Massive privacy intrusions like this are to be expected when people shift from storing their media locally and using local software, to storing them on other people's servers and using hosted (Web) applications. Giants like Microsoft, Facebook and Google are vulnerable to government requests for user data, and there are better, more secure ways to share information online. Free software projects like GNU MediaGoblin, StatusNet, Diaspora, pump.io, Tahoe-LAFS, FreedomBox and SparkleShare are hard at work creating a less centralized world where users retain control over both their media and the software used to access it, while still getting the social and convenience benefits of the giant centralized -- and compromised -- services.

The FSF will continue to follow this story.

For the moment, we encourage people to:

1. Contact their representatives, if in the US. The FSF signed a letter with 85 other organizations demanding an investigation into the spying practices.
2. Avoid Software as a Service, and instead pursue autonomous and free software solutions. So-called "cloud computing" is a trap. Sites like the Free Software Directory and PRISM Break may help you get started.
3. Donate to support free software projects like the above as well as organizations working on behalf of user freedom and privacy.

2013-06-11: Updated to add that the FSF signed the coalition letter demanding an investigation into the spying practices, to add reference to Richard Stallman's interview warning about the danger of "cloud computing," and to provide links to sites listing relevant free software.

Defective by Design (a project of the Free Software Foundation devoted to fighting DRM) and a coalition of 26 other organizations publicly opposed the proposal in an April letter to the W3C. Last week, on International Day Against DRM, Defective by Design delivered tens of thousands of signatures opposing the proposal, and continues to collect petition signatures at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/no-drm-in-html5.

Free Software Foundation executive director John Sullivan made the following statement:

"We and the 26,000 concerned individuals who signed Defective by Design's petition so far are extremely disappointed in the W3C's statement today. The situation is actually worse than we thought, because the W3C now appears to be bizarrely insisting that Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) is a necessary component of a free Web. We were under the impression that the standardized Web was meant to be a structure that mitigated against holders of particular proprietary technologies bullying Web users and developers, or extracting royalties from them as preconditions for participation. If companies want to do such bullying, they can do it on their own time and their own dime; the W3C should not help them or endorse them. In this statement, the W3C unfortunately hitches its wagon to the contentious and frankly irrelevant empirical claim that DRM is key to what Microsoft during the Vista launch referred to as a 'next generation content experience.' In adopting the doublespeak of the Hollyweb, the W3C is betraying the interests Web users have in experiencing the amazing universe of human culture enabled by the Internet. Instead, they are backing the desire of Netflix, Google, and Microsoft, to capture those users in media silos with walls enforced by proprietary software and criminal law like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (and similar laws around the world). Despite the W3C's claim to have listened, we do not feel heard. We will step up our efforts to stop them from committing this terrible error, including issuing a comprehensive refutation of this statement's reasoning."

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

Media Contacts

John Sullivan
Executive Director
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

###

The petition (which is available to sign at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/no-drm-in-html5) calls on W3C to reject the Encrypted Media Extensions proposal (EME), which would incorporate support for DRM -- the systems used by media and technology companies to restrict watching, sharing, recording, and transforming digital works -- into HTML, the core language of the Web. As the petition explains, "EME would be an irreversible step backward for freedom on the Web. It would endorse and enable business models that unethically restrict users, and it would make subjugation to particular media companies a precondition for full Web citizenship. Just as Flash and Silverlight are finally dying off, we should not replace them with the media giants' latest control fantasy."

"This isn't the award we would like to be giving to W3C this week, as the Web celebrates its 20th anniversary. Ideally, we'd be hailing W3C for its role in protecting Internet freedom. While companies like Netflix, Microsoft, and Google (and their friends in Big Media) are really the stars of the Hollyweb, the W3C's supporting role has been crucial to this attempt to restrict the public's freedom. W3C still has time to do the right thing, but if they don't reject EME, they will be sanctioning the use of proprietary digital restrictions in every interaction we have online," said John Sullivan, executive director of the Free Software Foundation.

"The decision that W3C makes will influence millions of Internet users around the globe. The signatures delivered today represent the overwhelming public opinion that the EME proposal would be harmful to their online freedoms and to the overall health of the World Wide Web. We will continue to keep this proposal in the public eye and work to ensure that people everywhere have an opportunity to make their voices heard," said Libby Reinish, a campaigns manager at the Free Software Foundation.

Public opposition to the proposal is growing. Last week, W3C received a letter condemning the proposal from an international coalition of over 27 organizations, including the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and its sister organizations FSF Europe, Latin America, and India; the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Creative Commons; Fight for the Future; Open Knowledge Foundation; Free Culture Foundation; April; Open Technology Institute; and several Pirate Party groups. The full text of this letter is visible at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/sign-on-against-drm-in-html.

Defective by Design encourages concerned Web users to sign the petition at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/no-drm-in-html5 and to participate directly in W3C's public process by joining their mailing list at http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-comments.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to< promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

Media Contacts

Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942 x30
libby.reinish@gmail.com

###

Only a handful of 802.11 wireless devices have both free software drivers and free firmware, so the need for wireless networking cards has been a major obstacle preventing people from running a completely free GNU/Linux operating system. Additionally, because many machines now come with a blacklist in their boot firmware that severely limits what internal wireless cards users can install, external USB devices are sometimes the best or only option.

Furthermore, even when a given wireless device is supported by free software, few sellers of such devices publish that information. The FSF supports http://h-node.org, a database of hardware compatible with free software, as a resource where users can find and share information about compatibility to help their purchasing decisions. But RYF certification goes beyond that. It is reserved for companies who promise not only that their certified device is and will continue to be compatible with free software operating systems, but also to promote this fact to their potential customers.

The TPE-N150USB Wireless N USB adapter chipset, Atheros AR9271, was developed by Qualcomm Atheros (QCA).

FSF's executive director, John Sullivan, said, "The FSF is grateful to the QCA team for publishing the firmware for this device as free software. Much credit also goes to Christopher Waid of ThinkPenguin for his central role in making this collaboration successful. At QCA, we especially want to acknowledge Adrian Chadd for his development work on the firmware and driver, and Luis Rodriguez for his related legal and policy work. We hope others will follow the example set by these two companies working together."

Once QCA published the firmware, free software developers, including Jason Self, Rubén Rodríguez, and Alexandre Oliva, completed the work of packaging it as part of the Linux-libre kernel for Trisquel, Parabola GNU/Linux, and other FSF-endorsed distributions.

The TPE-N150USB is the second product to be awarded RYF certification. The first certification was awarded in October 2012 to the LulzBot AO-100/AO-101 3D printer sold by Colorado-based Aleph Objects, Inc.

To learn more about the Respects Your Freedom hardware certification, including details on the certification of the TPE-N150USB Wireless N USB adapter, as well as information on the driver and firmware for the device, visit http://www.fsf.org/ryf. Hardware sellers interested in applying for certification can consult http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/criteria.

Subscribers to the FSF's Free Software Supporter newsletter will receive announcements about future Respects Your Freedom products.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software — particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants — and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About ThinkPenguin, Inc

Started by Christopher Waid, founder and CEO, ThinkPenguin, Inc. is a consumer-driven company with a mission to bring free software to the masses. At the core of company is a catalog of computers and accessories with broad support for GNU/Linux. The company provides technical support for end-users and works with the community, distributions, and upstream projects to make GNU/Linux all that it can be.

Media Contacts

Joshua Gay
> Licensing & Compliance Manager> Free Software Foundation
> +1 (617) 542 5942 x20 licensing@fsf.org<
a>

Media Inquires
> ThinkPenguin, Inc.> +1 (888) 39 THINK (84465) x703
> media@thinkpenguin.com<
a>

The coalition opposing EME includes the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and its sister organizations FSF Europe, Latin America, and India; the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Creative Commons; Fight for the Future; Open Knowledge Foundation; Free Culture Foundation; April; Open Technology Institute; and several chapters of the Pirate Party. In the letter (full text of which is visible at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/sign-on-against-drm-in-html), these organizations lay out their reasons for opposing EME, and encourage principled Web users to sign Defective by Design's petition against DRM in HTML at http://www.defectivebydesign.org/no-drm-in-html5. On May 3rd, the International Day Against DRM, the Defective by Design campaign plans to hand-deliver 50,000 petition signatures to the W3C's Cambridge, Massachusetts, office.

The letter argues that "DRM restricts the public's freedom, even beyond what overzealous copyright law requires," and warns that for the W3C, "ratifying EME would be an abdication of responsibility; it would harm interoperability, enshrine nonfree software in W3C standards and perpetuate oppressive business models. It would fly in the face of the principles that the W3C cites as key to its mission and it would cause an array of serious problems for the billions of people who use the Web."

EME is sponsored by a handful of powerful companies who are W3C members, like Microsoft, Google, and Netflix. These companies have been promoting DRM both for their own reasons and as part of their close relationships to major media companies.

In order for watching, sharing, recording, and transforming media to be restricted, computer users must be prevented from modifying the plug-in software used to view the media (otherwise people would modify the software to remove the restrictions). This makes DRM by nature incompatible with free "as in freedom" software. The letter argues that by enshrining nonfree software in HTML itself, EME would comparatively diminish the values of freedom, self-actualization and decentralization so critical to the Web as we know it.

FSF executive director, John Sullivan, said, "Building DRM hooks into HTML is another attempt by Hollywood and its friends to gain control over our home and mobile computers in order to restrict the way we use media on the Web. DRM turns these companies into gatekeepers capable of filtering and controlling not just movies and music but also educational materials -- anything digital. The FSF and its partners won't allow these companies to sneak this change into the Web's core language. We want the World Wide Web, not the Hollyweb."

Web expert and W3C HTML Working Group member Manu Sporny has also warned that EME would spur a new proliferation of incompatible proprietary browser plug-ins for playing DRM-encumbered media, harming interoperability on the Web. This would run counter to the W3C's stated principles, which include an explicit commitment to "global interoperability," as part of the Open Stand guidelines to which W3C is a signatory.

The coalition signing the letter is an international group of free software and Internet freedom organizations. Frédéric Couchet, executive director of the French free software organization April, wrote, "DRM is an outrageous threat made by the entertainment industry against its own customers. Accepting the EME proposal would make the W3C complicit in forcing DRM on every computer user."

The W3C hosts the full text of the EME proposal on its site at https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/html-media/raw-file/tip/encrypted-media/encrypted-media.html.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

Media Contacts

Zak Rogoff
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
Office: +1 (617) 542 5942 x31
Cell: (202) 489 6886
zak@fsf.org

This year, it was given to Dr. Fernando Perez, the creator of IPython. IPython provides a rich architecture for interactive computing with a debugger, editor, and python command-line interpreter all in one.

One of Dr. Perez's nominators said, "...Versatile, efficient and free, IPython is used by thousands of developers, researchers and students around the globe on their personal PCs, clusters and servers. In addition to technical excellence, Fernando's skill as a leader has attracted a large and growing group of contributors to IPython. The community maintains a welcoming atmosphere and forms a key part of the larger scientific Python community, with strong links to projects such as numpy, matplotlib, sympy and scipy."

Dr. Perez was present to accept the award. "IPython is a project that began its life as sort of a hybrid of an interactive python console and a unix shell, but it has grown into a set of components for scientific computing from interactive exploration to parallel computing, publication and education. Today, its scope goes beyond scientific research to anyone who needs interactive computing, not only in the Python language, as our current architecture aims to be language agnostic," he said.

Dr. Perez dedicated the award to the late John D. Hunter, creator of matplotlib, who passed away unexpectedly last year.

Fernando Perez joins a distinguished list of previous winners, including the 2011 winner, Yukihiro Matsumoto.

The Award for Projects of Social Benefit is presented to the project or team responsible for applying free software, or the ideas of the free software movement, in a project that intentionally and significantly benefits society in other aspects of life. This award stresses the use of free software in the service of humanity.

This year, the award went to OpenMRS, a free software medical record system for developing countries. OpenMRS is now in use around the world, including South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania, Haiti, India, China, United States, Pakistan, the Phillipines, and many other places.

One nomination for OpenMRS read, "OpenMRS is more than an electronic medical record system platform. It is a community of medical professionals, software engineers, and healthcare workers that dedicate their time and skills to help improve the lives of people in the world’s poorest nations."

Michael Downey and Hamish Fraser were present to accept the award on behalf of the project.

OpenMRS president and project leader Paul Biondich added, "Receiving this award is a humbling recognition of the hard work and passion of countless volunteers over the last decade. We’re extremely grateful to the Free Software Foundation for recognizing the important and valuable work of our community, and hope that our efforts might serve as an example of how free software can be a disruptive innovation that improves and saves lives."

OpenMRS joins an impressive list of previous winners, including 2011 winner GNU Health.

This year's award committee was: Yukihiro Matsumoto, Suresh Ramasubramanian, Peter H. Salus, Wietse Venema, Hong Feng, Andrew Tridgell, Jonas Oberg, Vernor Vinge, Richard Stallman, Fernanda G. Weiden, Harald Welte, and Rob Savoye.

More information about both awards, including the full list of previous winners, can be found at http://www.fsf.org/awards.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

Media Contacts

John Sullivan
Executive Director
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

High resolution press photos:

• http://static.fsf.org/fsforg/events/LP2013/openmrshires.jpg
• http://static.fsf.org/fsforg/events/LP2013/fernandoperezhires.jpg

Photos under CC BY 3.0 Attribution by Rubén Rodríguez.

#

"This year's LibrePlanet conference is perfect for all experience levels. Whether you're interested in learning more about what free software is and why you should use it, or whether you've been contributing code to free software projects for years, there's something for everyone at LibrePlanet," said Libby Reinish, an FSF campaigns manager.

Keynote speakers for the event include Foundation president, Richard Stallman, who led the development of the free software GNU operating system and started the free software movement, Karen Sandler, executive director of the GNOME Foundation, and Leslie Hawthorn, an internationally known community manager, speaker and author who now manages community action and impact at Red Hat, Inc.

This year, the conference theme is "Commit Change," and the program focuses on technology's role in struggles for justice, community, and freedom. From software developers to activists, academics to computer users, this convergence is about working together for software freedom.

Throughout the conference, over 25 sessions in three simultaneous tracks will feature workshops and sessions like, "Free software communities and the cloud," "Demystifying Blender: Quick ways to get into 3D Graphics with free software," and "Outreach Program for Women: Lessons in Collaboration." On Saturday, the FSF will announce the winners of its annual Award for Projects of Social Benefit and Award for the Advancement of Free Software. Sunday will feature a special workshop by Upstream University, with the goal of training students and developers to contribute code or documentation upstream in a free software project.

"We are at a critical moment for software freedom. Companies like Microsoft and Apple are looking for sneaky ways to increase their stranglehold on freedom by locking down their computers and spying on their users. This is a must-attend event for anyone who values free speech and privacy in the electronic era," said John Sullivan, executive director of the Foundation.

LibrePlanet 2013 will be live-streamed at http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Watch_Live. More information about LibrePlanet 2013: Commit Change can be found at: http://libreplanet.org/2013.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About the GNU Operating System and Linux

Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom. See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html.

In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for one, the kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under the GNU GPL, making it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux formed a complete free operating system, which made it possible for the first time to run a PC without non-free software. This combination is the GNU/Linux system. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html.

Media Contact

Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942 x30 campaigns@fsf.org

Chris Webber, co-organizer along with Bart Kelsey of OpenGameArt, said, "Liberated Pixel Cup was a bigger success than our wildest imaginings when initially planning the project. We hoped to create a standard, useful base and style of artwork and get a few submissions of art and games. Instead, we got nearly one hundred entries of games and artwork, most of them excellent. In the process we've proven the interest and potential for free software and free culture in gaming. We've also shown that with careful planning, we can have collaboration in this area that helps everyone. And, of course, we've had a lot of fun! Congratulations to everyone who participated in the contest!"

"The FSF was happy to support the Liberated Pixel Cup, and we are excited about this new model to facilitate the production of free games. Games are one area that make it hard for people to leave proprietary operating systems behind. The Liberated Pixel Cup model is not only an innovative way to address this by encouraging collaborative game development, it's just plain fun," said Libby Reinish, campaigns manager at the FSF.

The LPC was sponsored by the FSF, which collected donations to fund the prizes, Mozilla, Creative Commons and OpenGameArt. The competition attracted significant attention in the free software community, and in fact the number of submissions overwhelmed the judges, causing a delay in the announcement of the the winners.

More information about the prize-winning games is at http://lpc.opengameart.org/content/code-judging-is-in. The winners of the earlier art-only phase of the competition are announced at http://lpc.opengameart.org/content/liberated-pixel-cup-art-winners-announced.

Discussions are in the works for a possible follow-up competition. In the meantime, people interested in the area of free software gaming might also want to get involved in the LibrePlanet Gaming Collective.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

Media Contacts

Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

###

On its campaign site, http://fsf.org/windows8, the FSF criticizes Windows 8 for restricting computer users' freedom to modify and share the software on their computers. This action follows a similar one at a Windows 8 launch event in October, when the FSF made international news announcing its campaign to ask computer users to skip Windows 8 in favor of free software.

FSF executive director John Sullivan said, "Tablets and laptops are popular gifts for the holidays, but people often overlook the restrictions that manufacturers slip under the wrapping paper. These restrictions end up locking people into one company's products, and complicating things that should be simple like moving programs from an old laptop to a new one. We invite people to join us by going to http://fsf.org/windows8 and signing the pledge to switch to a free operating system. If you already use one, help a friend or family member switch."

The Prudential Center's Microsoft store is one of many that Microsoft has opened in recent months to promote Windows 8 and its new line of tablets. The aggressive Windows 8 marketing campaign is rumored to cost more than a billion dollars. Windows 8 has drawn criticism for its difficult interface and for being more restrictive than previous versions of the OS. In fact, many of Microsoft's Windows 8 devices have crippled firmware that prevents them from running free operating systems, even alongside Windows.

Along with the free GNU/Linux operating system, holiday shoppers received a copy of the FSF's holiday giving guide. The guide, online at http://fsf.org/givingguide, compares widely known but restrictive tech products with replacements that give users more freedom.

Today's action ended when Prudential Center security arrived on the scene. FSF campaigns manager Zak Rogoff said: "We were prepared for the Microsoft store to ask us to leave. Our Windows 8 campaign is reminding Microsoft that many software users do care about their rights to run a free 'as in freedom' operating system, and will not tolerate digital handcuffs. Microsoft's business model is predicated on these handcuffs, so they don't like what we're doing. If more people knew that free software was an option and had a chance to try it, this store would have a different logo over the door."

The FSF asks supporters to keep their eyes peeled for more appearances by the gnu in coming months. The FSF also expects to release a whitepaper formalizing its critique of Windows 8, as well as a new campaign Web site dedicated to Windows 8.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About Free Software and Open Source

The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some, especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open source," which cites only practical goals such as making software powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at the deepest level. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.

About the GNU Operating System and Linux

Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom. See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html.

In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for one, the kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under the GNU GPL, making it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux formed a complete free operating system, which made it possible for the first time to run a PC without non-free software. This combination is the GNU/Linux system. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html.

Media Contacts

Zak Rogoff and Libby Reinish
Campaigns Managers
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

Many common electronics now ship with proprietary software that intentionally cripples what the device can do. This technique allows companies to do things like force people to use particular software on their devices or track the applications users download. It even allows purveyors of digital ebooks, music, and movies sold with Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) to remotely block or delete digital purchases without warning or explanation. The 2012 Giving Guide explains the ways in which these gifts are "Defective by Design" and provides givers with better alternatives.

"We created the Giving Guide to inspire people to consider ethical technology gifts this season, just as one might shop for environmentally friendly or locally made gifts for their loved ones. We're featuring laptops that come with fully free operating systems, ebooks that can be shared unfettered by DRM, and even a 3D printer that has been 'Respects your Freedom' certified by the FSF," said Zak Rogoff, campaigns manager for the Free Software Foundation.

"The most responsible gift this season might be a donation in honor of your loved one to a charity that is working to restore the freedoms that Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Sony, and others have been trampling on. For some devices, like tablets and ebook readers, the reason there aren't good options right now is that these companies are employing software patents, DRM, and other dirty tricks to prevent free replacements from emerging. The Giving Guide recommends some great charities working toward a better future," said FSF executive director John Sullivan.

The FSF plans to continue expanding and updating the Guide throughout the holiday shopping season.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About Free Software and Open Source

The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some, especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open source," which cites only practical goals such as making software powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at the deepest level. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.

Media Contacts

Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942 x30
libby@fsf.org

###

Today's action is the beginning of a new FSF campaign around Windows 8, which will track the proprietary operating system over the coming months and continue to cut through the marketing hype to explain the problems with the OS. The FSF plans to launch a Web site with a full-scale campaign, including grassroots participation, and future physical and online actions. The initial home of the campaign is http://www.fsf.org/windows8, where visitors are invited to sign an online pledge to skip Windows 8 and upgrade their computers to a free software operating system.

FSF executive director John Sullivan discussed his plans for the campaign: "There's been plenty of talk in the media about whether Windows 8 will be annoying because it has no 'Start' button or because its Internet desktop will make it slow and glitchy. The deeper problem is that it is restrictive and damaging to your freedom as a computer user. We will make sure that, no matter what Microsoft's advertising is focused on, computer users still have a chance to learn about the fundamental issues with proprietary operating systems, and about the path to something better."

The campaign comes at a time when SOPA/PIPA and CISPA have thrust Internet freedom issues into the spotlight. The FSF applauds this focus on computer users' rights, but believes it also requires a focus on free operating systems. Even when Web sites do not restrict and spy on their users, operating systems increasingly do. A truly free Internet, they say, cannot exist unless it is accessed with a free operating system.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About Free Software and Open Source

The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some, especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open source," which cites only practical goals such as making software powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at the deepest level. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.

About the GNU Operating System and Linux

Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom. See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html.

In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for one, the kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under the GNU GPL, making it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux formed a complete free operating system, which made it possible for the first time to run a PC without non-free software. This combination is the GNU/Linux system. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html.

Media Contacts

Zakkai Kauffman-Rogoff and Libby Reinish
Campaigns Managers
Free Software Foundation
(617) 542-5942
campaigns@fsf.org

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The Free Software Foundation Award for the Advancement of Free Software is presented annually by FSF president Richard Stallman to an individual who has made a great contribution to the progress and development of free software, through activities that accord with the spirit of free software.

Last year, Yukihiro Matsumoto was recognized with the Award for the Advancement of Free Software for the creation of the Ruby programming language and over two decades of contributions to GNU, Ruby, and other free software. Matsumoto joined a prestigious list of previous winners including Rob Savoye, John Gilmore, Wietse Venema, Harald Welte, Ted Ts'o, Andrew Tridgell, Theo de Raadt, Alan Cox, Larry Lessig, Guido van Rossum, Brian Paul, Miguel de Icaza and Larry Wall.

He received his award in person at the LibrePlanet 2012 conference in Boston.

Award for Projects of Social Benefit

Nominations are also open for the 2012 Award for Projects of Social Benefit.

This award is presented to the project or team responsible for applying free software, or the ideas of the free software movement, in a project that intentionally and significantly benefits society in other aspects of life.

We look to recognize projects or teams that encourage collaboration to accomplish social tasks. A long-term commitment to one's project (or the potential for a long-term commitment) is crucial to this end.

This award stresses the use of free software in the service of humanity. We have deliberately chosen this broad criterion so that many different areas of activity can be considered. However, one area that is not included is that of free software itself. Projects with a primary goal of promoting or advancing free software are not eligible for this award (we honor those projects with our annual Award for the Advancement of Free Software).

We will consider any project or team that uses free software or its philosophy to address a goal important to society. To qualify, a project must use free software, produce free documentation, or use the idea of free software as defined in the Free Software Definition. Work done commercially is eligible, but we will give this award to the project or team that best utilizes resources for society's greater benefit.

Last year, GNU Health received this award, in recognition of its work with health professionals to improve medical care for the underprivileged. Luis Falcon, the president of GNU Solidario (the organization behind GNU Health), was present at the LibrePlanet 2012 conference to accept the award on behalf of the project.

Previous winners have included Tor, the Internet Archive, Creative Commons, Groklaw, the Sahana project, and Wikipedia.

Eligibility

In the case of both awards, previous winners are not eligible for nomination, but renomination of other previous nominees is encouraged. Only individuals are eligible for nomination for the Advancement of Free Software Award, and only projects can be nominated for the Social Benefit Award.

Award recipients will be chosen by a committee of previous winners and FSF president Richard Stallman.

Please send your nominations to award-nominations@gnu.org, on or before Thursday, November 15th, 2012. Please submit nominations in the following format:

• In the email message subject line, either put the name of the person you are nominating for the Award for Advancement of Free Software, or put the name of the project for the Award for Projects of Social Benefit.

• Please include, in the body of your message, an explanation (40 lines or less) of the work done and why you think it is especially important to the advancement of software freedom or how it benefits society, respectively.

• Please state, in the body of your message, where to find the materials (e.g., software, manuals, or writing) which your nomination is based on.

Information about the previous awards can be found at http://www.fsf.org/awards. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the LibrePlanet conference tentatively scheduled for March 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About Free Software and Open Source

The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some, especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open source," which cites only practical goals such as making software powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at the deepest level. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.

Media Contact

Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942 x30
campaigns@fsf.org

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Executive director John Sullivan explained the FSF's support, saying, "In theory, there is nothing wrong with a Web service that publishes media files. But in practice, current major sites used for this, like Facebook, Flickr and YouTube, come with a host of freedom problems. For example, they require users to run nonfree software in their browsers, mainly Flash and JavaScript, and they are easy targets for censorship and surveillance by governments. Some, like YouTube, have made important strides toward supporting free formats and Web standards, but still require proprietary software and still provide single points of failure. MediaGoblin promises both to give us another way, and to put pressure on existing major publishing sites to respect their users."

MediaGoblin is an ambitious project, not just because it will support user-friendly uploading of multiple media types using only free software, but also because it will use a new, decentralized approach called federation. In a federated system, multiple sites can share and publish the same media files, so users on one site can subscribe to and share with users on many other compatible sites. Individuals can also run their own nodes using the software, for truly decentralized publishing and sharing. MediaGoblin based its approach on software called StatusNet, which is used on sites like http://identi.ca to replace Twitter.

The MediaGoblin team is made up of about fifty part-time volunteers, led by project founder Chris Webber. They've made quick progress in the year-and-a-half since the project's founding -- the software is already in use by early adopters -- but they say donors' help is needed to make the system polished and ready for more users.

Potential users can help the project reach its goal of $60,000 by making a donation of any amount at http://mediagoblin.org/pages/campaign.html. MediaGoblin is offering donors goblin-themed items designed and made by Webber himself. Help out enough, and he'll even cook you a wholesome dinner at his home in Madison, Wisconsin.

If they reach their goal, the team will use the money to support a full-time project lead to organize volunteers and advance the project to a professional level. With this support and more hard work, Webber estimates that MediaGoblin will be ready for widespread use within a year.

Webber said, "We're developing GNU MediaGoblin because we believe user freedom is important, especially in the Web. More and more users are becoming trapped by proprietary, centralized media publishing systems where problems like automated censorship are becoming serious. We believe in the vision of the decentralized web as a mechanism to empower people, and we want to bring that web back! We're proud to be teaming up the Free Software Foundation in the fight to put power back into the hands of users. We've done a lot of good already, but we need your help to make this federated future a reality!"

FSF campaigns manager Zak Rogoff added, "Almost thirty years ago, the free software movement was founded to make it possible to use a computer without compromising basic freedoms. Projects like MediaGoblin and StatusNet are part of the next phase of that effort, working to return to an Internet that respects and empowers people. The FSF believes that this new old Internet is needed now more than ever, as government intervention and corporate control is reaching a new peak. We can get to this vision of a free Internet faster by finding a way to fund these projects, which is why MediaGoblin needs your help."

As a GNU project, MediaGoblin gets support, promotion and advice from the FSF. Many famous programs have been developed with similar assistance from the FSF, including the GCC C compiler and other software at the heart of the GNU/Linux family of operating systems. Recently, the FSF has started accepting donations directed toward particular free software problem areas at https://my.fsf.org/donate/directed-donations/working-together. The FSF intends to offer this service and hosting for MediaGoblin-style fundraisers to more GNU projects addressing important problem areas in the future.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About Free Software and Open Source

The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some, especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open source," which cites only practical goals such as making software powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at the deepest level. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.

Media Contacts

Zakkai Kauffman-Rogoff
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
(617) 542-5942 x31
campaigns@fsf.org

Chris Webber
Founder
GNU MediaGoblin
(773) 614-2279
press@mediagoblin.org

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Aleph Objects, Inc. is honored to have the first hardware product with the FSF's Respects Your Freedom certification mark, and we're proud to sell a 3D printer that delivers freedom to each and every user. Aleph Objects, Inc. was founded with the idea that people should be free to use, learn from, and improve the machines they use, and to share their improvements and innovations with collaborative communities. The spirit and philosophy of the free software movement is embodied in our LulzBot 3D printer. All of our printers ship with hardware designs, software, and documentation all under free licenses. You get it all — source code, design documents, and specifications — everything needed to control, tinker, fix, and improve upon every aspect of the printer.

— Jeff Moe, Founder of Aleph Objects, Inc.

The FSF began work on a hardware certification program in October 2010 by publishing an initial set of criteria for certification, and subsequently inviting community members to help refine them. To be certified, a hardware product must meet several standards that ensure it runs free software, allows users to modify that software, supports free data formats, and is usable with free tools.

Conversations between the FSF and Aleph Objects, Inc., solidified the certification process and Respects Your Freedom mark design. Future certified products will display the same mark on their packaging and in associated marketing materials; the FSF will also promote certified products on its Web site at http://www.fsf.org/ryf.

"Over the past 27 years the FSF has earned a reputation of being a strong advocate for computer user freedom, and we continually work to earn and keep the public's trust," states Joshua Gay, FSF licensing & compliance manager. "Because so many people have placed their trust in the FSF, a product displaying the Respects Your Freedom certification mark will be immediately recognized as a product that a user can trust when it comes to software freedom."

Subscribers to the FSF's Free Software Supporter newsletter will receive announcements about future Respects Your Freedom products.

To learn more about the Respects Your Freedom hardware certification program visit http://www.fsf.org/ryf.

Hardware sellers interested in applying for certification can consult http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/criteria.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software — particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants — and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

Aleph Objects, Inc.

Aleph Objects, Inc. is a Loveland, Colorado, USA based company committed to free software and libre hardware. They are the makers of the LulzBot(tm) line of 3D printers and components available at their online store www.lulzbot.com.

Media Contacts

Joshua Gay
> Licensing & Compliance Manager> Free Software Foundation
> PHONE: +1 (617) 542 5942 x20> EMAIL: licensing@fsf.org

Jeff Moe
> Aleph Objects, Inc.> EMAIL: moe@alephobjects.com
PHONE: +1 (970) 377 1111 x622

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