
Improve my mobile phone freedom. I will use a free repository like
F-Droid for installing new apps, and will replace at least one
of the proprietary apps I use on my phone. On the LibrePlanet
wiki, you can find suggestions for mobile phone apps that respect
your freedom and are easily adopted.
Encrypt my emails. You can start by learning how to use encryption
with our Email Self-Defense Guide.
Stop using a nonfree wireless card. Have a look at the FSF's
Ethical Tech Giving Guide to find a free replacement.
Of course, these are just suggestions, and it doesn't matter how big
or small the goals you set yourself are! You also don't have to wait
until the beginning of a new year to live a little freer or help
others live in freedom. If you don't want to have any resolutions at
all, or you've already accomplished as much as you can on an
individual level when it comes to user freedom (fabulous!), that's
just as good. Only you know what works for you.
Share your New Year's resolution(s) on social media using the
hashtags #newyear and #freesoftware. Knowing that others know about
your goals will help you to stick to them, and it could also encourage
others to take their first steps towards living more freely.
