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Erik Moeller

@sovtechfund (funded by the German government) just announced a €1M grant towards the @gnome project, an open source desktop environment.

Imagine a world in which governments don't spend billions of dollars in licensing fees every year to make Microsoft richer, and that money instead goes towards _public code_ that belongs to all of us.

That may seem utterly implausible - but every example like this brings us one step closer to it being inevitable.

foundation.gnome.org/2023/11/0

11 Nov 2023 at 4:14 | Open on social.coop
34 comments
Erik Moeller

Here's some of what that money will be used for:

- Improve the current state of accessibility
- Design and prototype a new accessibility stack
- Encrypt user home directories individually

Here's what it will not be used for:

- More reminders to use Edge as your default browser
- Clippy 2.0, now powered by a Large Language Model
- Microsoft Teams brain-computer interface

Sinking taxpayer funds into Microsoft's money pits has always been indefensible. Another world is possible & necessary.

Here's some of what that money will be used for:

- Improve the current state of accessibility
- Design and prototype a new accessibility stack
- Encrypt user home directories individually

Here's what it will not be used for:

- More reminders to use Edge as your default browser
- Clippy 2.0, now powered by a Large Language Model
- Microsoft Teams brain-computer interface

11 Nov 2023 at 4:26 | Open on social.coop
Dragan Espenschied

@eloquence I agree but Clippy 2.0 sounds cool tbh

11 Nov 2023 at 6:27 | Open on post.lurk.org
Erik Moeller

@despens don't worry there is no escape

clippy will find us all

c̸̯̉͋l̷̘͗̍i̷̭̘̚p̷̨̜̓p̵̞͗̐y̵̞̌ ̴̠̟̆̅l̴̤̜͝͝o̵͓͆̀v̸̮̅̐ȅ̶͔̩s̷̫͑̀ ̵̦̘͌͊ỵ̸̝̀o̵͎̒͠ū̸̩͗

11 Nov 2023 at 7:23 | Open on social.coop
Ryuno-Ki

@eloquence @despens Especially when we attempt to write a letter 🙈

12 Nov 2023 at 11:35 | Open on layer8.space
lj·rk

@despens @eloquence I'm fine just using kakoune: kakoune.org/img/screenshots/ca :D

(Although I'd definitely install a GNOME Clippy extension)

11 Nov 2023 at 17:05 | Open on todon.eu
Lien Rag

@eloquence

So, parts of the funded work will be possibly integrated in usable Desktop Environments ?

11 Nov 2023 at 18:54 | Open on mastodon.tedomum.net
Erik Moeller

@lienrag

Can you clarify your question? Are you suggesting GNOME itself is not a usable desktop environment? :)

11 Nov 2023 at 18:56 | Open on social.coop
Lien Rag

@eloquence

Indeed, that's the core of my message.

(and I'm not THAT sectarian, I gave Gnome a try a few years ago)

I'm happy for the funding, I'm even trying to not be jealous that it went to the wrong project, but I hope that (and I'd like to know how much) this funding will benefit everyone and not serve to reinforce Gnome's hegemony.

11 Nov 2023 at 19:04 | Open on mastodon.tedomum.net
Lien Rag

@eloquence

To make myself clear : I acknowledge the enormous design work that has been done by the Gnome team, and I admit that when what you want to do is what the Gnome team wanted you to do, it works very well.
But when you want to do anything your own way (on your own damn computer), then basically all hell breaks loose.

11 Nov 2023 at 19:04 | Open on mastodon.tedomum.net
Erik Moeller

@lienrag

I generally like GNOME's design philosophy. A few times I have been annoyed at basic functionality being hidden and only accessible via command line config changes, which reminded me of editing the Windows registry back in the 1990s :). But I'm still overall very happy with it after 15+ years or so of use.

But regardless where you stand, some of the funding is in support of general open source desktop work, e.g., in the context of the FreeDesktop initiative.

11 Nov 2023 at 19:10 | Open on social.coop
Ryuno-Ki

@eloquence @lienrag GNOME sadly gained a reputation for being against people.

Like you write, features accessible via config changes.

I assume, changing design direction every so often.

I'm not arguing to spend grant money on this but to put it on the agenda for come together meetings (Guadec?).

Personally I need low hardware requirements and use AwesomeWM as daily driver (with Mate as alternative).

12 Nov 2023 at 11:39 | Open on layer8.space
James Chip

@eloquence the good thing about gnome getting a good whack of cash to wotk on accessability is that some of that work might propogate out to otger DEs aswell.

Hopefully everyone benefits.

11 Nov 2023 at 19:15 | Open on merveilles.town
Sam Thurston :verified:

@eloquence

> Encrypt user home directories individually

Why though? This seems like a terrific way to make stuff unrecoverable.

11 Nov 2023 at 20:33 | Open on awscommunity.social
Erik Moeller

@samthurston

I don't think that's necessarily the case, but I do agree of course that the recoverability story is really important for all encryption features, whether full-disk or home directory level. @sonny may be able to provide more detail on the specific goals.

11 Nov 2023 at 20:43 | Open on social.coop
Sonny

@eloquence @samthurston

Why encrypting home directory individually rather than say full disk encryption?

1. Keep users safe from each others
2. Improve the user experience and encourage adoption

The design team is looking at the options for recovery.

11 Nov 2023 at 20:56 | Open on floss.social
Sam Thurston :verified:

@sonny @eloquence is this a *desktop environment* level function though?

11 Nov 2023 at 21:03 | Open on awscommunity.social
Will Thompson

@samthurston @sonny @eloquence the idea AIUI is to use systemd-homed. But you need desktop environment-level support so that you can set it up & recover in case of emergency without having to be able to operate a command line.

(Not my project, I'm just a spectator!)

12 Nov 2023 at 7:16 | Open on mastodon.me.uk
Sam Thurston :verified:

@eloquence @sonny as an admin, if I want to protect users from each other I set appropriate permissions. As a user if I have data that needs to be protected from other users I encrypt it.

11 Nov 2023 at 21:07 | Open on awscommunity.social
Landa

@samthurston most potential new users probably don’t have your skill and competence to
(a) know that anything needs protection at all
(b) decide what needs protection
(c) do it correctly

@eloquence @sonny

12 Nov 2023 at 13:33 | Open on graz.social
🗡️MeachamusPrime✝️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🇺🇲🎮🥋🔫

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome

I just hope it doesn't lead to compromise with government spying on citizens just to keep the money flowing.

11 Nov 2023 at 4:32 | Open on noagendasocial.com
baconandcoconut
Gurre Vildskägg

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome
This has over the last few years become part of my politics fot the reasons listed.
The OS, the gui, the office suite, the medical records apps, etc etc.
All ought to be open source projects and get funding from governments in ways like this, and be the preferred choice for use in governmental agencies & state held companies etc.

11 Nov 2023 at 6:55 | Open on mastodon.nu
KevinOnEarth

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome
Good.
I have been calling for years for the EU to invest in a multi-faceted EU-wide OS ecosystem, that would release Europe from dependence on a US-controlled PC/server monopoly.
The biggest obstacle though is moving from habit to adoption.

11 Nov 2023 at 8:14 | Open on mstdn.io
Ludovic de Luna

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome we should do the same in France. Good news

11 Nov 2023 at 12:53 | Open on ruby.social
Mayor Gamal Sherif

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome Important framing. For our small borough in the US, there’s also potential to regionally democratize internet delivery, electric [solar/wind] supply and delivery, EV fleets instead of more privatised EV cars. Hospitals.

11 Nov 2023 at 13:11 | Open on c.im
teledyn 𓂀

@eloquence

While it was nowhere near the wide impact of funding something like Gnome, this was the very same argument I presented to @CBCNews in 2002 to let me release our Olympics 'sportwire' website code under GPL!

As I understand it, @BBCSport is still using bits of it!

@sovtechfund @gnome

11 Nov 2023 at 15:33 | Open on mstdn.ca
teledyn 𓂀

@eloquence

Around 2002, Bluewater Schoolboard was seeking a CTO. I was working on education things with Industry Canada and, with the formal backing of the National Research Council I pitched FOSS. On licence fees alone they could build a new school, and staff it, EVERY YEAR.

Then, working with OTHER boards, here and abroad, together we build core components that do the job without needing Disney branding!

Sadly, they outsourced CTO selection to a Microsoft partner.

@sovtechfund @gnome

11 Nov 2023 at 15:42 | Open on mstdn.ca
gohlisch :antiverified:

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome This is great! Hope more german institutions start to embrace foss. Thanks for sharing this with us. 😊

11 Nov 2023 at 18:24 | Open on fosstodon.org
SigmundFreudsBartender

@eloquence they sould also give money to sailfish jolla and adopt an european OS.

11 Nov 2023 at 21:33 | Open on nerdculture.de
Gamey :thisisfine: :antifa:

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome Funfact, they have so called "Apple classes" in German schools. I love this move but idk if the German Government will be the one to switch to FOSS stuff, that's just one of their institutions!

11 Nov 2023 at 21:44 | Open on chaos.social
grreby

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome I understand that people here like open source getting funded (me too), but we should remember that the government takes money from people who might not care about foss at all; they would maybe rather buy a new fridge or go to a vacation to Costa Rica.

If you like what open source devs and organisations do, please, give them your money and support. ❤️
Don't force people who may want to spend the money differently.

11 Nov 2023 at 22:44 | Open on fosstodon.org
Erik Moeller

@grreby @sovtechfund @gnome

Sorry, but I disagree. We need tax justice, to be sure, but that means taxing billionaires more and taxing ordinary folks less. Taxes are a necessary instrument to support public goods.

11 Nov 2023 at 22:47 | Open on social.coop
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