Talking To Friends and Family About Software Freedom
by on December 23, 2019
Many folks are heading home to family or getting ready to spend some time with their families of choice. At Conservancy, we believe that software freedom should be for everyone so that got us thinking about how we can help others gain control over their computing environment. We asked a few software freedom enthusiasts about whether or not they talk to family and friends about free and open source software. Luckily, they were willing to share their advice and encouragement. Perhaps, you'll find some ideas in here for talking to loved ones about software freedom too!
Adam Monsen is a SeaGL co-founder, a Seattleite and the Senior Director of Engineering at C-SATS R&D. His thoughts: "Free and open source software is critical in the context of medical devices. In 10 years we'll be able to install a 'perfect sleep', 'perfect focus' or 'no pain' implant. We need free and open source software implants for full control of our data for our privacy, our autonomy, and, ultimately, our freedom."
Alice Monsen is ten. She recently gave her first free software talk at SeaGL on using Krita to build RPG characters. Her advice: "Yes, we should always talk about free software. If it doesn't work how you want, you can change it!"
Mako Hill is a free software activist and an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in the Department of Communication. He says: "Although most free software folk are technologists who came for the software and stayed for the freedom, our family and friends usually care much less about software than we do. Conversations about freedom that are a hard sell with techno-phile crowds often resonate more easily with folks who are already skeptical about technology. Most of all, meet people where they are! Building a critical capacity to think about issues of technology, power, and autonomy is both a more effective strategy and a more important goal that trying to lead someone to any specific state of free software nirvana."Abigail Cabunoc Mayes works for the Mozilla Foundation as Lead Developer of Open Source Engagement. She recommends, "Stories are the best way to connect with friends and family on a topic you care about. When it comes to free and open source software, I share my own experience writing software at a cancer research institute or the story of a group of rebels joining forces to break up a monopoly. Both stories show how our society is most innovative when we can publish and share this information for others to build on. These stories are why I want openness to be the norm in research and innovation."
Eric Schultz is the founder of Houdini a fund-raising platform that helps hundreds of non-profits and is a Conservancy member. Eric emphasizes respect: "I do talk to family about FOSS. My general advice is to be respectful of people's time and boundaries. Not everyone has an immediate need to have access to the source code of their technology but everyone has a need for the fundamental principles of digital autonomy and safety that underlie the FOSS ethos. Illustrating our commitment to FOSS ideals with empathy brings more user freedom and justice than tiring down any single person through persistent haranguing."
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