$15 billion lawsuit: Ubuntu, Google & Debian crowdfunding campaign launch
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock.
13:00 Tue, 03 Feb 2026
Chris Lamb finished his term as Debian Project Leader in April 2019 but his attacks on my family and I continue to this day. After numerous legal disputes and resignations, including the fall of the Swiss financial regulator's deputy CEO, ten thousand Swiss francs for our black cats ( harassment judgment in Zurich, Switzerland) and an abuse verdict against IBM Red Hat, the latest lawsuit has something for everybody.
President Trump sued the New York Times for $15 billion. I felt this was a safe figure to ask from Google and others who have interfered in democracy, starting when the Fellowship elected me in the FSFE.
Obviously it is too much money for one person. If I was to receive any sizeable sum of compensation then it will be re-invested in high quality open source software projects for the real community, not the fake communities.
To get there, we need lawyers to conduct depositions and go through the murky financial records of non-profit organizations who systematically distribute defamation about their own volunteers.
The recent Techrights legal dispute failed because of insufficient funds for the Techrights legal fees. The judge wrote in her judgment that if Techrights had money to pay for lawyers and witnesses they could have provided more evidence and the result may have been different. The truth of this is obvious when you look at all the hidden messages I found where Dr Matthew Garrett used his University of Cambridge email address to libel Dr Jacob Appelbaum with false rape accusations.
Back to that ridiculous sum of $15 billion, who would look at that and not think it is ridiculous? Being ridiculous is the problem. In a previous blog post, I found the secret email about the first time Debianists used money to recruit a transgender. Now the Zizian mentality is wrecking Debian. Now we rewind to the privacy question that made certain people go nuts in 2018. Was Sonny Piers subject to his lynching in the GNOME "community" for uttering similar comments? Subjecting people to false gossip about abuse for simply asking questions like these is even more ridiculous than a $15 billion law suit.
Subject: Re: [Outreachy] Outreachy Zulip chat? Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2018 22:44:21 +0100 From: Daniel Pocock <daniel@pocock.pro> To: mentors@lists.outreachy.org
On 22/01/18 22:38, Jim Hall wrote: > On Mon, Jan 22, 2018 at 3:03 PM, Daniel Pocock <daniel@pocock.pro> wrote: >> >> >> On 22/01/18 21:17, Outreachy Organizers wrote: >>> On Mon, Jan 22, 2018 at 08:27:27PM +0100, Daniel Pocock wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> On 22/01/18 19:40, Outreachy Organizers wrote: >>>>> On Mon, Jan 22, 2018 at 07:05:18PM +0100, Daniel Pocock wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On 22/01/18 18:28, Outreachy Organizers wrote: >>>>> Email is problematic because: >>>>> >>>>> 1. Gmail promotions tab. Seriously. This is the absolute bane of my >>>>> existence. Email from the Outreachy mailing list gets filtered into a >>>>> tab no one checks or acts on. I constantly have to send individual email >>>>> to mentors and coordinators because I know Gmail filters the mail from >>>>> the mailing list. >>>>> >>>> >>>> That is a Google defect >>>> >>>> I've been thinking about configuring my mail server to block all email >>>> from gmail users so they have to finally get a serious mail service. >>>> >>>> For example, it is quite easy to configure a mail server to send an >>>> official bounce message that contains the text "the person you are >>>> trying to contact hasn't accepted Google's non-privacy policy. Please >>>> try sending the email from a regular email provider" >>>> >>>> If this cuts 50% of the applications I receive from interns then it will >>>> give me more time to focus on the other 50% >>>> >>>> https://danielpocock.com/unpaid-work-training-googles-spam-filters >>> >>> I think you're being particularly harsh on Outreachy applicants. Most >>> won't have heard of other email providers than Gmail, let alone have the >>> of-pocket-money, volunteer time, server resources, and the stable internet >>> required to run their own email server. >>> >> >> They don't need to run a server, we could easily give them links to >> three alternatives, or others if people don't feel comfortable with these: >> >> https://riseup.net/ >> https://mail.protonmail.com/login >> https://tutanota.com/ >> >> >>> In the past Outreachy round, 297 out of 381 applicants used Gmail. Of >>> the 42 interns who were accepted, 39 interns used Gmail, including two >>> out of three of the Debian interns. >>> >>> If you implemented your filters, you would be working with less than 23% >>> of applicants, and you would probably shoot yourself in the foot, since >>> 92% of the accepted interns use Gmail. >>> >> >> Thanks for providing these stats. It doesn't surprise me but stats >> aren't everything. >> >> The person who is able to take a little initiative and change their >> email provider may be harder to find but they may also be a good role >> model for other people in future. >> >>> Unfortunately, Gmail is a necessary evil that we have to work with in >>> order to reach people from groups under-represented in tech. We can't >>> force them to sign up for a new email provider just to apply to an >>> internship program. > > > This discussion seems to have turned a corner and comments are now > increasingly hostile to people who use Gmail. A lot of people use > Gmail, and a lot of people use other email providers. You don't like > Gmail. Fine. I get it. But this discussion about how Gmail users are > unwashed masses isn't a great way to welcome new contributors to open > source software projects, including Outreachy. > > Can we skip the rest of the Gmail conversation? >
Nobody said anything like that about gmail users, the criticism is aimed at gmail / Google and the reason for that is that their filtering is having a bad impact on Outreachy communications to interns. That is quite objective.
I assume many people are not using gmail because they are from the "unwashed masses" but because they never really thought about it before and maybe it was a default with some phone they bought. Outreachy is a great place for them to think about things like that in a supportive environment.
Regards,
Daniel
Sage Sharp went completely nuts and started the lynchings even before Google Summer of Code (GSoC) began.
Notice how I make some comments about the privacy of our interns and helping them migrate away from Googlism. Reactionaries like Sage Sharp and the Zizian mindset take some small comment like that and blow it out of all proportion, accusing me of "contempt" towards Gmail victims, when it is obvious I was only trying to help the Gmail victims.
Subject: Re: [Outreachy] Outreachy Zulip chat? Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 17:20:08 +0100 From: Daniel Pocock <daniel@pocock.pro> To: Outreachy Organizers <organizers@outreachy.org> CC: mentors@lists.outreachy.org
On 23/01/18 17:07, Outreachy Organizers wrote:
> Daniel, you have consistently shown contempt towards Gmail users, > including threatening to stop working with Outreachy interns who use > Gmail. Stop this conversation now. >
I wish I could say "stop" to all those Google people who show contempt for the privacy of their users.
For clarity, I would not pull the plug on communication with gmail users in the middle of an internship.
Regards,
Daniel
For saying "stop", or "no", Sage Sharp and the Zizian brigade escalated the dispute. They demand that I be a slave and work, without pay and without speaking:
Subject: Suspension from the Outreachy mentors mailing list Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 10:28:58 +0530 From: Chris Lamb <lamby@debian.org> To: daniel@pocock.pro CC: Outreachy Organizers <organizers@outreachy.org>, mollydb <deblanc@riseup.net>, Karen Sandler <karen@sfconservancy.org>, Marina Zhurakhinskaya <marinaz@redhat.com>, Cindy Pallares-Quezada <cindy.pallaresq@gmail.com>, Tony Sebro <aksebro@gmail.com>, leader@debian.org
Dear Daniel,
It is with great regret and sadness that I am contacting you on this topic.
Over the past six months — and especially over the past week — the Outreachy organisers have noticed several instances of behaviour that are not in line with the program's goals and values.
As a consequence, the Outreachy organisers have banned you from participating in the mentors mailing list until 5th March 2018.
You are welcome to continue to mentor Renata until her internship ends on 5th March. You also are welcome to communicate directly with Outreachy organisers about any concerns you have with Renata's internship and any mid-point or final feedback.
All other communication must go through Molly.
[ ... snip the gaslighting ... ]
What does "behaviour" mean? The people who prostitute themselves for Google can make that choice for themselves. Spreading rumours about the behaviour of those who say "stop" is abhorrent.
The intern I had selected, Renata D'Avila, had also used her blog to tell people she felt uncomfortable with the behaviour of the men at Google. Their behaviour, not my behaviour, is the real problem. They simply disappeared Renata too.
There are lots of interesting articles online about the importance of your behaviour when you you are being raped. Should you fight your rapist or should you let them have their way with you in the interest of survival?
Reading the victim impact statement from Stephen Milne's victim, she told the court how she kept saying no but Milne kept pushing. Just like the Googlists imposing themselves through the cruel words of Chris Lamb.
Lamb spent most of 2018 plotting against me and finally manipulated the mafiosi Enrico Zini to intimidate and insult me with this message. However, it started when I raised questions about Google Gmail surveillance of our interns.
Subject: Revoking Debian Developer status Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2018 17:44:32 +0200 From: Enrico Zini <enrico@enricozini.org> To: Daniel Pocock <pocock@debian.org> CC: da-manager@debian.org
Hello Daniel,
It has been brought to our attention that you have been involved in a number of complaints and incidents, related to work you do in your role as a Debian Developer.
Both Outreachy and Google have raised concerns about your interactions with their communities while representing Debian. You were initially reprimanded in October 2017 by Outreachy, and then suspended from the mentors mailing list in January 2018 because you did not change the way you contributed.
[ ... snip the gaslighting ... ]
I told Google to "stop" and they didn't listen. No means No. Should we fight the rapist or should we roll over for them? The $15 billion lawsuit is a decision to fight the rapist / googlist / zizian behaviour of these bullies.
More blog posts about the lawsuit.
Please watch the video, share and discuss the crowdfunding campaign to maximize the chance of success. █