Bonum Certa Men Certa

FSFE behavior standards

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Apr 04, 2024

[Article 5 years old]

Reprinted with permission from the Free Software Fellowship.

A number of extraordinarily defamatory emails have been circulated in the free software community recently. One plots to control the behavior of a representative democratically elected by the FSFE community by coordinating (colluding? conspiring?) with other free software communities. Is it appropriate that two organizations simultaneously threaten a developer who volunteered for and was elected as a community representative?

What, then, is the standard of behavior expected in FSFEland?

Put your clients first

Most people come to FSFE through the fellowship, volunteering and events. If you look closely at the FSFE web site you'll find a small link at the bottom for the Legal Network. Many of the volunteers are oblivious to it. FSFE's largest annual event is the Legal and Licensing Workshop (LLW), with a six figure budget. A significant amount of staff time is spent supporting the Legal Network and LLW.

At LLW 2018, one FSFE member's client submitted a speech proposal and it was rejected. The member in question lobbied to have this decision overturned. Using various other people in the organization, they succeeded in getting their client on the agenda and were subsequently found out. An incestuous web of business connections was exposed [beware: confidential email, names redacted].

It is amusing that the email concludes "what we ended up is a potential conflict of interest", a huge understatement given the predatory behavior described.

In 2017, the fellowship representative had proposed a motion at the annual general meeting calling for an update of the conflict of interest policy. The policy was never updated, other members fought tooth and nail to remove him in 2018. Now we know why. As the only one without a conflict-of-interest, he just didn't fit.

FSFE is effectively two organizations in one: the Legal Network and the fellowship/volunteer base. Those in the former benefit from the work of the volunteers yet the fellows/volunteers are not able to join the Legal Network and participate in their discussions.

Decrypting Cryptie

A close look at the FSFE General Assembly reveals at least one member, Cryptie, not using their real name.

In fact, Cryptie has been implicated in multiple incidents of bullying against volunteers, including this attack:

You didn't stayed at the booth enough at Fosdem, never showed up at the booth at the RMLL and never joined at the FSFE community events in the evening at neither of the conferences.

When FSFE censored the fellowship representative in September 2018, anybody speaking up in support of the representative was branded a sock puppet or troll. Why, then, is Cryptie free to hide her identity?

As it turns out, Cryptie's real name or real identity (Amandine L.) probably doesn't matter as much as the fact that she works for an agency of the French state. Is it right that a Government employee can be a fly on the wall when FSFE is undertaking legal action against the French state? Is it right that in FSFE's obfuscated legal structure, somebody not using their real name can have privileges over those who do, bullying and even threatening them?

Using the name of another organization to get into events

When FSFE was founded, they entered into a sister agreement with the FSF. The written agreement hasn't been published on FSFE's transparency page.

As it turns out, a senior member of FSFE's council admitted that FSFE has abandoned that deal long ago [email, names redacted]. Yet they continue using the name because it attracts donations and helps them get booths and speaking slots at events. Does a community representative have a responsibility to report something so significant to the donors he represents?

Renting out volunteers who are oblivious to the deal

In 2017, FSFE studied an opportunity to accept paid work from other organizations and slip it into the workflow of volunteer translators. FSFE would net EUR 75 per page for the effort of volunteers. Eventually the plan was rejected on the basis that the volunteers were already too busy. Is this the type of deal that a community representative should be there to stop?

FSFE renting out volunteers

Define behavior

This is all just the tip of the iceberg.

Are the defamatory accusations about the behavior of the fellowship representative simply conjured up to disguise the bad behavior of others?

Other Recent Techrights' Posts

Jurgen Gaeremyn on Software Freedom Day
"today the event is more important than ever in the movement to further Software Freedom."
 
Techrights Thanks Readers for the Support
People sacrifice a lot to inform and emancipate other people
About Half of Web Requests in Republic Of Korea Come From Android, It Used to be Over 99% Windows (2010)
The important thing is the trend
Matt Campbell's LibrePlanet Talk on AccessKit (Making Free/Libre Software Accessible to Disabled People)
"This talk will cover what we've accomplished so far, what's next, and how the community can help."
It's Time to Say Goodbye to Microsoft and Bill Gates
Nobody elected Bill Gates and why would Sunak wish to associate with an enabler of Jeffrey Epstein?
Adam Monsen on Steadfast Self-hosting
"Both the book and talk are about self-hosting free software, were created with free software, and are free software themselves."
Tomorrow It's British (UK) General Election, Cybershow Has a New Episode Exploring the Tech Angle
There are about 4 people involved in this episode
GNU/Linux and ChromeOS Rising in Zambia, Android Rises Above 72%, and Windows Down to Only 7%
Windows is down, Android is surging, and even GNU/Linux is doing reasonable well
Free Software Foundation (FSF) on Track to Meet Fundraising Goal
There are over 17 left
Links 02/07/2024: Summer Plans, Unit of Selection, and Debian
Links for the day
In Northern Mariana Islands (and Saipan) Android Replaces Microsoft Windows as Dominant Platform
Android finally exceeded Windows in terms of market share in Northern Mariana Islands
It's Julian Assange's Birthday, His Fundraiser Still 30,000 Pounds Short
20 days are left and it's one way to give a "birthday gift"
Luc Zimmerman (Geneva city council, Le Centre political party) advised Software Freedom Institute on trademark registration
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
This Month Colombia Has Exceeded the 4% Milestone for GNU/Linux
Colombia is more than twice the size of France
Even the News/Articles About Debian Are Slop and Spam Now
linuxsecurity.com is trying to destroy Linux news on the Web for SEO purposes (selling its proprietary junk)
Windows Measured at 1.6% in Central African Republic This Month
If we're meant to think Microsoft is worth "trillion of dollars", what is that valuation based on?
This Article is Freeware
Microsoft AI CEO mentions "freeware"
Steady Increases for GNU/Linux in Israel This Year
Windows is down to a quarter
An Own Goal: Filing Legal Cases in the UK When You Don't Even Live in the UK and Weren't Born In the UK
It'll just be expensive, tedious, and fruitless
Brazil's GNU/Linux Community Growing (a New High)
It's a new all-time high
Speaking to Sources (or People Outside One's Country) is Not Crime and Not Seditious
serious ramifications for publishers
GNU/Linux Above 6% in Hong Kong, Windows Falls to New Lows
Many choose to walk away from Windows
Android (Linux) Blasting Past Windows in France, Highest Desktop Share Since Winter for GNU/Linux
while Windows down
Stella Assange and Kristinn Hrafnsson Recorded This a Week Before Julian Was Freed (Knowing He Would Fly Out Soon)
What happened last week shows that even in notorious and stacked courts there's some hope
statCounter: GNU/Linux Starts July at Over 4%, Steam Survey Shows GNU/Linux at Over 2%
More to come, over time...
The Truth Will Always Win (Eventually)
RMS et al
CIA Whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling on Julian Assange and the Espionage Act
Some people don't survive and get out of there at all
Jen Robinson Explains How the Case of Evan Gershkovich Contributed to the Case for Release of Julian Assange
Robinson is an excellent counsel
Links 02/07/2024: DMA Violations and CSA Regulation
Links for the day
LibrePlanet 2024: Roberto Innocenti on the Latest Buzzword and Typically Misnomer ("AI")
It's about the latest "hot" buzzword
IBM: We Killed CentOS, Now Start Paying Us
The M in IBM is marketing
Links 02/07/2024: Jennifer Robinson Turns to Free Press in Hong Kong, Calls for an Assange Pardon
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/07/2024: Project Crossroads and Reloading Packet Filter Tables
Links for the day
Seth Patterson on Git-based Workflow and Free Software for Literature and Storytelling
"We can create a storytelling community that allows cross-pollination between creators and disciplines (e.g., novels, songs, and video games) and changes us from consumers to creators."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, July 01, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, July 01, 2024
Jennifer Robinson on Julian Assange's Birthday Tomorrow (Even the Judge Wished Him an Early Happy Birthday)
we know recordings exist and some people selectively publish these online
It's About Community, About Society, Not Business or Profit
The "rat race" is not for humans
LibrePlanet Talk on Making Movies With Free Software Only
"I can talk about how I made it and what I had to do to manage the project."
Links 01/07/2024: Catchup With Science and War in Ukraine
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/07/2024: New ICQ and Demise of 'Agile' Cargo Cult
Links for the day
[Meme] IBM's Brand of Diversity and Inclusion: You Can't Install GNU/Linux If You Are Blind
Maybe Wayland is a lot more important to them than Diversity and Inclusion
Wikileaks Actually Helped Save the Planet
Without leaks, we'd not see the coordination of climate science deniers
Anti-Assange Provocations in Our IRC Network
We suspect it is the Microsofters, using a fresh batch of aliases
ChromeOS+GNU/Linux in Europe in First Half of 2024 (Windows Gradually Drowning)
We expect the latest measures to be even higher tomorrow, hopefully above 6%
Elon Musk Killed Not Only the Twitter Bird, He Also Killed the Platform
Today begins the second half of 2024 (2024 H2)
[Meme] Wayland at Every Cost
Fedora DEI and Wayland
RMS: "I am very glad for Assange for being out of prison, but I am alarmed that the danger of being treated similarly will face other journalists and publishers in the future"
what RMS said about the release of Julian Assange
What Richard Stallman (RMS) Thinks of Paying With Cash or 'Cashless Society'
RMS: Don't be tracked
No Discrimination Allowed Against People Who Pay With Cash
City of Philadelphia on cash
Anthony Albanes: Assange's "arrival home ends a long running legal process. [...] We'll have meetings about AUKUS and other arrangements over coming days as well."
Official transcript
4.04 Linux Not Found, No Such Agency (NSA)
The CoCs never failed Microsoft
Julian Assange Turns 53 in a Couple of Days, Give Him the Gift of Freedom From Debt
Julian Assange turns 53 on Wednesday
IBM's Abandonment of Disabled People (Orca and Wayland Incompatibility) Has Basically Killed Their "DEI" Channel (Room)
The "DEI" channel (Matrix room) as been silent for 4 days
[Meme] Just Because You Throw Money at Lawyers Doesn't Mean You'll Win
Welcome to the second half of 2024
Audio: Julian Assange Tells US Judge That Espionage Act and First Amendment Contradict One Another, But Pleads Guilty (to Save His Life)
Have a listen to Julian Assange and the judge in Saipan
How to Help Pay Assange Debt (£520,000 Plane Bill and Beyond)
Budget travel was not permitted
Paulo Henrique Santana (Collabora) on the Debian Brazil Community
There was similar material in DebConf22
Making the Wikileaks Site More Active Again (and Gradually Exiting "X" or Other Social Control Media)
As soon as Assange got kidnapped the Wikileaks Web site reached a near-standstill
Wikipedia Co-Founder (Not Wales) Expresses Support for Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, Says Assange Will Probably Continue
probably exactly the sort of thing that the US prosecutors did not want
Marco Calegaro on Hacking Art Into a Community
talk by Marco Calegaro
Links 01/07/2024: Chokecherry Leaf and Agile Manifesto
Links for the day
Johannes Åsgård on Making the Raspberry Pi More Free With librerpi
Johannes (also known as dolphinana)
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 30, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, June 30, 2024