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Free Software Foundation

Assigning your copyright to the FSF helps defend the GPL and keep software free. Thanks to Emmanouil Tsamis, Jash Parag Shah, and Haneda Junya for assigning their copyright to the FSF! #GNU #Emacs #Binutils #GNUastro Learn more at u.fsf.org/3ht #CopyrightAssignments

Free Software Foundation

You can now relive LibrePlanet: Charting the Course and catch up on the talks you missed with videos, slides, and audio on GNU MediaGoblin: media.libreplanet.org/

Free Software Foundation

April GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali: Eighteen new GNU releases in the last month, including GNU MediaGoblin, GNU Lightning, and more. Full details: u.fsf.org/3ze Big thanks to @bandali0 @bandali, all the devs, and other contributors! #GNUSpotlight

Free Software Foundation

What constitutes ethical software? Transparency? Democratic control? Decentralized architecture? Today's workshop presented a tool to discuss questions like this: Metacartes: a free/libre toolbox to chart the course to an ethical digital technology.

Image of presenters, Lillian, Mélanie, and Kirill. The slide says "Ethical digital tech."
Free Software Foundation

Savannah is looking for #hackers! Help is needed for project submission evaluations, working on and improving the Web UI, documentation, and more! Read how you can become a Savannah Hacker and become a part of this important part of #softwarefreedom at u.fsf.org/hkr

Screenshot of the Savannah website.
Tristan Partin

@fsf Will the FSF ever move off of Savannah? SourceHut would allow the FSF to keep its email based workflow while continuing to use FOSS. I thought I remembered the FSF doing some testing on various forges a while ago.

Free Software Foundation

Interested to help #FreeSoftware users find freedom-respecting programs by updating the Free Software Directory (FSD)? Please consider joining the upcoming FSD meeting on IRC. Read more at: fsf.org/events/fsd-20230505-ir #FreeSoftwareDirectory

An image of the FSD with a floating gnu thinking, "I love free software."
Free Software Foundation

The application period for summer internships at the FSF is open! We encourage students who are interested in supporting #freesoftware to apply by April 30. u.fsf.org/internships

Free Software Foundation

As long as the code behind "smart" home devices is proprietary, these companies are free to spy on us as much as they like. Help us fight back: tell your friends about free software and urge then to join the FSF! Support #FreeSoftware. fsf.org

An image of a camera pointed toward two people near an "Alexa" looking thing that says, "Don't invite spies into your home."
Free Software Foundation

US taxpayers: Call on the IRS to provide libre tax-filing software! Read the FSF's latest article, and learn how you can participate: u.fsf.org/3zd

Preston Maness ☭

@fsf It took me a while to get around to this, but... it's done. Full text of letter follows.

Write your own letter to the IRS requesting that they provide libre tax-filing software!

u.fsf.org/3zd

===========

2023-05-05

Mr. Preston Maness
5662 Cedar Creek Dr
Benbrook, TX 76109-5769

The Honorable Danny Werfel, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20224

Dear Commissioner Werfel,

I was made aware by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) -- an organization that I am a member of, and that is dedicated to advancing Free Software -- that the IRS is considering developing an electronic service that taxpayers can use to prepare and file returns directly with the IRS. I think this is a great idea and would like to add my voice in support of this effort.

The FSF can probably do a better job than me of describing Free Software in all its details -- you can see an overview at "fsf.org/about/what-is-free-sof" and email campaigns@fsf.org as well for more information -- but, in a nutshell, it is about respecting the taxpayer's freedom in the realm of software. Software funded and developed by the public sector has, in my opinion, an obligation to respect the freedoms of the taxpayers that are underwriting it. As a software engineer, I would love the opportunity to use, promote, and even assist in developing such an electronic service.

To that end, should the IRS go through with developing such a service, I highly recommend adopting a "codeforge" (the infrastructure used for hosting software code and for running various operations associated with the code) that is itself Free Software, such as "SourceHut" or "Gitea", as opposed to non-free services like "Github". I also would love to see any code written for the service be licensed under the FSF's strongest Free Software license, the "GNU Affero General Public License, version 3" (AGPLv3). This license provides the strongest guarantees to the software's users -- the taxpayers -- that their freedoms are respected.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Preston Maness
512-955-1048
aspensmonster@riseup.net

@fsf It took me a while to get around to this, but... it's done. Full text of letter follows.

Write your own letter to the IRS requesting that they provide libre tax-filing software!

u.fsf.org/3zd

===========

2023-05-05

Mr. Preston Maness
5662 Cedar Creek Dr
Benbrook, TX 76109-5769

The Honorable Danny Werfel, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20224

See post for OCR. A printed-out letter from myself to the IRS commissioner asking the IRS to both develop its own tax filing service and to do so with Free Software. The font is monospaced, and my signature is written in black ink at the bottom.
The envelope that the letter was sent in, showing both my address

Preston Maness
5662 Cedar Creek Dr
Benbrook, TX 76109-5769

and the recipient

The honorable Danny Werfel, Commissioner, IRS
1111 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20224

A stamp is visible in the top-right corner of the envelope. The envelope is resting on a wooden kitchen table.
Free Software Foundation

Learn about "LeanWeb: A Ruby (out of rails) web framework for static and dynamic content" on Monday, May 08, 12:00–13:30 EDT (16:00–17:30 UTC) in an online workshop. Learn more about this and other upcoming events: u.fsf.org/3z3

Free Software Foundation

"Can I use the GPL for something other than software?" It's an interesting question. There's an answer on the #GPLFAQ page. Read it here: u.fsf.org/3x4

A screenshot of the "FAQ about the GNU licenses" page
Free Software Foundation

Do you have the passion and skill to be the next licensing and compliance manager for the FSF? Read more about this full-time position: u.fsf.org/3l0 #helpwanted

Free Software Foundation

In 1989, we published the GNU #GPL. It is at the core of software freedom and it protects users' rights to run, copy, modify, and share. Read more about free software licensing fsf.org/licensing

Logo of "GPLv3." Says, "Free as in freedom" underneath.
Free Software Foundation

Do you have the passion and skill to be the next licensing and compliance manager for the FSF? Read more about this full-time position: u.fsf.org/3l0 #helpwanted

Free Software Foundation

Assigning your copyright to the FSF helps defend the GPL and keep software free. Thanks to Jacob First, Joel Pettersson, Peter Stiernström, and Wilhelm Hugo Kirschbaum for assigning their copyright to the FSF! #GNU #Emacs More: u.fsf.org/3ht #CopyrightAssignments

Free Software Foundation

Learn about "LeanWeb: A Ruby (out of rails) web framework for static and dynamic content" on Monday, May 08, 12:00–13:30 EDT (16:00–17:30 UTC) in an online workshop. Learn more about this and other upcoming events: u.fsf.org/3z3

Free Software Foundation

At the FSF, the licensing team is often asked, "What is the difference between an 'aggregate' and other kinds of 'modified versions'?" Read the answer on our GPL FAQ: u.fsf.org/3tx #GNUGPLFAQ

A screenshot of the "FAQ about the GNU licenses" page
Free Software Foundation

"Join us in the journey: chart your course to digital recipe freedom!" Read more about "The immortal cookbook" online workshop, happening Monday, April 24, 12:00–13:30 EDT (16:00–17:30 UTC) u.fsf.org/3z1

Free Software Foundation

Our "Respects Your Freedom" (RYF) certification program helps you find hardware that doesn't violate your right to control the devices you own. Learn more, and shop while supporting companies that support your freedom: ryf.fsf.org/ #RYF

RYF logo
Free Software Foundation

We have recently made updates to the benefits that organizational Patrons receive, including additional donation tiers and more benefits. See all the tiers and current benefits at: u.fsf.org/3u2 #FSFPatrons

A screenshot of the "benefits of patronage" page. The text can be read on https://www.fsf.org/patrons/benefits
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