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Dear Free Software Supporter,

This first half of 2022 has been a time where change was a recurring theme here at the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The free software movement grows in size and number every day, and there are as many reasons for using free software as there are free software users. Yet despite the latest developments in AI, proprietary operating systems, and recent opposition to user freedom causes like the right to repair, the right a user has to control their own computing is fundamental and unchanging.

It can be difficult to explain we are not fighting for some complex dream that serves only a few people who understand enough of technology to be able to circumvent the pervasive use of proprietary software in today's society, but instead make people understand that user freedom is actually well within our reach. It matters in all our lives, right now, and all it really takes is a change in mindset, and together with our small but dedicated team of staff I will do what I can to bring people to fight for our cause.

The upcoming Spring 2022 edition of the biannual Free Software Foundation Bulletin will be posted online soon, and is now making its way by snail mail to all our associate members and current donors. It shows us some of the many scenarios in which free software is a must-have conversation when we speak of issues of global importance such as government, education, and environmentally conscious behavior.

• Governments have a responsibility to citizens to be transparent, and people everywhere have the right to have access to, and to question, the software that is used in decisions that affect their lives. If they don't, it can have catastrophic consequences;

• Students have the right to receive an education without being forced into "consenting" to data collection on their person or their behavior. And in today's technology-pervasive society, we should be teaching them about the concepts of software and how to meaningfully contribute, instead of pushing them through the predetermined and limited motions of use-only proprietary software programs; and

• If we truly want to facilitate environmentally conscious behavior, we need regulations that allow people the freedom to use their software-powered devices as long as possible. That means giving them the right to repair, yes. But that includes first and foremost giving them the right to use, modify, copy, and share the software running on their devices.

It's a testament to the success of the free software movement that the number of free software developers is increasing every day. 99% of the world's software has at least some free software in it. In the last year, the FSF has processed more than 180 new copyright assignments to programs in the GNU operating system. We've also been continuing our work alerting people to the dangers of proprietary JavaScript on the Web through our JShelter browser extension, which limits the potentially harmful effects of JavaScript running on your machine. This extension is now being used by more than 3,000 users around the world on the Chrome browser alone. We hope to lead more people to free software and to this end, we continue to talk about free software to everyone who will listen. We will continue to develop educational resources in both our licensing and campaigns area, and we will defend copyleft.

I am personally convinced that change is a phenomenon you don't see, until it is unavoidable. It is forged by individuals like you, who find themselves somewhere on the "freedom ladder" willing to make even minor adjustments to do what is right. The FSF's latest campaign by the same name helps motivate exactly this. Dozens of individuals have collaborated with us to share their experiences in coming to the movement. And with your support, we continue to drive this change toward free software.

Can you join this effort as an FSF associate member? You can start for as little as $10 per month ($5 for students), or $120 per year. With your support we can continue to show people how free software can help drive major change. Besides that, your membership gives strength to the idea of free software. Standing up for, and sharing your reason to believe in, free software can help inspire others just like you.

The more members we can count, the better we can defend everyone's freedoms in matters of global importance. Plus, your membership will count towards achieving our spring goal of $67,000. You'll also be able to enjoy all the member benefits, which include merchandise discounts, a 16GB bootable membership card, and use of our associate member videoconferencing server. For a membership at the $120 level, we'll send you a commemorative pin.

Your support will also be valuable in our upcoming new board member nomination process. We ask for our community's engagement both in recruiting new potential board members, as well as in the discussion part of the process. We're looking to build a strong and lasting governance structure, and your ideas on our ongoing governance work are highly valued.

The FSF will continue to work to bring more and more people to their own reasons for using free software. Our thirty-seven years of strong, level-headed advocacy will be our guide in that mission. We hope that you'll join us in working for freedom. We cannot do it without your support.

Yours in freedom,

Zoë Kooyman
Executive Director

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