Software Freedom Day
Encyclopedia
Software Freedom Day is an annual worldwide celebration of Free Software
. SFD is a public education effort with the aim of increasing awareness of Free Software and its virtues, and encouraging its use.
Software Freedom Day was established in 2004 and was first observed on 28 August of that year. Over 70 teams participated in the first Software Freedom Day. Since that time it has grown in popularity and organisers anticipated more than 1,000 teams in 2010 (though only half of this number was actually achieved, representing a 30% decrease over 2009).
Since 2006 Software Freedom Day has been held on the third Saturday of September, it has occasionally coincided with International Talk Like a Pirate Day
.
SFD 2005 was held on 10 September with more than 120 teams from over 60 countries.
SFD 2006 was held on 16 September with more than 200 teams from over 70 countries.
SFD 2007 was held on 15 September with more than 350 teams from over 80 countries.
SFD 2008 was held on 20 September with more than 500 teams in over 90 countries.
SFD 2009 was held on 19 September with more than 700 teams in over 90 countries.
SFD 2010 was held on 18 September with about 500 teams in over 100 countries.
SFD 2011 was held on 17 September.
, the company behind Ubuntu
, a Linux distribution
. Then IBM
, Sun Microsystems
, DKUUG, Google
, Red Hat
, Linode
, Nokia
and now MakerBot Industries
have joined the supporting organisations as well as the FSF
and the FSFE. IBM
and Sun Microsystems
are currently not sponsoring the event. In terms of media coverage SFI is partnering with Linux Magazine
and Ubuntu User
. Each local team can seek sponsors independently, especially local FOSS supporting organisations and often appears in local medias such as newspapers and TV.
Volunteer efforts are sought in many other sectors too, including local (national or regional) coordinators, sponsorship coordinator, wiki/website maintainers, media campaign people, etc.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
. SFD is a public education effort with the aim of increasing awareness of Free Software and its virtues, and encouraging its use.
Software Freedom Day was established in 2004 and was first observed on 28 August of that year. Over 70 teams participated in the first Software Freedom Day. Since that time it has grown in popularity and organisers anticipated more than 1,000 teams in 2010 (though only half of this number was actually achieved, representing a 30% decrease over 2009).
Since 2006 Software Freedom Day has been held on the third Saturday of September, it has occasionally coincided with International Talk Like a Pirate Day
International Talk Like a Pirate Day
International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers , of Albany, Oregon, U.S., who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate...
.
Software Freedom International
"Software Freedom International" (SFI) is a non-profit organisation that acts as the official organiser of Software Freedom Day, and is the legal body that handles donations, sponsorship contracts, and accounting. SFI has successfully obtain a tax-exempt status in the USA where it is registered, in order to make donations tax-deductible. The name Software Freedom International was chosen to distinguish the organisational body from the event of Software Freedom Day itself.The day itself
Each event is left to local teams around the world to organise. Pre-registered teams (2 months before the date or earlier) receive free schwag sent by SFI to help with the events themselves. The SFD wiki contains individual team pages describing their plans as well as helpful information to get them up to speed. Events themselves varies between conferences explaining the virtues of Free and Open Source Software, to workshops, demonstrations, games, planting tree ceremonies, discussions and InstallFests.Events
SFD 2004 was held on 28 August with more than 70 teams.SFD 2005 was held on 10 September with more than 120 teams from over 60 countries.
SFD 2006 was held on 16 September with more than 200 teams from over 70 countries.
SFD 2007 was held on 15 September with more than 350 teams from over 80 countries.
SFD 2008 was held on 20 September with more than 500 teams in over 90 countries.
SFD 2009 was held on 19 September with more than 700 teams in over 90 countries.
SFD 2010 was held on 18 September with about 500 teams in over 100 countries.
SFD 2011 was held on 17 September.
Sponsors
The primary sponsor from the start was Canonical Ltd.Canonical Ltd.
Canonical Ltd. is a private company founded by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth to market commercial support and related services for Ubuntu Linux and related projects. Canonical is registered in London and employs staff around the world...
, the company behind Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
, a Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
. Then IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, DKUUG, Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, Red Hat
Red Hat
Red Hat, Inc. is an S&P 500 company in the free and open source software sector, and a major Linux distribution vendor. Founded in 1993, Red Hat has its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina with satellite offices worldwide....
, Linode
Linode
Linode is a web application hosting and cloud computing provider based in Galloway Township, New Jersey. Linode allows system administrators and software developers to rent virtual servers on which to run their own computer applications...
, Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
and now MakerBot Industries
MakerBot Industries
MakerBot Industries is a Brooklyn, New York-based company founded in January 2009 by Bre Pettis, Adam Mayer, and Zach "Hoeken" Smith producing open source hardware, specifically 3D printers...
have joined the supporting organisations as well as the FSF
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
and the FSFE. IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
and Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
are currently not sponsoring the event. In terms of media coverage SFI is partnering with Linux Magazine
Linux Magazine
Linux Magazine is a European professional journal. It addresses itself to readers who work professionally with operating systems based around the Linux kernel. Linux Magazine is published by Linux New Media AG and was born after the great success of Linux-Magazin...
and Ubuntu User
Ubuntu User
Ubuntu User is a paper magazine that was launched by Linux New Media AG in May 2009.The publication is aimed at users of the Ubuntu operating system and focuses on reviews, community news, how to articles and troubleshooting tips. It also includes a Discovery Guide aimed at...
. Each local team can seek sponsors independently, especially local FOSS supporting organisations and often appears in local medias such as newspapers and TV.
SFI Board Members
- Frederic Muller (President), founding member and former President of the Beijing LUG, co-organizer of many international FOSS events in China and Asia such as the Linux Developer Symposium (2008), Gnome.Asia Summits, OOoCon 2008, and of course local SFD events. Fred is as well as co-maintainer of RUR-PLERUR-PLERUR - Python Learning Environment is an educational tool to help students learn the Python programming language. RUR-PLE uses the idea behind Karel the Robot, making the learning of Python programming more interesting...
(a python learning environment for children) and a GNOMEGNOMEGNOME is a desktop environment and graphical user interface that runs on top of a computer operating system. It is composed entirely of free and open source software...
Foundation member. - Matt Oquist (VP, Treasurer and co-founder), a Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
graduate student and employee of the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School - Pockey Lam (Secretary), Former president of Beijing Linux User Group, founding member of SFDChina.org, GNOME.Asia Summit, College OSS Society and Beijing GNOME User Group.
- JM C. Bitanga
- Jan Husar
Past SFI Board Members
- Quiliro Ordóñez
- Silvia Aimasso
- Alexjan Carraturo
- Pia WaughPia WaughPia Waugh is a policy adviser working for Australian Senator Kate Lundy. Waugh is known for her former work as an Australian free software advocate...
(President), of Linux AustraliaLinux AustraliaLinux Australia is the national, Australian Linux organisation. It was founded in 1997 and formally incorporated in New South Wales as a non-profit organisation in 1999. Linux Australia aims to represent the Australian Linux community and to support and collaborate with the Linux User Groups in... - Henrik Nilsen Omma of TheOpenCDTheOpenCDThe now defunct OpenCD project aimed to introduce users of Microsoft Windows to the benefits of free and open source software . It is a CD image that can freely be downloaded and copied...
project - Phil Harper, of TheOpenCDTheOpenCDThe now defunct OpenCD project aimed to introduce users of Microsoft Windows to the benefits of free and open source software . It is a CD image that can freely be downloaded and copied...
project - Benjamin Mako HillBenjamin Mako HillBenjamin Mako Hill is a Debian hacker, intellectual property researcher, activist and author. He is a contributor and free software developer as part of the Debian and Ubuntu projects as well as the author of two best-selling technical books on the subject, Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 Bible and The...
, of the Free Software FoundationFree Software FoundationThe Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software... - Sidsel Jensen, DKUUG
- Frederick NoronhaFrederick NoronhaFrederick Noronha is an independent journalist based in Saligao in the Bardez taluka of Goa. He is active in cyberspace and involved with e-ventures involving Goa, developmental concerns and free software. He writes mostly on free software / open source issues, technology, and computing issues in...
, Goa SFD Team - Joe Olutuase, of Knowledge House Africa
- Robert Schumann, of TheOpenCDTheOpenCDThe now defunct OpenCD project aimed to introduce users of Microsoft Windows to the benefits of free and open source software . It is a CD image that can freely be downloaded and copied...
project
Volunteer efforts are sought in many other sectors too, including local (national or regional) coordinators, sponsorship coordinator, wiki/website maintainers, media campaign people, etc.