BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Saturday, March 23, 2019 -- The Free Software Foundation (FSF) recognizes OpenStreetMap with the 2018 Free Software Award for Projects of Social Benefit and Deborah Nicholson with the Award for the Advancement of Free Software. FSF president Richard M. Stallman presented the awards today in a yearly ceremony during the LibrePlanet 2019 conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The Award for Projects of Social Benefit is presented to a project or team responsible for applying free software, or the ideas of the free software movement, to intentionally and significantly benefit society. This award stresses the use of free software in service to humanity.

This year the FSF awarded OpenStreetMap and the award was accepted by Kate Chapman, chairperson of the OpenStreetMap Foundation and co-founder of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).

OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Founded by Steve Coast in the UK in 2004, OpenStreetMap is built by a community of over one million community members and has found its application on thousands of Web sites, mobile apps, and hardware devices. OpenStreetMap is the only truly global service without restrictions on use or availability of map information.

Stallman emphasized the importance of OpenStreetMap in a time where geotech and geo-thinking are highly prevalent. "It has been clear for decades that map data are important. Therefore we need a free collection of map data. The name OpenStreetMap doesn't say so explicitly, but its map data is free. It is the free replacement that the Free World needs."

Kate thanked the Free Software Foundation and the large community of contributors of OpenStreetMap. "In 2004, much of the geospatial data was either extraordinarily expensive or unavailable. Our strong community of people committed to free and open map information has changed that. Without the leadership before us from groups such as the Free Software Foundation, we would not have been able to grow and develop to the resource we are today."

The Award for the Advancement of Free Software goes to an individual who has made a great contribution to the progress and development of free software through activities that accord with the spirit of free software.

This year it was presented to Deborah Nicholson, who, motivated by the intersection of technology and social justice, advocates access to political information, unfettered freedom of speech and assembly, and civil liberties in our increasingly digital world. She joined the free software movement in 2006 after years of local organizing for free speech, marriage equality, government transparency and access to the political process. The Free Software Foundation recognizes her as an exceptional opinion leader, activist and community advocate.

Deborah is the director of community operations at the Software Freedom Conservancy, where she supports the work of its member organizations and facilitates collaboration with the wider free software community. She has served as the membership coordinator for the Free Software Foundation, where she created the Women's Caucus to increase recruitment and retention of women in the free software community. She has been widely recognized for her volunteer work with GNU MediaGoblin, a federated media-publishing platform, and OpenHatch, free software's welcoming committee. She continues her work as a founding organizer of the Seattle GNU/Linux Conference, an annual event dedicated to surfacing new voices and welcoming new people to the free software community.

Stallman praised her body of work and her unremitting and widespread contributions to the free software community. "Deborah continuously reaches out to, and engages, new audiences with her message on the need for free software in any version of the future."

Deborah continued: "Free software is critically important for autonomy, privacy and a healthy democracy -- but it can't achieve that if it is only accessible for some, or if it is alienating for large swathes of people. That's why it's so important that we continue surfacing new voices, making room for non-coders and welcoming new contributors into the free software community. I also find that in addition to helping us build a better, bigger movement, the work of welcoming is extremely rewarding."

Nominations for both awards are submitted by members of the public, then evaluated by an award committee composed of previous winners and FSF founder and president Richard Stallman.

More information about both awards, including the full list of previous winners, can be found at https://www.fsf.org/awards.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at https://fsf.org and https://gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://my.fsf.org/donate. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

Media Contacts

John Sullivan
Executive Director
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

Photo credits: Copyright © 2019 Madi Muhlberg, photos licensed under CC-BY 4.0.

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Thursday, March 21st, 2019 -- The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today awarded Respects Your Freedom (RYF) certification to seven devices from ThinkPenguin, Inc.: The Penguin Wireless G USB Adapter (TPE-G54USB2), the Penguin USB Desktop Microphone for GNU / Linux (TPE-USBMIC), the Penguin Wireless N Dual-Band PCIe Card (TPE-N300PCIED2), the PCIe Gigabit Ethernet Card Dual Port (TPE-1000MPCIE), the PCI Gigabit Ethernet Card (TPE-1000MPCI), the Penguin 10/100 USB Ethernet Network Adapter v1 (TPE-100NET1), and the Penguin 10/100 USB Ethernet Network Adapter v2 (TPE-100NET2). The RYF certification mark means that these products meet the FSF's standards in regard to users' freedom, control over the product, and privacy.

These are not the first devices from ThinkPenguin to receive RYF certification. This fresh batch joins four previously certified devices in the ThinkPenguin lineup. With these additions, ThinkPenguin becomes one of the largest retailers of RYF-certified devices.

"I'm excited about this announcement, because this collection of devices includes some for which there previously was no certified option. These certifications get us closer to our goal of making sure there is a certified device in each product category, to meet all users' needs," said the FSF's executive director, John Sullivan.

Today's certification broadly expands the availability of RYF-certified peripheral devices. The Penguin Wireless G USB Adapter and Penguin Wireless N Dual-Band PCIe Card enable wireless network connectivity. The PCIe Gigabit Ethernet Card Dual Port, PCI Gigabit Ethernet Card, Penguin 10/100 USB Ethernet Network Adapter v1, and Penguin 10/100 USB Ethernet Network Adapter v2 provide a direct Ethernet connection. Finally, the Penguin USB Desktop Microphone for GNU / Linux helps users to connect to one another by providing a freedom-respecting microphone.

"I've always believed that the biggest difficulty for users in the free software world has been in obtaining compatible hardware, and so I'm glad to be participating in the expansion of the RYF program" said Christopher Waid, founder and CEO of ThinkPenguin.

ThinkPenguin, Inc. was one of the first companies to receive RYF certification, gaining their first and second certifications in 2013, and adding several more over the years since.

"ThinkPenguin has excelled for years in providing users with the tools they need to control their own computing. We are excited by these new additions today, and look forward to what they have in store for the future," said the FSF's licensing and compliance manager, Donald Robertson, III.

To learn more about the Respects Your Freedom certification program, including details on the certification of these ThinkPenguin devices, please visit https://fsf.org/ryf.

Hardware sellers interested in applying for certification can consult https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/criteria.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at https://fsf.org and https://gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

About ThinkPenguin, Inc.

Started by Christopher Waid, founder and CEO, ThinkPenguin, Inc., is a consumer-driven company with a mission to bring free software to the masses. At the core of company is a catalog of computers and accessories with broad support for GNU/Linux. The company provides technical support for end-users and works with the community, distributions, and upstream projects to make GNU/Linux all that it can be.

Media Contacts

Donald Robertson, III
Licensing and Compliance Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
licensing@fsf.org

ThinkPenguin, Inc.
+1 (888) 39 THINK (84465) x703
media@thinkpenguin.com

Image Copyright 2016 ThinkPenguin, Inc., licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, USA -- Thursday, March 14, 2019 -- Next weekend, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) presents the eleventh annual LibrePlanet free software conference in Cambridge, March 23-24, 2019, at the Stata Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. LibrePlanet is an annual conference for people who care about their digital freedoms, bringing together software developers, policy experts, activists, and computer users to learn skills, share accomplishments, and tackle challenges facing the free software movement, including 3D printing, cryptography, medical devices, privacy, security, and current issues in software licensing. LibrePlanet 2019 will focus on the exploration of software freedom and how to bring to life trailblazing, principled new technologies.

LibrePlanet 2019 will include four keynotes. Tarek Loubani, an emergency physician, will talk about his work on making medical devices accessible through free designs that meet medical industry standards. Micky Metts, a member of the Agaric Design Collective, will talk about your collective and individual roles in maintaining your freedoms, with free software as the foundation. Bdale Garbee, longtime free software contributor and former Debian Project Leader, will tell us about the fun in free software, using personal anecdotes as examples. Richard Stallman, founder of the FSF and president of the board of directors, will discuss current issues facing user freedom, and announce the winners of the 2018 Free Software Foundation awards.

"What makes LibrePlanet great is how it brings everyone from old hand activists to new free software enthusiasts from around the world to exchange ideas, collaborate, and take on challenges to software freedom," said John Sullivan, executive director of the FSF. "We run the event using entirely free software, putting our ideals into action. This conference builds the software community, by offering opportunities for those who cannot attend to participate remotely via watching a multi-channel livestream and online voice and text conversations."

In addition to keynote presentations, LibrePlanet will include: 36 sessions; a party and a hack night on Saturday; an exhibit hall with exciting free software projects, nonprofits, and companies; and community organized meetups. Sessions include such topics as "The Tor Project: State of the Onion," "Australia's decryption law and free software," "Free software in the 3D printing community," and the "The Right to Repair & the DMCA." There will be talks on activism, case studies, communities, licensing and legal issues, and technical issues.

Attendees may register online until Tuesday, March 19 at 10:00 EDT, after which point they can register onsite at the conference, space permitting. Attendance is gratis for students and FSF members. Journalists interested in press passes should contact campaigns@fsf.org.

LibrePlanet is financially supported in part by Red Hat and Private Internet Access.

About LibrePlanet

LibrePlanet is the annual conference of the Free Software Foundation. What was once a small gathering of FSF members has grown into a larger event for anyone with an interest in the values of software freedom. LibrePlanet is always gratis for associate members of the FSF and students. Sign up for announcements about the LibrePlanet conference here.

LibrePlanet 2018 was held at MIT from March 24-25, 2018. About 350 attendees from all over the world came together for conversations, workshops, and keynotes centered around the theme of "Freedom Embedded." You can watch videos from past conferences at https://media.libreplanet.org, including keynotes by Deb Nicholson, Seth Schoen, and Benjamin Mako Hill.

About the Free Software Foundation

The FSF, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at https://fsf.org and https://gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

Media Contact

Molly de Blanc
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

The report is viewable as a Web site or high resolution PDF.

The Annual Report reviews the FSF's activities, accomplishments, and financial picture from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017. It is the result of a full external financial audit, along with a focused study of program results. It examines the impact of the FSF's events, programs, and activities, including the annual LibrePlanet conference, the Respects Your Freedom (RYF) hardware certification program, and the fight against Digital Restrictions Management (DRM).

"Software filters the information we receive about the world, the messages we put out into the world, and even the way we physically move in the world," said FSF executive director John Sullivan in his introduction to the FY2017 report. "If the software is not free 'as in freedom'... the consequences for the rest of us will be loss of democracy, privacy, security, freedom of speech, freedom of movement -- and even loss of life."

The FSF publishes its financials and annual report as part of their commitment to transparency. Along with its strong financial health, accountability and transparency are the reasons the FSF is a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity.

As with all of the Foundation's activities, the Annual Report was made using free software, including Pelican, Scribus, GIMP, and Inkscape, along with freely licensed fonts and images. If you would like a printed copy of the Annual Report, or have any questions or comments, please email campaigns@fsf.org.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to run, change, share, and contribute to computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at https://fsf.org and https://gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

Media Contact

Molly de Blanc
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
campaigns@fsf.org

These are the fourth and fifth devices from Vikings GmbH to receive RYF certification. The Vikings D8 Mainboard is an ASUS KCMA-D8 that comes with Trisquel GNU/Linux. Like the previously certified Vikings D16, it is a powerful mainboard suitable for use as a workstation or server. The Vikings D8 Workstation brings the D8 Mainboard together with a variety of options to provide a robust workstation for users. Both are available for purchase at https://store.vikings.net.

"The more options users have for RYF-certified mainboards, the easier it is for them to build a machine that is completely under their control. Having an already assembled workstation available as an option is also a great improvement to the program. This is an area in which we hope to see continued growth, so that every user can get what they want when it comes to a server or workstation," said the FSF's licensing and compliance manager, Donald Robertson, III.

Vikings GmbH received their first three certifications in spring of 2017, and has steadily worked to continue offering new RYF-certifiable devices.

"When we announced the first certifications for Vikings we knew they would be back soon with even more. Vikings is building an impressive lineup of freedom-respecting hardware and we're excited to see the D8 Mainboard and Workstation as their latest additions," said the FSF's executive director, John Sullivan.

"The Vikings Store is dedicated to helping users purchase ready to go, libre-friendly systems. Together with the Free Software Foundation, we have put a lot of effort into offering a high-performance, owner-controllable system at an affordable price. This machine is aimed at the security-conscious, as well as users who prefer a computer that runs free software from the ground up as an ethical choice. That is why we are pleased to see the Vikings D8 Workstation receive RYF certification. We would like to thank Timothy Pearson of Raptor Engineering, Inc. for their reverse engineering and porting work which laid the very foundation for making this possible," said Vikings GmbH CEO Thomas Umbach.

To learn more about the Respects Your Freedom certification program, including details on the certification of the Vikings D8 Workstation and Mainboard, please visit https://fsf.org/ryf.

Hardware sellers interested in applying for certification can consult https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/criteria.

About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at https://fsf.org and https://gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at https://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

More information about the FSF, as well as important information for journalists and publishers, is at https://www.fsf.org/press.

About Vikings GmbH

Vikings GmbH is a company that is based in Germany and operates worldwide. It was started by Thomas Umbach, founder and CEO. Vikings is the world's first professional hosting company with a fully libre hosting platform stack. Our services are based 100% on libre boot firmware and 100% libre software, and are powered by 100% certified green energy.

Media Contacts

Donald Robertson, III
Licensing and Compliance Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
licensing@fsf.org

Vikings GmbH, Germany
+49 6196 202 82 0
hello@vikings.net

Image by Vikings GmbH is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.