Planning Our 18th Anniversary
When I left my job, as I had planned since 2019, I was able to devote all my time to the site
Yesterday I went out to purchase a bunch of kits for the upcoming anniversary party, which is just about 5 weeks away (almost 6). I ended up getting a 50-piece pack with balloons and more stuff in it (maybe I'll take photos in November; maybe not, no promises yet).
18 is an age that symbolises maturity and it seems safe to say that as a site we've become mature. It's no longer some blog or "just another WordPress blog". We have our own system, which we developed in-house (almost 100 programs, large and small) and we generally know what we're doing and how to do so independently. We develop things based on our needs and the needs of whistleblowers, on whom we depend on exclusive/breaking stories.
In 2008 we became more than just a blog. We added IRC. In 2021 we moved away from Freenode and finally (belatedly) created our own IRC network - something I had long envied Wikileaks for. It's thriving and we've enjoyed a very long troll-free streak, meaning we could focus on producing many new stories, not doing "kindergarten" with trolls:
At the moment we still possess many more promising stories (secrets) about GitHub and related affairs. We've had those for years and we're looking for the ideal time to publish these. We also have some stories about the EFF, FSF etc. It would be premature to publish these now, but they will probably be ready to go some time next year.
Regarding the EPO, it has been our #1 priority lately. GNU/Linux sure is interesting, but patent policies are important and worryingly under-reported. IBM and Microsoft - leading lobbyists for software patents - are relevant here; their layoffs will carry on and we'll keep abreast of them as best we can, but the patent aspect is still a core topic. Remember that when this site started in 2006 it was all about a patent deal (Microsoft and Novell).
War is spreading further and wider worldwide, so we're expecting more conflict and impoverishment. That ought not affect this site because we're well resourced and very focused. Our health is nearly optimal (our blood pressure is like a teenager's) and we're 100% devoted to our sites. We have some of the best lawyers in the world protecting us from interference [1, 2]. We heard they have a very positive opinion of us and they want to help keep our work on track. Remember what Julian Assange said about messages and messengers. What he said was very true.
Never underestimate the power of the truth and its perseverance. It'll always prevail, eventually. Those who stand in its way stand to suffer. █