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Read and share online: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/gnu-press/fsf-35-years-limited-edition-t-shirt-and-poster-for-sale

Dear Free Software Supporter,

For the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) thirty-fifth birthday, we collaborated with free culture illustrator David Revoy to create a marvelous design, and we think you'll like the results.

Behold the FSF thirty-fifth anniversary graphic:

It's wonderful, but what is it? The undersea architecture of the future, of course! We looked up traditional thirty-fifth anniversary gifts, and learned that the thirty-fifth is our "coral anniversary."

This is auspicious: the more we considered coral -- particularly Scleractinia, the reef-forming "stony corals" -- the more similarities to the free software ethos became apparent. In a coral reef, countless individuals of diverse species band together and share resources to collectively create the framework for an ecosystem of dazzling diversity. The free software movement is similar, being a large group of individuals collaborating to advance human freedom and an array of related ethical goals.

A reef is home to thousands upon thousands of different species of fish, cnidarians, molluscs, crustaceans, and more, all built on the bedrock infrastructure of the coral. Sound familiar? Colonies of coral share resources by circulating food and water between individuals; they can split apart collectively or individually to go separate ways, or multiple colonies can join together in cooperation. Humans stand to learn much from coral -- lessons already embodied in the free software movement.

As we consider what we can learn from coral, it's apparent that we are responsible to give something back. Coral reef ecosystems, much like free software, are under severe threat all around the world.

Get the design on a T-shirt or poster through the shop

By becoming an FSF associate member, you will be a vital part of the free software ecosystem, one which helps continue to create a world where all software respects our freedom and dignity. Of course, as one of the benefits, you receive a 20% discount at the GNU Press Shop, which will come in handy when you are so impressed with this design, you decide that you would love it on a T-shirt or a 18 x 24" poster.

The items are available now at the GNU Press Shop. We have limited quantities, so get yours before they sell out!

Happy thirty-five years of FSF!

Matt Lavallee
Operations Assistant

Illustration Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc., by David Revoy, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.