*Please consider adding <
[email protected]> to your address book, which
will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box.*
*Read and share online:
<[link removed]>*
Dear Free Software Supporter,
For many centuries around the world, winter has been a time for
telling cautionary tales of the world's cruelty and the consequences
of bad behavior. While the existence of such dangerous figures as the
[Yule Cat][1] and [wendigo][2] can be left by the fireplace, the
horrors of proprietary software remain in the real world long after
you and your loved ones have put out the Yule Log. In the
[ShoeTool][3] story, an elf named Wendell buys a machine to help him
make shoes, only to quickly discover that the machine's proprietor
heavily restricts what kind of shoes Wendell can make with the machine
he just bought.
[1]: [link removed]
[2]: [link removed]
[3]: [link removed]
The story of Wendell the Elf is the same story millions of software
users worldwide experience in their daily lives. Maybe they don't want
to make shoes, but they do want to buy an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch
and find out that [Apple controls what apps can be installed on their
device][4] or they buy an Amazon Kindle e-book reader only to find out
that [Amazon makes it impossible for them to read e-books that aren't
purchased through Amazon][5]. These restrictions limit real-world user
freedom, creativity, and opportunity, just like Wendell the Elf
experienced with his shoe-making machine.
[4]: [link removed]
[5]: [link removed]
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) believes that everyone deserves
full control over their devices, and that no one should be able to
tell you how to do your computing, how to play games, watch videos,
listen to music, or be creative on your machines! No matter what
software you're using or for what purpose, it should respect your
freedom. We hope this video helps you explain the importance of free
software to your friends and family this holiday season.
You can use the short URL <[link removed]> to share the
ShoeTool video on [social media][6] and combine it with the
[#ShoeTool][7] hashtag and some of these **[ShoeTool images][8]**.
We have subtitles of the video in Arabic, Basque, Dutch, Esperanto,
French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian,
Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, and Ukrainian so you can share the video with
friends and family members who don't speak English as well. You can
also embed the video on your website or blog with this code:
[6]: [link removed]
[7]: [link removed]
[8]: [link removed]
<code>
<video style="width: 100%; max-width: 640px;" controls="controls" poster="[link removed]" crossorigin="anonymous"><source src="[link removed]" type="video/webm" /><source src="[link removed]" type="video/ogg"/><source src="[link removed]" type="video/mp4" /><track kind="subtitles" label="English" srclang="en" src="[link removed]" default="default" /></video>
</code>
And, of course, you can adapt the video as you wish after
[downloading the source files][9]. Don't forget to like the video on
[Peertube's FSF channel][10].
[9]: [link removed]
[10]: [link removed]
The FSF is currently having its [year-end fundraiser][11]. [Donate][12]
to help us reach our [fundraising goal][11] of USD$ 400,000!
[11]: [link removed]
[12]: [link removed]
We hope you enjoy hearing this scary winter story and share it with others! Got inspired by the video and came up with your own free software fairy tale? Email it to us at <
[email protected]> or share it on social media with the hashtag #FreeSoftwareTales.
Happy holidays from the Free Software Foundation!
Sincerely,
Andrew, Craig, Dawn, Eko, Greg, Heshan, Ian, Jeanne, Krzysztof, Michael, and Zoë
--
Interested in helping us expand our reach?
* Follow us on Mastodon at <[link removed]> and PeerTube at <[link removed]>, showing your support for federated social networks.
* Get active on the LibrePlanet wiki: <[link removed]>.
* Share on your blog or [social network]([link removed]) that you support us, and why you do so.
* Subscribe to our RSS feeds: <[link removed]>.
* Join us as an associate member: <[link removed]>; and display your membership button (<[link removed]>) on your website.
Read our Privacy Policy: <[link removed]>.
Sent from the Free Software Foundation,
31 Milk Street
# 960789
Boston, Massachusetts 02196
United States
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list by visiting
[link removed].
To stop all email from the Free Software Foundation, including Defective by Design,
and the Free Software Supporter newsletter, visit
[link removed].
