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Dear Free Software Supporter,
*This year-end, we want you to take a moment to consider all the
different ways in which free software can help us get to a freer,
more just digital society. Our [fundraising goal is $400,000][1],
and we are just over 25% away from reaching it! The deadline is
just a day away. We need your support, and any contribution is
valuable. This is a great reason to speak to your neighbors and
loved ones about free software. We need to secure the funds to
defend the [four freedoms][2] *and* educate others about them.*
[1]: [link removed]
[2]: [link removed]
*By [donating][3] to the Free Software Foundation (FSF)
today, you help secure a free future, one in which everyone will
be able to learn in freedom and will know their rights as a
user. You can also advocate for user freedom by convincing just
one person to [join the FSF][4]. Any contribution made before
December 31 will count towards achieving our year-end goal. Below
is a message from our president, Geoffrey Knauth, reflecting on
the FSF's mission to protect software users everywhere.*
[3]: [link removed]
[4]: [link removed]
***
Public discourse in 2024 included such themes as: Will democracies
survive? Is the 21st century becoming one of dictators and oligarchs?
Does might make right? Do people care about human rights? What are
humans doing to the Earth? And each other? Are we good stewards of
all that has been given to us?
Many of us bury our heads in the sand. But it reminds me of
something I learned more than forty years ago, when I was young
and in college. At first I despaired, because I was paying too
much attention to the people who drew away the light from others,
the wealthy, the powerful, the self-obsessed, the people who
wanted to be seen. It got me down. Then halfway through, I
realized that the great majority of people around me were very
nice people, individuals from all backgrounds, quietly working
hard and doing great things. I finished college much happier than
when I started.
The world of free software is decentralized by design. It is not about
egos, domination, market capture, or subtraction and division. It is
addition and multiplication, paying it forward and doing the right
thing again and again for people so that they are empowered forever to
have computing freedom, to learn from the good and the best, and to
share creations for the benefit of others. That is what makes free
software powerful. It is you. *You* are powerful. *You* have these
rights. At the Free Software Foundation (FSF), the reason we exist is
to protect those rights and freedoms for you against any forces in
this world that would whittle them away slowly or just take them from
you outright.
We are grateful for the steady support of [associate members][4]
and contributions of [donors][3] who allow our staff to work hard
so that your computing will enjoy expanding freedom for the
benefit of all future generations, not just our own. Freedom is
not a value measured on a quarterly spreadsheet: it has an
advancing time scale measured in centuries of solid gains or
losses. A membership doesn't cost that much financially, but it
helps immensely to keep freedom moving forward!
[3]: [link removed]
[4]: [link removed]
There is a lot of work currently being done at the FSF to evaluate
current trends in machine learning, always with an eye to make sure
that your individual rights are protected and you remain in control.
Much computing is done around you that could determine how much power
you have in your own life. You, the individual, must remain in charge
of how new technologies are used. You must remain in charge of
determining whether computing that is done using details about you and
your work is permissible, advantageous or harmful. FSF partners with
sister organizations that are just as concerned about preserving your
rights as we are.
There is increased legal work being done because of all the new
developments that could become threats to your freedom. FSF works
to identify these threats to your rights and to protect your
freedoms. I thank those who have assigned free software copyright
to the FSF and for trusting us to keep the software you create
free.
In 2024, we have made good progress. We have added three new
board members this year, and are reviewing existing board
members, with the goal being good and responsible governance of
the FSF that safeguards its values. Soon, we'll be publishing
an article on anchoring our values that will elaborate further on this.
The staff has done a lot of work on the free software directory. We
have more than 17,000 packages, and with more volunteers and
submissions we hope to index all free software.
This year will be the fortieth anniversary of the FSF. Be on the lookout
for an auction coming up, a global member meetup in May, and an
in-person celebration in October.
The bulk of my praise is for **you**, the people who create free
software or documentation, or who promote and support free
software in ways big and small. Most of you are unsung heroes,
but without you we would be nothing. We are here together because
of you and the vastness of your collective contributions. Thank
you!
I also want to thank the FSF staff for their tireless work, and
thank the board for its time commitment to worthwhile discussions
of the issues that shape our present and our future.
How do we deal with the world around us? Be of good cheer. "Don't let
the turkeys get you down," as they say. Remember who you are. Do you
remember *The Wizard of Oz*? "Pay no attention to that man behind the
curtain!" said Oz as he tried to distract Dorothy, who had figured out
what was really going on. In a similar vein, I hope in the new year,
instead of being absorbed into anyone's attempt to rewrite your daily
life, you can cheerfully stand where you want to be, write your own
script, look around you, and draw strength from the people around you
who share your values and will help you stay free and freethinking.
Be well and be free,
Geoff Knauth
President
--
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