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Dear Free Software Supporter,
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I hope this mail finds you and your family well during these
difficult times. Normally, I spend a lot of time on the road, getting
to hear firsthand how people in the free software community are doing,
and learning about their lives, challenges, and ideas. I have been
missing that! I think everyone has faced some adversity, but not all
equally. I can only hope your burden has not been too heavy.
It has, however, been remarkable to see examples of how people
have stepped up to help each other and their communities. If
you are in a position to help others, please consider free
software in your giving plans. It is incredibly important
during this time.
The nonprofit sector in our home state is reporting $8.6 billion in
losses so far. Fortunately, your support and the Free Software
Foundation's (FSF) responsible, top-rated financial management
have enabled us to weather the storm. But we can't just tread water
right now. We need to expand all areas of our work -- advocacy, legal,
and technical -- to show that software can be used to make us safer,
and to keep us connected, without sacrificing our freedoms. With
your support, we've already demonstrated what free software in action
can do:
We showed the world how to quickly turn an in-person gathering
-- like LibrePlanet, a conference with over thirty talks --
into a fully online event using only free software, all the way
down through the boot firmware on the streaming servers.
We launched a videoconferencing service for FSF associate members at
jitsi.member.fsf.org, powered by free software from the
JavaScript to the metal (which we own ourselves), backed by the
FSF's commitment to your privacy. It's been described by
members as "a fantastic service," "reliable," and "high
quality."
We worked with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor
and FSF board member Gerald Sussman to prove that top-notch
classes for over twenty students can be taught remotely without
Zoom, using BigBlueButton.
The community around our Hackers and Hospitals project
built a list of 85 freely licensed designs for protective
equipment and other pandemic supplies, inspiring and enabling
3D printer owners -- including the FSF -- to help with
production.
We have shared and will continue to share our expertise in these areas
with others. I'm so proud of our staff and the free software community
for pulling off such timely accomplishments, while still campaigning
against Digital Restrictions Management and software patents,
enforcing the GNU General Public License to keep code free, and
providing free software development infrastructure used by thousands
worldwide.
We all appreciate you, because it's the support of individuals
like you that has made this work so impactful. Can you take the
next step by joining as an associate member? You can start
for as little as $10 per month ($5 for students), or $120 per
year. Your vote of confidence will help us achieve our summer
goal of 200 new members. Plus, you'll be able to enjoy all the
member benefits, which include merchandise discounts, a
bootable membership card, and use of the videoconferencing
server.
The dire need for free software awareness due to the pandemic-driven
increase in reliance on technology won't end when the novel
coronavirus is finally under control. The momentum of this experience
will drive more changes to social patterns and practices going
forward. Our voice defending your freedom needs to be loud, to stop
this software-driven train from going off the rails.
Thank you for standing with us, and for your own leadership in
advocating for the necessity of free software at a time when the value
of freedom is being questioned. Those of us who cherish freedom and
understand how technology can take it away must stand up together for
what's right. We know that putting free software into action works --
now we just need to do it on a much larger scale, and not stop until
it is the standard everywhere.
Yours in freedom,
John Sullivan
Executive Director
P.S. Please speak up for freedom by using the hashtag
#UserFreedom on your favorite microblogging
service, and pledge your support for the free software movement
today. See fsf.org/share for how to follow the FSF on various
networks.
