Post Syndicated from Bradley M. Kuhn original http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2016/01/25/fsf-conservancy.html
[ This blog was crossposted
on Software Freedom Conservancy’s website. ]
I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege, for the last 20 years, to be
either a volunteer or employee of the two most important organizations
for the advance of software freedom and users’ rights to copy, share,
modify and redistribute software. In 1996, I began volunteering for the
Free Software Foundation (FSF) and worked as its Executive Director from
2001–2005. I continued as a volunteer for the FSF since then, and
now serve as a volunteer on FSF’s Board of Directors. I was also one
of the first volunteers for Software Freedom Conservancy when we founded it
in 2006, and I was the primary person doing the work of the organization as
a volunteer from 2006–2010. I’ve enjoyed having a day job as a
Conservancy employee since 2011.
These two organizations have been the center of my life’s work. Between
them, I typically spend 50–80 hours every single week doing a mix of
paid and volunteer work. Both my hobby and my career
are advancing software freedom.
I choose to give my time and work to these organizations because they
provide the infrastructure that make my work possible. The Free Software
community has shown that the work of many individuals, who care deeply
about a cause but cooperate together toward a common goal, has an impact
greater than any individuals can ever have
working separately. The same is often true for cooperating organizations:
charities, like Conservancy and the FSF, that work together with each other
amplify their impact beyond the expected.
Both Conservancy and the FSF pursue specific and differing approaches and
methods to the advancement of software freedom. The FSF is an advocacy
organization that raises awareness about key issues that impact the future
of users’ freedoms and rights, and finds volunteers and pays staff to
advocate about these issues. Conservancy is a fiscal sponsor, which means
one of our key activities is operational work, meeting the logistical and
organizational needs of volunteers so they can focus on the production of
great Free Software and Free Documentation. Meanwhile, both Conservancy
and FSF dedicated themselves to sponsoring software projects: the FSF
through the GNU project, and Conservancy
through its member
projects. And, most importantly, both charities stand up for the
rights of users by enforcing and defending copyleft licenses such as the
GNU GPL.
Conservancy and the FSF show in concrete terms that two charities can work
together to increase their impact. Last year, our organizations
collaborated on many projects, such as
the proposed
FCC rule changes for wireless devices, jointly handled
a GPL
enforcement action against Canonical, Ltd.,
published the
principles of community-oriented GPL enforcement, and continued our
collaboration on copyleft.org. We’re
already discussing lots of ways that the two organizations can work
together in 2016!
I’m proud to give so much of my time and energy to both these excellent
organizations. But, I also give my money as well: I was the first person
in history to become an Associate Member
of the FSF (back in November 2002), and have gladly paid my monthly
dues since then. Today, I also signed up as an
annual Supporter of
Conservancy, because I’m want to ensure that Conservancy’s meets its
current pledge match — the next 215 Supporters who sign up before
January 31st will double their donation via the match.
For just US$20 each month, you make sure the excellent work of both these
organizations can continue. This is quite a deal: if you are employed,
University-educated professional living in the industrialized world,
US$20 is probably the same amount you’d easily spend on a meals at
restaurants or other luxuries. Isn’t it even a better luxury to know that
these two organizations can have employ a years’ worth of effort of
standing up for your software freedom in 2016? You can make the real
difference by making your charitable contribution to these two
organizations today:
Please don’t wait: both fundraising deadlines are just
six days away!
