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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

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

Erik Moeller

@despens don't worry there is no escape

clippy will find us all

c̸̯̉͋l̷̘͗̍i̷̭̘̚p̷̨̜̓p̵̞͗̐y̵̞̌ ̴̠̟̆̅l̴̤̜͝͝o̵͓͆̀v̸̮̅̐ȅ̶͔̩s̷̫͑̀ ̵̦̘͌͊ỵ̸̝̀o̵͎̒͠ū̸̩͗

Ryuno-Ki

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

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)

Lien Rag

@eloquence

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

Erik Moeller

@lienrag

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

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.

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.

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.

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).

A Ghostly Vision Of 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.

Sam Thurston :verified:

@eloquence

> Encrypt user home directories individually

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

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.

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.

Sam Thurston :verified:

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

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!)

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.

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

🗡️MeachamusPrime✝️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🇺🇲🎮🥋🔫

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

gohlisch :antiverified:

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

SigmundFreudsBartender

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

Gamey :thisisfine:

@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!

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.

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.

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