We wouldn't have free software without a strong and dedicated community of developers, maintainers, advocates, and users.
February 14 is a day to proclaim your love to those around you,
including the people who make free software possible. I Love Free
Software Day, the same day as Valentine's Day, was started by the
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) in 2013. It was launched as a
special day to tell everyone maintaining and contributing to free
software, including people advocating for it, "thank you." The free
software movement wouldn't be anywhere near the size it is today
without the massive community of individuals and organizations
building a world where everyone can use, share, study, and
improve the technology we all use.
In the 2020s, with tens of thousands of free software programs to
choose from, it can be really easy to take for granted all the
programs that can be used in freedom. It hasn't always been this way,
as archivists and long-term advocates know. While most of us can name
a few large free software projects, many of us don't think or talk
very often about the people behind the scenes on our favorite free
software projects, nor the countless hours they invest into making a
particular program reality. For the twelfth annual I Love Free
Software Day, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) is joining the FSFE
in paying special attention to "hidden projects."
We hope your relationship with free software lasts forever!
Every day is a great day to shine a spotlight on less popular free
software projects. This Friday, we suggest talking about and
appreciating those free software projects that operate a little more
quietly than more famous projects. These hidden projects, the ones
that make a lot of what we use every day possible, deserve a little
extra love this I Love Free Software Day. We have a few ideas for how
you can celebrate free software projects big and small.
Use free software to:
❤️ Make a video with free software talking about why you love
free software.
❤️ Create a social media image with the sharepic template
created by the FSFE proclaiming why you love a particular project or
just free software in general.
❤️ Make a free software themed Valentines Day card (using free
software), either for a loved one or a project that deserves
special attention.
❤️ Try a free software program that you've been curious about.
❤️ Teach yourself something new. There are lots of helpful videos and
written tutorials on how to do a wide variety of things with free
software, including the basics of command line or how to make a
song.
Study the software you use by:
❤️ Reflecting on which project(s) you used over the past year. What
did you enjoy about your experience?
❤️ Examining how a program you use frequently actually works.
❤️ Comparing free software programs to each other, noticing their
differences and similarities, and why one of them works better for
your needs.
Share how much you care by:
❤️ Reaching out to a project that you really appreciate, and telling
them why you love the program.
❤️ Sharing something you made with free software, like a video,
social media image, or Valentine's Day card (printed or
digital). If sharing on social media, please tag #ilovefs.
❤️ Telling someone else about your favorite project, and maybe even
showing them the basics of using it. For some ideas on which programs
to show someone, check out the Freedom Ladder.
Improve free software by:
❤️ Donating to a free software project (it doesn't have to be a lot of
money - it could just be the cost of a drink from your favorite
cafe).
❤️ Helping with a translation if you know more than one
language
Special thanks!
Thank you to everyone who develops and maintains free software. The
tools to create the greeting card, the video, let alone our website,
would not be possible without dedicated and community-oriented
developers, and their willingness to share their work with others. We
can't thank them often enough.
Thank you to the FSFE for starting I Love Free Software Day and
designing the sharepic SVG.
Finally, thank you for being part of the free software community.
Software freedom relies on individual people using the four freedoms
and advocating for greater user freedom. We can celebrate I Love Free
Software Day because of all the activists who have worked hard to make
sure that we still have software freedom. Thank you for helping
protect user freedom.
While user freedom is still very much under attack worldwide, it's
important that we take time to recognize how far we've come and get
energized about the work we have ahead. We need to remain persistent
in defending our right to software freedom, but to do so, we also need
to remain grounded in why it's a cause worth fighting for. Let's have
a little fun and celebrate why we love free software!
Here's to building a freer future together!
Eko K. A. Owen
Outreach & Communications Coordinator
