The long way to software freedom
2024-10-10, 12:40–13:00 (Europe/Luxembourg), Auditorium

"Public Money? Public Code!", Device Neutrality, Router Freedom, Free Your Android, assistance with licensing questions, Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, and a tale of software, skateboards, and raspberry ice cream. These are some of the activities by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), which has been working since 2001 to empower users to control technology. The talk will give an overview of FSFE's work for software freedom as an independent organisation and how you can contribute.

See also: Presentation slides

Matthias Kirschner is President of FSFE. In 1999 he started using GNU/Linux and realised that software is deeply involved in all aspects of our lives. Matthias is convinced that this technology has to empower society not restrict it. While studying Political and Administrative Science he joined FSFE in 2004.

He helps other organisations, companies and governments to understand how they can benefit from Free Software -- which gives everybody the rights to use, understand, adapt, and share software -- and how those rights help to support freedom of speech, freedom of press or privacy.

Recently, in his spare time, he has written the book "Ada & Zangemann - A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream", which is available at publishers in English, German, French, and Italian, and translated into Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Valencian.