Software Freedom Conservancy @conservancy@mastodon.technology

We're so happy to introduce our newest staff member @pono ! Pono is joining us to as a Community Organizer and Nonprofit Problem Solver.

https://sfconservancy.org/news/2021/may/13/welcoming-pono-as-new-staff/

Join today https://copyright.gov/1201/2021/public-hearings/ as one of our attorneys, @copiesofcopies , testifies before Copyright Office regarding our #DMCA exemption request related to #OpenWrt: seeking right to circumvent lock-down on wireless routers. https://sfconservancy.org/news/2020/dec/15/dmca-exemptions-long-form/ has links to written part.

BTW, we're annoyed that USA government refused to provide option to view/hear this w/out proprietary software. We raised this issue, but decided overarching moral imperative is participate for the rights of users despite that.

Software freedom contributors are human. We all make mistakes, often very publicly. It's tricky to write a public apology for those mistakes.

This blog post by @sagesharp will help you avoid common pitfalls and craft an effective apology: https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/apr/20/how-to-apologize/

Tomorrow's 1201 (DMCA) Hearings continue w/Aaron Williamson representing us in our request to permit testing, investigation, & correction of privacy issues. Tune in at 10:30 ET (you can watch via the browser, but there's still registration + captcha).
https://www.copyright.gov/1201/2021/public-hearings/

We're excited to cheer Pam Chestek on as she represents us in the Section 1201 (DMCA) Public Hearings on the Copyright License Investigation exemption request. You can tune in now (via the browser, but it requires registration and a captcha): https://www.copyright.gov/1201/2021/public-hearings/

Installing modified software on devices is an essential software freedom guaranteed by #copyleft & gives the #RightToRepair. Denver Gingerich explains how GPLv2 protects this right. You 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 “the scripts used to control…installation of the executable”! https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/mar/25/install-gplv2/

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) gave its Award for Advancement of Free Software to Conservancy's Policy Fellow & Hacker-in-Residence, Bradley M. Kuhn. Bradley Kuhn's acceptance speech urged software freedom activists to “speak truth to power” & refuse to write proprietary software. https://sfconservancy.org/news/2021/mar/22/fsf-award-bkuhn/

If you weren't among the 33,600 people 😮 at online #FOSDEM this weekend, be advised: 100% #FOSS for online conferences is production ready *today*. Say NO to any Zoom (or other proprietary software) online events from now on. Demand software freedom! https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/feb/08/just-say-no-to-zoom/

We did it! Whether it was $42, $120, $128, $512 or any other amount, your donation helps us continue our work to fight for software freedom!

https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/jan/15/2020-match-achieved/

The wonderful Jeremy Allison talks about how he got involved with #softwarefreedom, the #SambaProject and Conservancy. There's still one more day to donate to our fundraiser and we're so very close to our goal! https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/jan/14/match-interview-allison/

While we are out of Men's Medium, we're expanding the vintage T promotion for our final day! If you bring your Supporter donation to $256+ for the 2020 fundraising season (ends tomorrow!), you too can get a vintage T! act now, just about 24 hours left! https://sfconservancy.org/supporter/#VintageT

We interviewed Daniel Vetter
about why he chose to be one of this year's matching donors! (BTW we're very very close to meeting the match, you can help us push it over the top!)

https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/jan/13/match-interview-vetter/

"Doing a little good for the world is a great antidote for 2020 & contributing to Conservancy is one great little good you can do quickly & easily" Allison Randal on why she volunteers & donates! We have 4 days to raise $4,561, we can do it with your help!
https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/jan/11/match-interview-randal/

"Free software is a perfect fit for education projects." We could not agree more! Read this interview with Bernat Romagosa, Kathy Giori and John Maloney of our member project #Microblocks!

https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2021/jan/07/microblocks-interview/

Happy new year, #softwarefreedom friends! Thanks to you, we've achieved over 85% of our match goal! The remaining amount is now tantalizingly in reach... can we get there before our 1/15 deadline? https://sfconservancy.org/supporter/

There's a UNIQUE opportunity in 2020 for tax deduction for USA donors, even for those previously unable to deduct! If you pay USA income taxes, make 501(c)(3) charity donations TODAY of at least $300: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-the-cares-act-changes-deducting-charitable-contributions & https://sfconservancy.org/supporter is a great place to do that!

Check out Sage Sharp's blog post about how Conservancy's support helps Outreachy thrive 💚

https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/dec/29/outreachy-conservancy-support/

Our intern Vladimir Bejdo interviewed @reduz about the history and future of @godotengine!

https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/dec/28/Juan-Linietsky-interview/

Our intern Vladimir Bejdo interviewed Chris Lamb about the history, successes and challenges of #reproduciblebuilds and its role in #softwarefreedom.

https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/dec/21/RB-CL-interview/

Everyone wants to know how #FOSS developers working for companies can assure ethical behavior by their employer. @conservancy's Executive Director, @o0karen0o, proposes handling this problem in employment contracts, as part of our Contract Patch initiative: https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2020/dec/17/ethical-contract-patch/