High-Priority Proposals for the FSF in 2021
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2021-03-23 17:04:54 UTC
- Modified: 2021-03-23 17:10:08 UTC
Summary: Some personal suggestions or a list of things that would help the FSF succeed and keep growing (and remaining relevant) for decades to come
- Offer a compelling way to replace the GitHub (Microsoft) near-monopoly with something that is self-hosted, preferably decentralised to a certain degree, and without a "Community Edition" (everything is for the community). It's already work in progress based on our understanding.
- Promote the use of existing remote work (or conferencing, teaching etc.) tools, especially ones that aren't controlled by GitHub. Or try to wean them off GitHub. The latter points relates to (1).
- Form a stronger coalition with Free software proponents around the world (numbers are our strength) and keep a distance from the corrupting influence (monopolies) of the Linux Foundation and OSI. In many ways they nowadays represent interests opposite to those of the FSF.
- Tackle the growing threat of increasing complexity as barrier to community participation in particular projects (systemd has earned notoriety for this).
- Speak about the growing threat of Clown Computing; the FSFE has done some work in that area, but many people ignore the warnings and outsource almost everything to third parties (mostly monopolies that spy).
- Create a capsule for presence in Gemini space (protocol), which helps tackle most of the issues the World Wide Web has become notorious for. It can help inspire many more capsules.
- Reinstate old campaigns that call out Microsoft Windows for the threat that it is (it is still a growing threat) to people's freedom.
- Repudiate fake solutions to the software patents threat; some of their purveyors have attempted to enlist GNU projects, in effect bypassing real patent reform attempts, seeking to altogether abolish software patents (even after Alice/35 U.S.C. €§ 101; SCOTUS, 2014).
- Issue a polite public statement just to explain why the FSF's founder was led to resign; many people would appreciate a frank explanation.
- Tackle the issue of censorship, including (reportedly) censorship of mailing lists of LibrePlanet. Freedom of expression is also a form of freedom that must not be conflated with "trolling".
Recent Techrights' Posts
- Corporate Media: Blame the People Who Enter the Abandoned IBM Buildings, Not IBM for Abandoning Workers in Pursuit of IT Sweatshops
- When the media spreads falsehoods stocks can go up (a lot higher), but at whose expense and how long for?
- SUEPO Munich Report on the Recent EPO Demonstration and Rolling Strikes That Continue to Grow
- "increasing registrations for the 'rolling strikes' running until autumn"
- Gemini Links 11/07/2026: Old Computer challenge, Poems, Antenna, and More
- Links for the day
-
- Blogs May be Making a Comeback (They're Not Fediverse, They Are Joined by RSS Feeds)
- Don't fake expansion where none existed
- ChromeOS and GNU/Linux in the United Kingdom Reach 11%
- the UK shows signs of digital maturity
- Canonical is Selling Microsoft, It Pays The Register MS to Sell Microsoft
- It's all about money to them. And they call this journalism.
- When Red Hat's HR Becomes the Same as IBM's HR (Bluewashing)
- Red Hat keeps sacking very experienced engineers and adding temporary interns
- GNU/Linux Growing in East Asia
- Assuming this is more or less accurate, we could use a plausible explanation
- Over a Week After Microsoft Discontinued Some XBox Models It Apparently Exits Some Markets Altogether
- We seem to be witnessing the end of XBox
- Links 11/07/2026: "Trademark wars of Influencer Culture", Xinuos Uses Copyrights Versus UNIX
- Links for the day
- North America: GNU/Linux Measured at 10%
- To better understand what contributes to the gains
- Following Corrections and Adjustments statCounter Sees GNU/Linux at 7.1%, an All-Time High
- There is a lot of layoffs at Microsoft this month
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Friday, July 10, 2026
- IRC logs for Friday, July 10, 2026
- Links 11/07/2026: Wednesday-Saturday News Catch-up
- Links for the day
- Prioritising High-Importance News
- In order to fully catch up with news we'll not publish many new articles until next week
- The Register MS: "AI" More Than 80 Times in One Article. But It's Not an Article, It's Sponsored Keyword-stuffed Page.
- The Register MS is being paid to actively promoted this scheme
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Thursday, July 09, 2026
- IRC logs for Thursday, July 09, 2026
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, July 08, 2026
- IRC logs for Wednesday, July 08, 2026