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Dear Free Software Supporter,

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) tech team is the four-person
cornerstone of the primary infrastructure of the FSF and the GNU
Project, providing the backbone for hundreds of free software
projects, and they epitomize the hard work, creativity, and can-do
attitude that characterize the free software movement. They’re pretty
modest about it, but I think they deserve some serious credit: it’s
only because of their everyday efforts (with the help of volunteers
all over the world) that the FSF can boast that we can host our own
services entirely on free software, and help other people to become
freer every day. It’s also largely to their credit that the FSF staff
were able to shift to mostly remote work this spring with barely a
blip in our operations.

You can [read a summary][1] of their work over
the last six months in [the most recent issue][2] of the *Free
Software Foundation Bulletin*, but I wanted to give you a few highlights:

[1]: [link removed]
[2]: [link removed]

* This March, the novel coronavirus swept in and caused the shutdown
of nearly all in-person activities at the most inopportune time in
the FSF’s yearly schedule: the week of the [2020 LibrePlanet
conference][3]. After deep discussion, [the decision was made][4] to
take LibrePlanet online-only on Monday, March 9th; the conference
was due to begin on Saturday, March 14th. You can see all of the
details of how the conference ultimately ran [on our blog][5], and
you can watch the session videos [on our GNU MediaGoblin
page][6]. However, the thing that I want to emphasize here is that
the tech team successfully ran an entire conference online, which
they had never done before, and made it all run smoothly *with only
five days to prepare*, and every piece of software used was free
software. Like I said, they’re modest.

[3]: [link removed]
[4]: [link removed]
[5]: [link removed]
[6]: [link removed]

* Next, the tech team set about addressing how proprietary remote
communication tools used for [staying in touch][7] and for
[education][8] are becoming a dangerous fact of everyday
life. Having used [Jitsi Meet][9] as one part of the livestreaming
process for LibrePlanet, they created a [Jitsi Meet
instance][10] that FSF associate members can use for work and
play. They can invite anyone to connect with them in a
[freedom-respecting video chat room][11]. Not only does [this
instance][12] enable you to chat with the people you care about
without the abuses of proprietary software, but it also makes it
easier than ever to demonstrate the advantages of free software to
everyone you know!

[7]: [link removed]
[8]: [link removed]
[9]: [link removed]
[10]: [link removed]
[11]: [link removed]
[12]: [link removed]

* Finally, we’re so proud that FSF Web developer Michael McMahon
spearheaded the [HACKERS and HOSPITALS project][13] on the
LibrePlanet wiki, enabling the hacker community to share resources
and connect with activists who have been manufacturing an astounding
variety of desperately-needed medical and protective equipment. Only
free software gives hackers and makers the complete flexibility and
freedom they need (and deserve!) in order to meet immediate needs,
and Michael and many others have risen to the occasion
admirably. You can [read a dedicated article on HACKERS and
HOSPITALS][14] in the new issue of the [*Free Software Foundation
Bulletin*][15].

[13]: [link removed]
[14]: [link removed]
[15]: [link removed]


If you’re finding these accomplishments as exciting as we do, we hope
you’re now motivated to chip in by [becoming an associate member of
the FSF][19]! At this writing, we are only 13 members away from our
goal of 200. The farther we surpass this goal, the more our tech team
can achieve!

The value of a membership goes far beyond the dollars and cents needed
to help us weather the challenges of this year: a membership is a vote
of confidence that helps us launch new initiatives and puts weight
behind our campaigns, licensing, and technical work. Plus, membership
comes with plenty of [benefits][20], including merchandise discounts,
a bootable membership card, and the newest member perk: access to our
Jitsi Meet videoconferencing server.
[19]: [link removed]
[20]: [link removed]



We don’t know what the future will bring in many ways, but we know
that we can count on the ingenuity and hard work of the FSF tech team
-- and so can you. Thank you so much for supporting their efforts!

Happy and healthy hacking,

Dana Morgenstein
Outreach and Communications Coordinator

--
* Follow us on Mastodon at <[link removed]>, GNU social at
<[link removed]>, Diaspora at <[link removed]>,
and on Twitter at <[link removed]>.
* Read about why we use Twitter, but only with caveats at <[link removed]>.
* Subscribe to our RSS feeds at <[link removed]>.
* Join us as an associate member at <[link removed]>.
* Read our Privacy Policy at <[link removed]>.

Sent from the Free Software Foundation,

51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335
United States


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