AS a longtime supporter and strong advocate of Free/libre software (not just a GNU/Linux supporter), I must confess my worries about the FSF, which a few months ago lost its top man and has since then not been so prominent in Identi.ca (at least the !fsf group) and not blogged so much, either. This does not necessarily mean less development activity in GNU or less exposure for the GPL. All it means is that, based on several data points, it seems safe to say that the FSF was getting more exposure last year and the year before that, maybe further back too.

"It is a sort of sharing maximalism."The FSF is essential not just as an education effort but also as the steward of some of the best software licences out there -- those that ensure dissemination of work and knowledge. It is a sort of sharing maximalism.

Companies that care about software developers should support the FSF to ensure it stays strong. The past year's contributions to the FSF were lower than before (based on a trusted source) and in the age of kill switches, DRM and software patents we really need groups like the FSF doing their thing. Techrights was never supported financially (except from my own pocket and the pocket of our generous host) and we do not expect to, either. Recently, Ad Bard shut its network down (that was about 3 weeks ago), so Free software-friendly adverts do not exist here either. We are not asking for handouts, but this post is intended to remind large companies like Google and IBM to keep the FSF strong. To them, becoming patrons of groups like the FSF is just slush funds -- money that can make big difference to a lot of people, including those companies' own employees. ⬆