Testimonials from our community
The FSFE is a charity dedicated to empowering users to control technology. Together with our community we form a movement across Europe to build our digital societies on user's and software freedom. Although there will never be enough space to shed light on all the creative minds and motivated people who helped us to grow our movement to and to live out our mission, we still like to highlight at least some of our priceless community members who in one way or another shaped the FSFE's profile and who helped us to become what we are now.
On this page you find diverse people from within the FSFE community, who are willing to let the world know that they support our mission and reflect what Free Software means to them. All of them left a testimonial, some answered an interview and some even made a video. Enjoy getting to know our community!
PS: if you feel inspired now and you would also like to appear on this page, please reach out to us under: contact@fsfe.org.
Einar Mostad (English teacher, musician, IT student)
The FSFE does great work to further software freedom locally, nationally and in the EU and I enjoy the podcast and the News RSS so it felt natural to become a supporter. I also want to be more involved with the free software community.
Greg Kroah-Hartman (Desarrollador del Linux Kernel)
La campaña "¿Dinero Público? ¡Código Publico!", y la "Iniciativa REUSE" me hizo darme cuenta que la FSFE es una organización que comparte mis ideales. Quiero ayudarles a hacer más cosas grandes, y por eso ahora estoy orgulloso de ser socio de FSFE.
Amandine “Cryptie” (Especialidad en Privacidad)
Espero que cada vez más personas comprendan la importancia de ser éticos en su vida digital y, por tanto, utilicen conscientemente el Software Libre y que tengamos cada vez más voluntarios de toda Europa.
Andrew Wilson (retired open source strategist)
The ultimate book about the Covid-19 plague will describe how Open Standards and Free Software saved civilisation. Government, business, and education only stay operational by going remote. Remoting hundreds of millions is possible only possible through Open Standards with high quality Free Software implementations; ditto building scalable data centres around elastic clouds. There are profound economic, social, even public health learnings here. The continuing mission of FSFE is important to tackle the issues ahead of us.
Carsten Agger (Ingeniero de Software)
He sido una voz solitaria durante años, explicando los principios detrás del Software Libre y su importancia a personas de mi país en numerosas publicaciones y artículos de blog. Quería pertenecer a una organización con el objetivo de construir una sociedad digital basada 100% en software libre, y apoyar la FSFE..
Laura Arjona Reina (Técnica auxiliar de Informática en la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, y contribuidora de Debian)
Si el software se licencia como software libre, podemos auditarlo, y estar seguros de que hace lo que dice que hace (y nada más). Las instituciones públicas desarrollan software, y contratan a empresas para hacerlo, y los ciudadanos deberían poseer y reutilizar todo ese código. Contribuyo al software libre con traducciones, soporte a usuarios, encontrando alternativas de software libre en la Universidad... pero no puedo llegar a los que hacen las políticas, ni a las personas e instituciones en otros países.
Frank Karlitschek (Founder Free Software company)
Software is running the world. All aspects of our life are controlled and steered by software which is running on local devices or somewhere remote, in the cloud. If we want to have an open and democratic society then it is key to have full transparency how this software works. This includes the rights to study it, to change it, to distribute it and run it wherever we want. Free Software is the only concept which ensures these rights. I’m a happy supporter of the Free Software Foundation Europe because the FSFE promotes these values which are so important for our future.
Alexandra Busch (IT specialist)
I believe that Free Software can help us change our society fundamentally for the better and I believe the best way to do so is together with other volunteers from all over Europe!
Vincent Lequertier (Estudiante de Doctorado en Inteligencia Artificial)
Apoyo a la FSFE porque merece totalmente la pena. Su comunidad es fuerte y está muy bien formada en una amplia gama de temas, por lo que contribuir a su misión es una buena manera de ayudar al movimiento del Software Libre.
Isabel Drost-Fromm (Software Engineer and Member of the Apache Software Foundation)
I believe Free Software needs a voice at the national as well as the EU level in politics: Software does not exist in an isolated bubble, it's heavily dependent on the ecosystem that it lives in. In my opinion Free Software as well as open standards are key to creating a society that provides equal access.
Tomás Zerolo (Self-employed IT specialist)
Software is becoming more and more a fabric which permeates our society. We are more and more unaware of the ways in which it influences, sometimes forces our decisions. That's why software freedom concerns fundamentally and very concretely our society. That's why I am convinced that groups like the FSFE are vital for the evolution of a free society.
Geza Giedke (Ciencia de la información en Donostia International Physics Center)
Apoyo fervientemente las ideas que hay detrás del software libre, y soy un usuario diario de software libre. Creo que es de importancia vital que exista una voz que explique por qué el Software Libre es bueno para la sociedad y cuáles son las condiciones bajo las cuales el ecosistema del Software Libre puede crecer. Al unirme a la FSF y la FSFE, quería dar las gracias a todos los desarrolladores y personas que apoyan el software libre y ayudar a mantener condiciones políticas que permitan y favorezcan el desarrollo y uso de software libre.
Mats Sjöberg (Investigador en Ciencias de la Computación)
Soy socio de la FSFE porque quiere mantener su trabajo de promocionar el Software Libre. Como persona que usa ordenadores intensivamente todos los días, me preocupa mucho la tendencia actual hacia el bloqueo de la informática, que aleja el control de los usuarios. Esto cada vez es más problemático ya que las vidas de las personas dependen más y más de los ordenadores, para comunicaciones personales, gestión de su economía, empleo, etc. El Software Libre es un requisito necesario para mantener el control de tu informática.
Hugo Roy (estudiante de derecho)
La Fundación del Software Libre de Europa (FSFE) reúne a activistas dedicados y comprometidos de toda Europa para aprovechar las oportunidades de asegurar nuestros derechos de usar, compartir, estudiar y mejorar el software, porque sin Software Libre, la tecnología nos subyuga en lugar de mejorar nuestra libertad.
Bernhard Weitzhofer (Public Servant)
Think about these claims:
"It's better if we control how you may or may not use your tools."
"It's better if you don't know how your tools work."
"It's better if we forbid you to share your tools."
"It's better if you are not allowed to improve your tools."
If you find those as absurd as I do, you understand why I'm a Free Software activist.
Nicole Lieger (Científica Política y miembro de la Sociedad Civil)
Estoy interesada en los valores, la política, la sociedad; en las nuevas formas de producción, basadas en la cooperación libre en estructuras igualitarias; en el conocimiento procomún y la inteligencia colectiva. Por ello estoy aquí y es por lo que apoyo el movimiento del software libre. No tengo historial técnico, ni lo tienen la mayoría de las personas que conozco.
Erik Grun (Economics student)
Free Software has many practical advantages for businesses, education and the public sector, but most importantly it should be considered as a human right. I became a supporter of the FSFE to help make that point - why Free Software is so important for a lively democratic society and for every one of us.
Dani Gutiérrez Porset (Free Software Consultant)
Nowadays we use social networks, laptops and mobile devices every day. And very frequently we lose the important social and political vision of Free Software in all of them. Thanks to FSFE, FSF and other similar organizations and many local groups, we maintain the torch of a different world where everyone can use and share a lot of programs and code, no matter the country you live in or how much money you can afford to spend on it.
Mauricio Nascimento (Ingeniero de Middleware)
La libertad es uno de los valores esenciales de nuestra Sociedad y uno de los conceptos básicos de la Democracia. Apoyar y extender el Software Libre es una manera de construir alternativas creativas para la inclusión social y para proteger a nuestros ciudadanos de la explotación digital. Somos responsables de construir un Mundo mejor como regalo para las futuras generaciones.
Björn Persson (Software Engineer)
Code is law, as Lawrence Lessig put it. Therefore Free Software and open standards are necessary for human freedom. Our freedom is threatened by patents, copy-prevention schemes, locked-down devices and spying. To counter these threats I support the FSFE's campaigning for open standards, information security and device sovereignty, and against ever more onerous copyright laws.
Franz Gratzer (vegan freedom activist and Supporter of the FSFE)
As a web designer I spend most of my time working on computers. Therefore, usability is very relevant to me. Software vendors often ignore open standards. They deliberately build solutions that only work using their own products. I oppose this greed and take a stand for cooperation. Free Software relies on open standards. This way it enables me to provide a diverse audience with clear and reliable experiences - no matter which software they run. I create media in formats that can be used freely by everyone. By employing Free Software I support independence and help making the world a better place.
Nermin Canik (Analista de Negocios de TI)
El Software Libre y la FSFE son para mí: compartir, aprender, ser independiente de los monopolios, producir cosas juntos, pasión y ¡libertad! Desde que me he hecho «Fellow», estoy encontrando nuevos amigos que me ayudan con el Software Libre y otros temas, enseñándome cosas nuevas cada día incluso aunque estemos separados por kilómetros. ¡Es magnífico estar en una comunidad que continuamente apoya mi pasión y motivación por el Software Libre!
André Ockers (Logistics)
The most fun part about engaging for FSFE is meeting real people and exchanging substantial information about relevant issues. These can be anything from rooting your cell phone, to learning Git, to understanding Free Software based business, to speaking up for the use of open standards in public organisations.
Maurice Verheesen
El software libre es importante para nuestro tiempo. Necesita representación profesional, lo que es un trabajo duro y caro. Apoyar la FSFE significa para mí una manera de contribuir con mis habilidades y mi dinero al movimiento del software libre, para asegurar su futuro.
Thorsten Behrens (LibreOffice Developer)
As a Free Software developer and enthusiast, I'm most grateful to the wonderful people at the FSFE for doing all the hard work of campaigning, marketing and representing our shared interests in Brussels and elsewhere. Writing good software is one thing, but getting the word out, countering corporate lobbying, and working towards an environment where Free Software even gets a chance in public sector tenders is equally important. Being a supporter is an excellent way to support the FSFE towards those goals.
Reinhard Müller (Software Developer)
In a world where software influences virtually every single aspect of our lives, Free Software is a precondition for a free society.
Guido Günther (Autónomo y Desarrollador de Debian)
Estoy impresionado con lo que la FSFE ha conseguido en la UE y a nivel nacional. Cuando trabajaba en el sector público podía vislumbrar las grandes cantidades de dinero que se invertían en la presión por el software propietario y los llamados estándares de la industria en Alemania y la UE. Es impresionante cómo la FSFE ha conseguido que se oiga su voz a pesar de todo. Apoyar esto era una de mis motivaciones para hacerme «fellow».
Johannes Hubertz
When I read the term "Intellectual Property" I always suspected it to be a "contradictio in adiecto", because only something physical can be possessed, intellectual ideas can not. To get the best benefit out of ideas for all, they should be spread as wide as possible and with as few restrictions as possible. The GNU General Public License seems to be a good example for such little restriction, especially the inheritance principle prevents possible misuse of the idea about Free Software. Following these ideas in an ethical way, for me the FSFE seems to be the very best NGO to be found. And so I support them. And I only found kind people here.
Florian Snow (Software Developer and Instructor)
I love the welcoming culture at the FSFE. It feels good to be able to actively work for Free Software in such an unbureaucratic way.
Franklin Weng (Software Liberty Association Taiwan)
Freedom is an essential right of human beings, both in physical world and digital world. However there are still many, many people being bounded in the digital world without being aware of it. We truly believe in the value and the human rights of software freedom, which should be without borders. That is exactly why, though not in Europe, we still strongly support the ideas, notions, and campaigns of FSFE.
Benoit Mortier (Dueño de OpenSides, Gestor de FusionDirectory)
Apoyo el software libre desde hace mucho tiempo, he luchado contra las patentes de software en Bruselas, co-organizado el tema del sistema en los encuentros de software libre (RMLL) y dirigido una empresa de Software Libre. El Software Libre es una parte esencial de nuestra libertad global, así que era algo natural hacerme socio de la FSFE.
Guido Arnold
El Software Libre necesita una voz en la política. Nosotros los voluntarios hacemos cosas estupendas juntos, pero algunas tareas no son tan divertidas, o dependen de ciertas fechas o necesitan gran experiencia. La FSFE sólo puede llegar a su potencial total con personal pagado que haga las tareas que los voluntarios no consiguen. Por ahora, he conocido a todo el personal y puedo decir que no me arrepiento de cada céntimo que he aportado a la FSFE para que pueda operar.
Thomas Kahle (Mathematician)
Free Software is about empowerment. When I was a student with little money, Linux enabled me to do interesting things with my cheap and old computer where the pre-installed software failed. Since then, my whole education and many achievements would have been impossible had I not been able to experiment, learn, disassemble, reassemble, modify, tweak, and use software the way I wanted. This kind of empowerment needs a strong lobby - the FSFE.
Tom Yates (Free Software Consultant Sysadmin)
Every time I use non-free software I end up regretting it, because non-free software's ultimate job is to make money for someone else, not to serve the user. I simplified my personal and professional life by using only Free Software, but that's not enough: no person is an island, and other people's software choices impact me. Supporting the FSFE allows me to combine my voice with many others to let people, corporations, and governments know that Free Software has an important place in everyday life.
Johannes Zarl (Profesional de TI)
Me hice socio de la FSFE porque veo más y más que escribir código libre no es suficiente para favorecer una cultura donde el software libre se vea como parte integral de la sociedad. El software libre no debería ser un tema marginal, de interés sólo para frikis.
Olga Gkotsopoulou (Research Associate)
What is the biggest benefit of Free Software? Freedom!
Andrea `amreo` Laisa (Computer Science student and maker, BGLUG associate)
I love Free Software because it empowers me to do unconventional and innovative things. It allows me to be independent from any single entity, fosters a culture of transparency, deepens my understanding of the tools I use, and helps build a trusting community. I want the next one to have the same freedoms I enjoy and to break the chain of proprietary, unjust software. This is why I support FSFE and proudly advocate for Free Software.
Richard J. Acton (Bioinformatician and Open Science Advocate)
I'm an advocate for software freedom and appreciate the effective campaign work that the FSFE does, things like the router freedom project which I read about recently show the kind of long term commitment to a campaign issue that is needed in this space.
Andrej and Sonia (LUG Trieste)
We are donating in honor of our friend Daniele's birthday, who is a strong supporter of free software, just like us.
Milan Zamazal (Software Developer)
I think FSFE does useful work for software and related freedom, with a real impact.
Marc G.
I thought everything was moving in the right direction but have been amazed at some of the regressions in the last 4 years. Keep up the good work!
Antonio J. Villamarin
Open Source is very important for me. I think every software must be OS.
Vladimir (Computer Scientist)
I would like to support active participation of FSF Europe in the constant political and legal struggles involving "big tech" companies like Microsoft and Apple in Europe.
Matthew Kunze (Security Researcher and FOSS Advocate)
I was hoping to see a beautiful explosion of FOSS for iOS after the Digital Markets Act was passed, but that didn't happen due to Apple's malicious compliance. "Sideloaded" apps still have to be manually reviewed by a human at Apple before they are approved ("notarized"), with no opt out, and absurd fees make alternative app stores an unattractive option in general. I fully support your initiative to compel Apple to properly comply with the DMA.
Joel Pettersson
I decided to support the FSFE because I deeply value their work in promoting user freedom, transparency, and control over technology. By advocating for free software, the FSFE ensures that everyone has access to tools that respect their rights and foster collaboration. Backing this mission aligns with my belief in empowering individuals through ethical and sustainable digital practices.
Josefine Katzke (Software Developer)
I believe that free software is a crucial part in ensuring the stability of our democracies and that it plays an enabling role in almost all of our modern issues; especially those, that need to be solved politically.
Dinika Saxena (Software Engineer and Artist)
I met you guys at FOSDEM. I am a software engineer and am artist who absolutely loves Free Software. I liked the project (the book) that you guys are working on (as well as your work on apple litigation) and wanted to support that.
