[2s.mk-friends] Fwd: [FSF] Free Software Supporter -- Issue 33, December 2010

Mon Jan 3 11:35:57 UTC 2011

# Free Software Supporter
Issue 33, December 2010

HAPPY GNU YEAR!

Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's
monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 36,392
other activists. That's 935 more than last month!

Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by
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## TABLE OF CONTENTS

* An appeal from Peter Brown
* FSF Fall 2010 Bulletin articles start to appear
* 82 web site domains seized -- a preview of the Internet blacklist?
* Zuckerberg is the Person of the Year? Where's the "dislike" button?
* New US cybersecurity bill could threaten free software
* The most important work for freedom seen in generations
* Kettling Wikileaks
* GNU spotlight with Karl Berry
* Richard Stallman's speaking schedule
* Take action with the FSF!

### An appeal from Peter Brown

This year, the FSF turned 25! We were launched by Richard Stallman in
1985 to be a home for the GNU Project, and to undertake the advocacy
campaigns to advance the cause of a free software world.

Our executive director, Peter Brown, wrote an appeal to the community
asking for financial support for the next year. You can join our
membership for $10/month or you can donate any amount using several
methods. Our main funding source is individual donations from people
like you.

* <http://www.fsf.org/appeal/2010/an-appeal-from-peter-brown>

### FSF Fall 2010 Bulletin articles start to appear

The first three articles from the latest issue of the FSF Bulletin are
now online. You can read "Lending: A solved problem" by John Sullivan,
"When Free Software Isn't Better" by Benjamin Mako Hill, and "The Saga
of the Sun RPC Code" by Bradley M. Kuhn.

* <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/bulletin-2010-pt1>

### 82 web site domains seized -- a preview of the Internet blacklist?

The Internet Blacklist bill passed out of Senate committee on November
18th. It's now facing some stiff opposition in the broader Senate, but
we need to let that opposition know we support them. If you are in the
United States, please sign the petition if you haven't already, and
write directly to your senator.

* <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/us-government-seized-82-web-sites-a-preview-of-the-internet-blacklist>

### Zuckerberg is the Person of the Year? Where's the "dislike" button?

TIME Magazine praises Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, for creating
a system that has connected people around the world with each other
but, unfortunately, the terms under which he claims to have done this
set a terrible precedent for our future -- for our control over the
software we use to interact with each other, for control over our
data, and for our privacy.

We have prepared some "dislike" buttons which you can use to show your
opposition to that, and to raise awareness about the important
issues of freedom, privacy and autonomy.

* <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/mark-zuckerberg-is-time-magazines-person-of-the-year-wheres-the-dislike-button>

### New US cybersecurity bill could threaten free software

Richard Stallman recently called our attention to the Homeland
Security Cyber and Physical Infrastructure Protection Act of
2010. This bill, currently being considered in a House subcommittee,
has the potential to threaten software freedom.

Its loose wording would allow bad measures like requiring companies,
institutions, or even just major Web sites, to use specific
proprietary software.

We need to make sure that free software is not hurt by this bill.

* <http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/new-us-cybersecurity-bill-could-threaten-free-software>

### The most important work for freedom seen in generations

This year introduced several freedom-threatening technologies, from
the iPad to the DRM'd App Store for Mac OS X, and from the more
aggressive DRM on video games to the increasing efforts from
Microsoft, Sony, Intel and Adobe to keep control over users.

You can support our campaign to eliminate Digital Restrictions
Management by donating to the FSF.

* <http://www.defectivebydesign.org/node/2164>

### Kettling Wikileaks

Richard Stallman wrote about online protesting and digital handcuffs
in an article originally published by the Guardian.

This article provides an important back story to our anti-DRM
campaign. It helps show the bigger picture of how DRM is a threat to
society's freedom: it's about more than just access to music and
movies.

* <http://www.defectivebydesign.org/wikileaks>

### LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet Italia

Every month on LibrePlanet, we highlight one resource that is
interesting and useful -- often one that could use your help.

For this month, we are highlighting LibrePlanet Italia, which was the
very first official LibrePlanet local group! It's a great model for
starting your own local group, as several others have done since.

* <http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:LibrePlanet_Italia>

Do you have a suggestion for next month's featured resource? Let us
know at <campaigns at fsf.org>.

### GNU Spotlight with Karl Berry

acm-5.1                 global-5.9.3            libmicrohttpd-0.9.4
autogen-5.11.5          glpk-4.45               libtasn1-2.9
binutils-2.21           gnunet-0.9.0pre2        libzrtpcpp-1.5.3
ccrtp-1.7.2             gnutls-2.10.4           parallel-20101222
coreutils-8.8           groff-1.21              recutils-1.1
denemo-0.8.22           gretl-1.9.3             smalltalk-3.2.3
electric-9.00           gsasl-1.6.0             swbis-1.7
freeipmi-0.8.12         guile-1.8.8             ucommon-4.0.4
garpd-0.2.0             help2man-1.38.4         wdiff-0.6.5
gcc-4.5.2               icecat-3.6.13           xorriso-0.6.6
glibc-2.12.2            libgsasl-1.6.0

To get announcements of most new GNU packages, subscribe to the info-gnu
mailing list: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/info-gnu>.  Nearly
all GNU software is available from <http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/>, or
preferably one of its mirrors (<http://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp.html>).  You
can use the url <http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/> to be automatically
redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.

This month we welcome Tim Marston as the the new maintainer of GNU Gtypist
and Fadi Osman as the new maintainer of GNU Sather.

I'd like to specially note the new pretest release of GNUnet (a
framework for decentralized peer-to-peer networking), made with the hope
of getting feedback from the community.  See <https://gnunet.org/> and
get involved if you're interested.

I'd also like to mention the newly-revamped GNU documentation web page,
<http://www.gnu.org/manual/>.  It now lists all official GNU packages,
grouped by category, with links to online manuals and home pages.

Several GNU packages are looking for maintainers and other assistance.
Please see <http://www.gnu.org/server/takeaction.html#unmaint> if you'd
like to help.  The general page on how to help GNU is at
<http://www.gnu.org/help/help.html>.  To submit new packages to GNU, see
<http://www.gnu.org/help/evaluation.html>.

As always, please feel free to write to me, <karl at gnu.org>, with any
GNUish questions or suggestions for future installments.

### Richard Stallman's speaking schedule

2011-01-20 | El Movimiento del Software Libre y el Sistema Operativo
            GNU/Linux
 Sangolqui, Ecuador
* <http://www.fsf.org/events/20110120-fs-sangolqui>

2011-01-21 | Software Libre en la Ética y en la Practica
 Latacunga, Ecuador
* <http://www.fsf.org/events/20110121-fs-latacunga>

2011-01-22 | El Movimiento del Software Libre y el Sistema Operativo
            GNU/Linux
 Portoviejo, Ecuador
* <http://www.fsf.org/events/20110122-fs-portoviejo>

2011-01-24 | El Software Libre y Tu Libertad
 Manabi, Ecuador
* <http://www.fsf.org/events/20110124-fs-manabi>

### Take action with the FSF

Contributions from thousands of individual members enable the FSF's
work. You can contribute by joining at <http://www.fsf.org/join>. If
you're already a member, you can help refer new members (and earn some
rewards) by adding a line with your member number to your email
signature like:

 I'm an FSF member -- Help us support software freedom!
 <http://www.fsf.org/jf?referrer=2442>

The FSF is also always looking for volunteers
(<http://www.fsf.org/volunteer>). From rabble-rousing to hacking, from
issue coordination to envelope stuffing -- there's something here for
everybody to do. Also, head over to our campaign section
(<http://www.fsf.org/campaigns>) and take action on software patents,
DRM, free software adoption, OpenDocument, RIAA and more.

###

The Free Software Supporter is edited by FSF volunteer Osama Khalid.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-No
Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this
license, visit <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/> or
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