Bonum Certa Men Certa

Software Freedom Makes the World a Greener Place, Too

Video download link | md5sum b9818d9e345d7dc111adbe5628e972f2



Summary: We probably need to improve our messaging along the lines of energy consumption and rejection of planned obsolescence in advocacy of free-as-in-freedom software

THE so-called 'Linux' Foundation is a total disgrace that is greenwashing the worst offenders and the biggest polluters on the planet, especially Microsoft [1, 2]. It's even plastered all over the 2021 annual report. But then again, it's not about software freedom but about openwashing and reputation laundering. The so-called 'Linux' Foundation should never even be called "Linux" anything; it's a misleading name. Similarly, FSFE was repeatedly asked by the FSF to rename, as it had violated an agreement on the use of the name. FSFE is a bunch of self-serving dictators bankrolled by Gulag and Microsoft. They try to censor actual proponents of software freedom, who aren't doing this for a salary but altruism and ideology. Same as the OSI, which they colluded with (against volunteers and lifelong activists).



"We need to think or rethink how we use (or reuse, recycle) technology; as gemini:// is 100% Free software (all software I've ever seen for it was liberally licensed) and works across many platforms -- including very old ones -- one stepping stone towards lowering "footprint" (energy and surveillance) is to encourage adoption of it."My rants about fake NGOs aside (the IRS needs to bust them for misuse of tax exemption status; maybe it already does), the video above concerns Dr. Andy Farnell's excellent article from last night. I show this article as GemText over gemini:// because I wish to encourage more people to adopt Gemini, which is vastly better for the environment, both in terms of system requirements and the energy it takes to load a page. Incidentally, those who use gemini:// to access Techrights did not notice the 4-hour downtime of the Web site yesterday (due to electric outage) and benefited from a secure connection that does not involve a CA like the so-called 'Linux' Foundation's Let's Encrypt.

We need to think or rethink how we use (or reuse, recycle) technology; as gemini:// is 100% Free software (all software I've even seen for it was liberally licensed) and works across many platforms -- including very old ones -- one stepping stone towards lowering "footprint" (energy and surveillance) is to encourage adoption of it. There are many other things one can do in order to lessen human suffering; in the video above I show my PDA, which is a model made in 2002, i.e. 20 years ago. It still works. My alarm clock and stereo were made in the 1990s and I use them every day. We need to demand from companies that they use components made to last, not to break after about 5 years, spurring another wave of sales (bad for the planet, not just for the wallet).

To make matters worse, some of the CAs are spurring further obsolescence; it's a known issue which we were reminded of last year because many old devices ceased to work with the Web. There was no workaround because the so-called 'Linux' Foundation with its silly CA had a "cert" expire (last year wasn't the first time) and then the software relying upon that "cert" -- somewhere further up the chain -- panicked over n nothing; Gemini does not force such a reliance on third party CAs, so it's not bad for the environment like the Web is. ⬆

Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Sort of Tried to Sell XBox Piecewise (Offloading Microsoft)
XBox is in a morbid state
Linux is Not Controlled by Linus (Torvalds)
Torvalds has become "90% marketing hype"
 
Intercontinental Brigading - Part XIV - Six Years of Learning Irish, But the Real Issue Was Microsoft-controlled 'Secure' (Restricted) Boot
Had I not opposed back doors in Linux, not of this would come about
Gemini Links 25/10/2026: Moana (2026) and OpenBSD Updates
Links for the day
The Netherlands Fast to Adopt GNU/Linux, "Market Share" Rises to Two-Digit Value (on Desktops/Laptops)
It peaked at around 20% yesterday
DST Still Needs to Get Abolished
Get rid of DST, efficiency will improve and systems will become more reliable
PHP2Shell as Paid-for FUD Campaign (Intended to Help Sell Slop and Fake "Market Value" of Slop Pushers)
PHP2Shell considered overhyped [...] Remember all the paid-for hype regarding Mythos? What happened to all that?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, October 24, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, October 24, 2026
Gemini Links 24/10/2026: Arch Linux Journey and Amin Bandali's Priorities
Links for the day
Bluewashing as a Form of Silent Layoffs
IBM will continue to shed off loads of workers while its debt climbs
Turning 20 in 2 Weeks and Upcoming Network Maintenance
That ought not interrupt our anniversary
Microsoft Shutdowns Accelerating, More Shutdowns Revealed (Not Connected to Gaming)
Silent layoffs disguised as "voluntary" "exits"
Links 24/10/2026: Microsoft Blackmail and Lingering Unrest in France:
Links for the day
Gemini Links 24/10/2026: From Bendigo to Kerang, Enshittification of Radio and Music in the UK
Links for the day
Red Hat Sinks With the Blue (IBM) Ship
As IBM's debt continues to soar so do the silent layoffs
The "No Pain No Gain" Expectations in Publishing
Sometimes truth hurts; but that does not mean it mustn't be told
Intercontinental Brigading - Part XIII - Censorship by All Means Available in a Continent So Far Away, as 'Secure' (Restricted, Restriction by Microsoft) Boot Has a Crisis of Legitimacy
it's about America controlling sites and computers everywhere
Links 24/10/2026: Oligarchs Already Buy US Elections, GAFAM Front Group "EFF" Speaks of "Vulnerability Apocalypse"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 24/10/2026: Automobile Differential Tire Movement, Samsung Washer Woe, and Slop Scraping
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, October 23, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, October 23, 2026
As Usual, Late on a Friday XBox (Microsoft) Releases Evidence of Its Demise
We covered several such Friday announcements earlier this year
Gemini Links 24/10/2026: Break/Fix and OpenStreetMap
Links for the day
Links 23/10/2026: Slop "is Scaling Transnational Repression" and Infringement and DMCA Suits Against Suno/Anthropic (Plagiarism Blenders)
Links for the day
More Shutdowns at Microsoft, Hundreds of Workers Impacted Shortly
It's not the entire wave, just part of it
The Register MS: About 60 Mentions of "AI" in One Day Are Paid-for Spam (Sponsored Hype, Composed by the Companies Covered)
The Register MS is a dying site
Links 22/10/2026: MElon (Elon Musk) Election Interference and Perl/Raku Foundation by the Numbers
Links for the day
Techrights Audience Grew as a Function of the Intensity of Attacks on Its Existence
We try to publish fewer stories but better (not necessarily long but at least important) stories
TechRepublic is Becoming a Slopfarm
It seems like TechRepublic became LLM slop (maybe all of it, maybe only some of it for now)
Techrights is Not About GNU/Linux, Tux Machines Is
When we say "GNU/Linux" we emphasise the GNU
The World Needs Activists With Social Skills and Perseverance
An everyday activist makes life better for everybody, everywhere (not for personal gain or even credit)
Intercontinental Brigading - Part XII - Lawfare to Cover Up Microsoft's Restricted Boot Calamity (Microsoft as Authority Over Linux), Garrett Wants to Talk About Penises Instead
When lawsuits become a political weapon
Without Microsoft's Monopoly (and Monopoly Rents) the Inevitable Microsoft Mass Layoffs Carry on Endlessly
Microsoft Windows is not retaining the dominance it once had
IBM's Debt Grew About $2 Billion in 3 Months
The silent layoffs still seem to impact Red Hat
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, October 22, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, October 22, 2026