*Please consider adding to your address book, which will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box.*
*Read and share online: *
Welcome to the *Free Software Supporter*, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 230,658 other activists. That's ninety-two more than last month!
### Defend the freedom to share!
*From November 14*
Consider the presence of software in your life and how so much of what we do depends on sharing, studying, and building upon the works of others. This is why the freedom to share is at the core of the FSF's work. We can only truly foster free software, free documentation, and free cultural works for users around the world if we have the ability to share. Motivated by profit, mega-corporations are trying to limit this ability. They not only prevent interoperability between social media platforms and messengers to maintain their monopolies, but also impose Digital [Restrictions Management (DRM)](https://www.defectivebydesign.org/) on books and other media.
With your support, we can continue protecting the freedom to share. The goal: to grow our sharing community by 455 new associate members by December 31 -- **For $10/month ($5 for students) you can join us today! Share the message using the hashtag #FreedomToShare on [social media networks][0].**
*
[0]: https://u.fsf.org/sharefreedom
## TABLE OF CONTENTS
* Fifteen years of LibrePlanet: Register now to join us on March 18 and 19 * Baby gnus, hoodies, and more: Show your support for free software through the GNU Press shop * FSF Giving Guide: Put freedom first in your giving this year * LibrePlanet CFS has closed. Thank you for your submissions! * Tax filing Web sites have been sending users' financial information to Facebook * Sign the FSFE's open letter about the right to install any software on any device * France says "non" to Office 365 and Google Workspace in school * ChessBase GmbH and the Stockfish team reach an agreement and end their legal dispute * November GNU Emacs news * Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory * LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet 2023 BoF * November GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali: Fifteen new GNU releases! * FSF and other free software events * Thank GNUs! * GNU copyright contributions * Translations of the *Free Software Supporter* * Take action with the FSF!
View this issue online here:
Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your Web site.
* Subscribe: * Widget:
Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues at .
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the *Supporter* in French or Spanish.
### Fifteen years of LibrePlanet: Register now to join us on March 18 and 19
*From November 30*
The fifteenth edition of LibrePlanet will be another great two days of excitement, community, and knowledge-sharing! After three years of meeting everyone exclusively online, we are looking forward to having a hybrid event on March 18 and 19, 2023 that allows you to choose whether you want to participate online or in person. With the submissions we received and the schedule we are planning, we're certain you will be excited by what this fifteenth LibrePlanet has in store for you!
* *
### Baby gnus, hoodies, and more: Show your support for free software through the GNU Press shop
*From November 23*
Thinking about getting a gift for your GNU-loving friends or family? Well, now is the time to place that order! If you're in the US, and you place your order by Friday, December 16 there is a good chance that it will arrive on, or before, December 24. We have the all-new (and much anticipated) stuffed baby gnu, a maroon "Free Software, Free Society" hoodie, a stylish GNU beanie, a GNU Emacs "Auto-Fill Mode" mug for your warm winter beverages, and more! Plus, don't forget that FSF associate members receive a 20% discount on all purchases in the FSF's shop.
*
### FSF Giving Guide: Put freedom first in your giving this year
*From November 18*
Freedom is the best gift you can give, and the one that keeps on giving. Taking your first steps to freedom often doesn't just help you win back your digital autonomy: it provides an opportunity for you to deepen your relationship with the ones you care about through a shared experience, and inaugurates you into a worldwide community of users. If you're already technical and committed to furthering free software, we've also included a short list of devices that need developer attention to clear the last hurdles to freedom that stand between the chips they employ and full acceptability.
* *
### LibrePlanet CFS has closed. Thank you for your submissions!
*From November 21*
The call for sessions is now over, but we thank all who have taken the time to submit a talk as well as a special thanks to this year's LibrePlanet committee.
* *
### Tax filing Web sites have been sending users' financial information to Facebook
*From November 22 by Simon Fondrie-Teitler, Angie Waller, and Colin Lecher*
US taxpayers do not have many good options when it comes to filing what, for some individuals, can often be a burdensome array of tax forms. Unlike some other countries, the US has a heavily privatized system for filing taxes, one that often requires the use of third-party tax preparers. Unfortunately, when it comes to software, the IRS currently only publishes a list of proprietary software for individual tax preparation. Citizens who care about their freedom may file by paper, of course, but many people feel obligated to use the software. The Markup conducted research on widely used tax preparation software and found several instances where, in addition to its inherently unjust power over its users, the software examined utilized the Meta (Facebook) Pixel to send sensitive financial and personal data to Meta, which included "not only information like names and email addresses but often even more detailed information, including data on users' income, filing status, refund amounts, and dependents' college scholarship amounts."
*
### Sign the FSFE's open letter about the right to install any software on any device
*From November 22 by the Free Software Foundation Europe*
Advocating for "the universal right to install any software on any device," the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is asking for signatures in an open letter to European Union legislators. Backed and signed by more than a hundred civil society organizations, the FSFE is calling for the right to freely choose operating systems and software running on their devices; the right to freely choose between service providers; devices to be interoperable and compatible with free and open standards; and that the source code for the devices' drivers, tools, and interfaces to be published under a free license. Read more about the campaign and sign the letter in advance of the European Parliament and Council's reading of the *Proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition*.
* *
### France says "non" to Office 365 and Google Workspace in school
*From November 22 by Thomas Claburn*
The French minister of national education and youth has said that certain versions of Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace should *not* be used in schools, citing data sovereignty issues involved with storing students' personal data on American servers. While this decision is promising, it fails to address other issues. For example, in order to maintain software freedom for students, software in so-called ["cloud" computing](https://u.fsf.org/2kj) instead should be installed onto students' computers when, in principle, it could be run on students' computers. Data storage on servers should allow for encryption by the end users in order to keep teachers and students in control of their personal data. This is an important opportunity for the French government to do the right thing for students' freedom and privacy, and we urge them to recognize comprehensive software freedom as being an imperative prerequisite to protecting its citizens' data sovereignty.
*
### ChessBase GmbH and the Stockfish team reach an agreement and end their legal dispute
*From Joost VandeVondele on November 18*
An agreement in accord with the spirit of free software was reached between the leading developers of the chess engine Stockfish, which is licensed under the General Public License version 3 (GPLv3), and ChessBase Gmbh. Fat Fritz 2 and Houdini 6 software are based on Stockfish, and ChessBase infringed on the license by not distributing these as free software in accordance with the GPLv3. ChessBase's customers were given neither the license nor the source code of these programs, which they would need to exercise the rights granted by the GPLv3. In a year from now, Stockfish will reinstate ChessBase's license. To prevent future violations, ChessBase will, among other things, create the position of a Free Software Compliance Officer, and will maintain a domain that lists free software they distribute.
* *
### November GNU Emacs news
*From 28 November by Sacha Chua*
In these issues: Org Rainbow Tags; play, pause, resume music on a Bluesound player; mindmaps in Emacs and more!
### Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth of useful information, from basic category and descriptions to version control, IRC channels, documentation, and licensing. The Free Software Directory has been a great resource to software users over the past decade, but it needs your help staying up-to-date with new and exciting free software projects.
To help, join our weekly IRC meetings on Fridays. Meetings take place in the #fsf channel on Libera.Chat, and usually include a handful of regulars as well as newcomers. Libera.Chat is accessible from any IRC client -- Everyone's welcome!
The next meeting is Friday, December 2 from 12:00 to 15:00 EST (17:00 to 20:00 UTC). Details here:
*
### LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet 2023 BoF
Every month on [the LibrePlanet wiki](https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Main_Page), we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful -- often one that could use your help.
For this month, we are highlighting LibrePlanet 2023 Birds of a Feather sessions, which provides information about how to propose a social event for the upcoming LibrePlanet 2023. You are invited to propose BoFs for LibrePlanet 2023.
*
Do you have a suggestion for next month's featured resource? Let us know at .
### November GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali: Fifteen new GNU releases!
Fifteen new GNU releases in the last month (as of November 28, 2022):
For announcements of most new GNU releases, subscribe to the info-gnu mailing list: .
To download: nearly all GNU software is available most reliably from . Optionally, you may find faster download speeds at a mirror located geographically closer to you by choosing from the list of mirrors published at , or using to be automatically redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
A number of GNU packages, as well as the GNU operating system as a whole, are looking for maintainers and other assistance. Please see if you'd like to help. The general page on how to help GNU is at .
If you have a working or partly working program that you'd like to offer to the GNU Project as a GNU package, see .
As always, please feel free to write to me at with any GNUish questions or suggestions for future installments.
### FSF and other free software events
* December 2-3, 2022, Hilton Columbus Downtown, Columbus, Ohio, [OLF](https://olfconference.org/) * December 3-4, 2022, Online, [EmacsConf](https://emacsconf.org/2022/) * February 4-5, 2023, Brussels, [FOSDEM](https://fosdem.org/2023/) * March 9-12, 2023, Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, California, [SCALE 20x](https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/20x/) * March 18-19, 2023, Boston and online, [LibrePlanet 2023: Charting the Course](https://libreplanet.org/2023/)
### Thank GNUs!
We appreciate everyone who donates to the Free Software Foundation, and we'd like to give special recognition to the folks who have donated $500 or more in the last month.
*
This month, a big Thank GNU to:
* Camille Akmut * Christina Howell * Devin Roth * J.Fossy Weinzinger * Jürg Hofmann * Michael Gran * René Genz * Richard Greer * Richard Valdes * Roland Pesch * Seth Erfurt * Trevor Spiteri * Will Beason
You can add your name to this list by donating at .
### GNU copyright contributions
Assigning your copyright to the Free Software Foundation helps us defend the GNU GPL and keep software free. The following individuals have assigned their copyright to the FSF (and allowed public appreciation) in the past month:
* Asaf Fisher (GDB, GNU Binutils) * Zachary Ryan Romero (GNU Emacs)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
*
### Translations of the *Free Software Supporter*
El *Free Software Supporter* está disponible en español. Para ver la versión en español haz click aqui:
**Para cambiar las preferencias de usuario y recibir los próximos números del *Supporter* en español, haz click aquí:**
Le *Free Software Supporter* est disponible en français. Pour voir la version française cliquez ici:
**Pour modifier vos préférences et recevoir les prochaines publications du *Supporter* en français, cliquez ici:**
### Take action with the FSF!
Contributions from thousands of individual associate members enable the FSF's work. You can contribute by joining at . 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 defend the freedom to share: > !
The FSF is always looking for [volunteers](https://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 [campaigns section](https://www.fsf.org/campaigns) and [take action on software patents](https://endsoftwarepatents.org/), [Digital Restrictions Management](https://www.defectivebydesign.org/), [free software](https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Freedom_Ladder) adoption, [OpenDocument](https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/opendocument/download), and more.
**Do you read and write Portuguese and English?** The FSF is looking for translators for the *Free Software Supporter*. Please send an email to with your interest and a list of your experience and qualifications.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit .
-- * Follow us on Mastodon at , GNU social at , PeerTube at , and on Twitter at -at-fsf. * Read about why we use Twitter, but only with caveats at . * Subscribe to our RSS feeds at . * Join us as an associate member at . * Read our Privacy Policy at .
Sent from the Free Software Foundation,
51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335 United States
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list by visiting
Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 230,658 other activists. That's ninety-two more than last month!
Defend the freedom to share!
From November 14
Consider the presence of software in your life and how so much of what we do depends on sharing, studying, and building upon the works of others. This is why the freedom to share is at the core of the FSF's work. We can only truly foster free software, free documentation, and free cultural works for users around the world if we have the ability to share. Motivated by profit, mega-corporations are trying to limit this ability. They not only prevent interoperability between social media platforms and messengers to maintain their monopolies, but also impose Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) on books and other media.
With your support, we can continue protecting the freedom to share. The goal: to grow our sharing community by 455 new associate members by December 31 -- For $10/month ($5 for students) you can join us today! Share the message using the hashtag #FreedomToShare on social media networks.
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the Supporter in French or Spanish.
Fifteen years of LibrePlanet: Register now to join us on March 18 and 19
From November 30
The fifteenth edition of LibrePlanet will be another great two days of excitement, community, and knowledge-sharing! After three years of meeting everyone exclusively online, we are looking forward to having a hybrid event on March 18 and 19, 2023 that allows you to choose whether you want to participate online or in person. With the submissions we received and the schedule we are planning, we're certain you will be excited by what this fifteenth LibrePlanet has in store for you!
Baby gnus, hoodies, and more: Show your support for free software through the GNU Press shop
From November 23
Thinking about getting a gift for your GNU-loving friends or family? Well, now is the time to place that order! If you're in the US, and you place your order by Friday, December 16 there is a good chance that it will arrive on, or before, December 24. We have the all-new (and much anticipated) stuffed baby gnu, a maroon "Free Software, Free Society" hoodie, a stylish GNU beanie, a GNU Emacs "Auto-Fill Mode" mug for your warm winter beverages, and more! Plus, don't forget that FSF associate members receive a 20% discount on all purchases in the FSF's shop.
FSF Giving Guide: Put freedom first in your giving this year
From November 18
Freedom is the best gift you can give, and the one that keeps on giving. Taking your first steps to freedom often doesn't just help you win back your digital autonomy: it provides an opportunity for you to deepen your relationship with the ones you care about through a shared experience, and inaugurates you into a worldwide community of users. If you're already technical and committed to furthering free software, we've also included a short list of devices that need developer attention to clear the last hurdles to freedom that stand between the chips they employ and full acceptability.
LibrePlanet CFS has closed. Thank you for your submissions!
From November 21
The call for sessions is now over, but we thank all who have taken the time to submit a talk as well as a special thanks to this year's LibrePlanet committee.
Tax filing Web sites have been sending users' financial information to Facebook
From November 22 by Simon Fondrie-Teitler, Angie Waller, and Colin Lecher
US taxpayers do not have many good options when it comes to filing what, for some individuals, can often be a burdensome array of tax forms. Unlike some other countries, the US has a heavily privatized system for filing taxes, one that often requires the use of third-party tax preparers. Unfortunately, when it comes to software, the IRS currently only publishes a list of proprietary software for individual tax preparation. Citizens who care about their freedom may file by paper, of course, but many people feel obligated to use the software. The Markup conducted research on widely used tax preparation software and found several instances where, in addition to its inherently unjust power over its users, the software examined utilized the Meta (Facebook) Pixel to send sensitive financial and personal data to Meta, which included "not only information like names and email addresses but often even more detailed information, including data on users' income, filing status, refund amounts, and dependents' college scholarship amounts."
Sign the FSFE's open letter about the right to install any software on any device
From November 22 by the Free Software Foundation Europe
Advocating for "the universal right to install any software on any device," the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is asking for signatures in an open letter to European Union legislators. Backed and signed by more than a hundred civil society organizations, the FSFE is calling for the right to freely choose operating systems and software running on their devices; the right to freely choose between service providers; devices to be interoperable and compatible with free and open standards; and that the source code for the devices' drivers, tools, and interfaces to be published under a free license. Read more about the campaign and sign the letter in advance of the European Parliament and Council's reading of the Proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition.
France says "non" to Office 365 and Google Workspace in school
From November 22 by Thomas Claburn
The French minister of national education and youth has said that certain versions of Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace should not be used in schools, citing data sovereignty issues involved with storing students' personal data on American servers. While this decision is promising, it fails to address other issues. For example, in order to maintain software freedom for students, software in so-called "cloud" computing instead should be installed onto students' computers when, in principle, it could be run on students' computers. Data storage on servers should allow for encryption by the end users in order to keep teachers and students in control of their personal data. This is an important opportunity for the French government to do the right thing for students' freedom and privacy, and we urge them to recognize comprehensive software freedom as being an imperative prerequisite to protecting its citizens' data sovereignty.
ChessBase GmbH and the Stockfish team reach an agreement and end their legal dispute
From Joost VandeVondele on November 18
An agreement in accord with the spirit of free software was reached between the leading developers of the chess engine Stockfish, which is licensed under the General Public License version 3 (GPLv3), and ChessBase Gmbh. Fat Fritz 2 and Houdini 6 software are based on Stockfish, and ChessBase infringed on the license by not distributing these as free software in accordance with the GPLv3. ChessBase's customers were given neither the license nor the source code of these programs, which they would need to exercise the rights granted by the GPLv3. In a year from now, Stockfish will reinstate ChessBase's license. To prevent future violations, ChessBase will, among other things, create the position of a Free Software Compliance Officer, and will maintain a domain that lists free software they distribute.
Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth of useful information, from basic category and descriptions to version control, IRC channels, documentation, and licensing. The Free Software Directory has been a great resource to software users over the past decade, but it needs your help staying up-to-date with new and exciting free software projects.
To help, join our weekly IRC meetings on Fridays. Meetings take place in the #fsf channel on Libera.Chat, and usually include a handful of regulars as well as newcomers. Libera.Chat is accessible from any IRC client -- Everyone's welcome!
The next meeting is Friday, December 2 from 12:00 to 15:00 EST (17:00 to 20:00 UTC). Details here:
LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet 2023 BoF
Every month on the LibrePlanet wiki, we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful -- often one that could use your help.
For this month, we are highlighting LibrePlanet 2023 Birds of a Feather sessions, which provides information about how to propose a social event for the upcoming LibrePlanet 2023. You are invited to propose BoFs for LibrePlanet 2023.
To download: nearly all GNU software is available most reliably from https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/. Optionally, you may find faster download speeds at a mirror located geographically closer to you by choosing from the list of mirrors published at https://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp.html, or using https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/ to be automatically redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
We appreciate everyone who donates to the Free Software Foundation, and we'd like to give special recognition to the folks who have donated $500 or more in the last month.
Assigning your copyright to the Free Software Foundation helps us defend the GNU GPL and keep software free. The following individuals have assigned their copyright to the FSF (and allowed public appreciation) in the past month:
Asaf Fisher (GDB, GNU Binutils)
Zachary Ryan Romero (GNU Emacs)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
Contributions from thousands of individual associate members enable the FSF's work. You can contribute by joining at https://my.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:
Do you read and write Portuguese and English? The FSF is looking for translators for the Free Software Supporter. Please send an email to campaigns@fsf.org with your interest and a list of your experience and qualifications.
*Please consider adding to your address book, which will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box.*
*Read and share online: *
Welcome to the *Free Software Supporter*, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 230,658 other activists. That's ninety-two more than last month!
### Defend the freedom to share!
*From November 14*
Consider the presence of software in your life and how so much of what we do depends on sharing, studying, and building upon the works of others. This is why the freedom to share is at the core of the FSF's work. We can only truly foster free software, free documentation, and free cultural works for users around the world if we have the ability to share. Motivated by profit, mega-corporations are trying to limit this ability. They not only prevent interoperability between social media platforms and messengers to maintain their monopolies, but also impose Digital [Restrictions Management (DRM)](https://www.defectivebydesign.org/) on books and other media.
With your support, we can continue protecting the freedom to share. The goal: to grow our sharing community by 455 new associate members by December 31 -- **For $10/month ($5 for students) you can join us today! Share the message using the hashtag #FreedomToShare on [social media networks][0].**
*
[0]: https://u.fsf.org/sharefreedom
## TABLE OF CONTENTS
* Fifteen years of LibrePlanet: Register now to join us on March 18 and 19 * Baby gnus, hoodies, and more: Show your support for free software through the GNU Press shop * FSF Giving Guide: Put freedom first in your giving this year * LibrePlanet CFS has closed. Thank you for your submissions! * Tax filing Web sites have been sending users' financial information to Facebook * Sign the FSFE's open letter about the right to install any software on any device * France says "non" to Office 365 and Google Workspace in school * ChessBase GmbH and the Stockfish team reach an agreement and end their legal dispute * November GNU Emacs news * Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory * LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet 2023 BoF * November GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali: Fifteen new GNU releases! * FSF and other free software events * Thank GNUs! * GNU copyright contributions * Translations of the *Free Software Supporter* * Take action with the FSF!
View this issue online here:
Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your Web site.
* Subscribe: * Widget:
Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues at .
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the *Supporter* in French or Spanish.
### Fifteen years of LibrePlanet: Register now to join us on March 18 and 19
*From November 30*
The fifteenth edition of LibrePlanet will be another great two days of excitement, community, and knowledge-sharing! After three years of meeting everyone exclusively online, we are looking forward to having a hybrid event on March 18 and 19, 2023 that allows you to choose whether you want to participate online or in person. With the submissions we received and the schedule we are planning, we're certain you will be excited by what this fifteenth LibrePlanet has in store for you!
* *
### Baby gnus, hoodies, and more: Show your support for free software through the GNU Press shop
*From November 23*
Thinking about getting a gift for your GNU-loving friends or family? Well, now is the time to place that order! If you're in the US, and you place your order by Friday, December 16 there is a good chance that it will arrive on, or before, December 24. We have the all-new (and much anticipated) stuffed baby gnu, a maroon "Free Software, Free Society" hoodie, a stylish GNU beanie, a GNU Emacs "Auto-Fill Mode" mug for your warm winter beverages, and more! Plus, don't forget that FSF associate members receive a 20% discount on all purchases in the FSF's shop.
*
### FSF Giving Guide: Put freedom first in your giving this year
*From November 18*
Freedom is the best gift you can give, and the one that keeps on giving. Taking your first steps to freedom often doesn't just help you win back your digital autonomy: it provides an opportunity for you to deepen your relationship with the ones you care about through a shared experience, and inaugurates you into a worldwide community of users. If you're already technical and committed to furthering free software, we've also included a short list of devices that need developer attention to clear the last hurdles to freedom that stand between the chips they employ and full acceptability.
* *
### LibrePlanet CFS has closed. Thank you for your submissions!
*From November 21*
The call for sessions is now over, but we thank all who have taken the time to submit a talk as well as a special thanks to this year's LibrePlanet committee.
* *
### Tax filing Web sites have been sending users' financial information to Facebook
*From November 22 by Simon Fondrie-Teitler, Angie Waller, and Colin Lecher*
US taxpayers do not have many good options when it comes to filing what, for some individuals, can often be a burdensome array of tax forms. Unlike some other countries, the US has a heavily privatized system for filing taxes, one that often requires the use of third-party tax preparers. Unfortunately, when it comes to software, the IRS currently only publishes a list of proprietary software for individual tax preparation. Citizens who care about their freedom may file by paper, of course, but many people feel obligated to use the software. The Markup conducted research on widely used tax preparation software and found several instances where, in addition to its inherently unjust power over its users, the software examined utilized the Meta (Facebook) Pixel to send sensitive financial and personal data to Meta, which included "not only information like names and email addresses but often even more detailed information, including data on users' income, filing status, refund amounts, and dependents' college scholarship amounts."
*
### Sign the FSFE's open letter about the right to install any software on any device
*From November 22 by the Free Software Foundation Europe*
Advocating for "the universal right to install any software on any device," the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is asking for signatures in an open letter to European Union legislators. Backed and signed by more than a hundred civil society organizations, the FSFE is calling for the right to freely choose operating systems and software running on their devices; the right to freely choose between service providers; devices to be interoperable and compatible with free and open standards; and that the source code for the devices' drivers, tools, and interfaces to be published under a free license. Read more about the campaign and sign the letter in advance of the European Parliament and Council's reading of the *Proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition*.
* *
### France says "non" to Office 365 and Google Workspace in school
*From November 22 by Thomas Claburn*
The French minister of national education and youth has said that certain versions of Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace should *not* be used in schools, citing data sovereignty issues involved with storing students' personal data on American servers. While this decision is promising, it fails to address other issues. For example, in order to maintain software freedom for students, software in so-called ["cloud" computing](https://u.fsf.org/2kj) instead should be installed onto students' computers when, in principle, it could be run on students' computers. Data storage on servers should allow for encryption by the end users in order to keep teachers and students in control of their personal data. This is an important opportunity for the French government to do the right thing for students' freedom and privacy, and we urge them to recognize comprehensive software freedom as being an imperative prerequisite to protecting its citizens' data sovereignty.
*
### ChessBase GmbH and the Stockfish team reach an agreement and end their legal dispute
*From Joost VandeVondele on November 18*
An agreement in accord with the spirit of free software was reached between the leading developers of the chess engine Stockfish, which is licensed under the General Public License version 3 (GPLv3), and ChessBase Gmbh. Fat Fritz 2 and Houdini 6 software are based on Stockfish, and ChessBase infringed on the license by not distributing these as free software in accordance with the GPLv3. ChessBase's customers were given neither the license nor the source code of these programs, which they would need to exercise the rights granted by the GPLv3. In a year from now, Stockfish will reinstate ChessBase's license. To prevent future violations, ChessBase will, among other things, create the position of a Free Software Compliance Officer, and will maintain a domain that lists free software they distribute.
* *
### November GNU Emacs news
*From 28 November by Sacha Chua*
In these issues: Org Rainbow Tags; play, pause, resume music on a Bluesound player; mindmaps in Emacs and more!
### Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth of useful information, from basic category and descriptions to version control, IRC channels, documentation, and licensing. The Free Software Directory has been a great resource to software users over the past decade, but it needs your help staying up-to-date with new and exciting free software projects.
To help, join our weekly IRC meetings on Fridays. Meetings take place in the #fsf channel on Libera.Chat, and usually include a handful of regulars as well as newcomers. Libera.Chat is accessible from any IRC client -- Everyone's welcome!
The next meeting is Friday, December 2 from 12:00 to 15:00 EST (17:00 to 20:00 UTC). Details here:
*
### LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet 2023 BoF
Every month on [the LibrePlanet wiki](https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Main_Page), we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful -- often one that could use your help.
For this month, we are highlighting LibrePlanet 2023 Birds of a Feather sessions, which provides information about how to propose a social event for the upcoming LibrePlanet 2023. You are invited to propose BoFs for LibrePlanet 2023.
*
Do you have a suggestion for next month's featured resource? Let us know at .
### November GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali: Fifteen new GNU releases!
Fifteen new GNU releases in the last month (as of November 28, 2022):
For announcements of most new GNU releases, subscribe to the info-gnu mailing list: .
To download: nearly all GNU software is available most reliably from . Optionally, you may find faster download speeds at a mirror located geographically closer to you by choosing from the list of mirrors published at , or using to be automatically redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
A number of GNU packages, as well as the GNU operating system as a whole, are looking for maintainers and other assistance. Please see if you'd like to help. The general page on how to help GNU is at .
If you have a working or partly working program that you'd like to offer to the GNU Project as a GNU package, see .
As always, please feel free to write to me at with any GNUish questions or suggestions for future installments.
### FSF and other free software events
* December 2-3, 2022, Hilton Columbus Downtown, Columbus, Ohio, [OLF](https://olfconference.org/) * December 3-4, 2022, Online, [EmacsConf](https://emacsconf.org/2022/) * February 4-5, 2023, Brussels, [FOSDEM](https://fosdem.org/2023/) * March 9-12, 2023, Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, California, [SCALE 20x](https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/20x/) * March 18-19, 2023, Boston and online, [LibrePlanet 2023: Charting the Course](https://libreplanet.org/2023/)
### Thank GNUs!
We appreciate everyone who donates to the Free Software Foundation, and we'd like to give special recognition to the folks who have donated $500 or more in the last month.
*
This month, a big Thank GNU to:
* Camille Akmut * Christina Howell * Devin Roth * J.Fossy Weinzinger * Jürg Hofmann * Michael Gran * René Genz * Richard Greer * Richard Valdes * Roland Pesch * Seth Erfurt * Trevor Spiteri * Will Beason
You can add your name to this list by donating at .
### GNU copyright contributions
Assigning your copyright to the Free Software Foundation helps us defend the GNU GPL and keep software free. The following individuals have assigned their copyright to the FSF (and allowed public appreciation) in the past month:
* Asaf Fisher (GDB, GNU Binutils) * Zachary Ryan Romero (GNU Emacs)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
*
### Translations of the *Free Software Supporter*
El *Free Software Supporter* está disponible en español. Para ver la versión en español haz click aqui:
**Para cambiar las preferencias de usuario y recibir los próximos números del *Supporter* en español, haz click aquí:**
Le *Free Software Supporter* est disponible en français. Pour voir la version française cliquez ici:
**Pour modifier vos préférences et recevoir les prochaines publications du *Supporter* en français, cliquez ici:**
### Take action with the FSF!
Contributions from thousands of individual associate members enable the FSF's work. You can contribute by joining at . 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 defend the freedom to share: > !
The FSF is always looking for [volunteers](https://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 [campaigns section](https://www.fsf.org/campaigns) and [take action on software patents](https://endsoftwarepatents.org/), [Digital Restrictions Management](https://www.defectivebydesign.org/), [free software](https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Freedom_Ladder) adoption, [OpenDocument](https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/opendocument/download), and more.
**Do you read and write Portuguese and English?** The FSF is looking for translators for the *Free Software Supporter*. Please send an email to with your interest and a list of your experience and qualifications.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit .
-- * Follow us on Mastodon at , GNU social at , PeerTube at , and on Twitter at -at-fsf. * Read about why we use Twitter, but only with caveats at . * Subscribe to our RSS feeds at . * Join us as an associate member at . * Read our Privacy Policy at .
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Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 230,658 other activists. That's ninety-two more than last month!
Defend the freedom to share!
From November 14
Consider the presence of software in your life and how so much of what we do depends on sharing, studying, and building upon the works of others. This is why the freedom to share is at the core of the FSF's work. We can only truly foster free software, free documentation, and free cultural works for users around the world if we have the ability to share. Motivated by profit, mega-corporations are trying to limit this ability. They not only prevent interoperability between social media platforms and messengers to maintain their monopolies, but also impose Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) on books and other media.
With your support, we can continue protecting the freedom to share. The goal: to grow our sharing community by 455 new associate members by December 31 -- For $10/month ($5 for students) you can join us today! Share the message using the hashtag #FreedomToShare on social media networks.
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the Supporter in French or Spanish.
Fifteen years of LibrePlanet: Register now to join us on March 18 and 19
From November 30
The fifteenth edition of LibrePlanet will be another great two days of excitement, community, and knowledge-sharing! After three years of meeting everyone exclusively online, we are looking forward to having a hybrid event on March 18 and 19, 2023 that allows you to choose whether you want to participate online or in person. With the submissions we received and the schedule we are planning, we're certain you will be excited by what this fifteenth LibrePlanet has in store for you!
Baby gnus, hoodies, and more: Show your support for free software through the GNU Press shop
From November 23
Thinking about getting a gift for your GNU-loving friends or family? Well, now is the time to place that order! If you're in the US, and you place your order by Friday, December 16 there is a good chance that it will arrive on, or before, December 24. We have the all-new (and much anticipated) stuffed baby gnu, a maroon "Free Software, Free Society" hoodie, a stylish GNU beanie, a GNU Emacs "Auto-Fill Mode" mug for your warm winter beverages, and more! Plus, don't forget that FSF associate members receive a 20% discount on all purchases in the FSF's shop.
FSF Giving Guide: Put freedom first in your giving this year
From November 18
Freedom is the best gift you can give, and the one that keeps on giving. Taking your first steps to freedom often doesn't just help you win back your digital autonomy: it provides an opportunity for you to deepen your relationship with the ones you care about through a shared experience, and inaugurates you into a worldwide community of users. If you're already technical and committed to furthering free software, we've also included a short list of devices that need developer attention to clear the last hurdles to freedom that stand between the chips they employ and full acceptability.
LibrePlanet CFS has closed. Thank you for your submissions!
From November 21
The call for sessions is now over, but we thank all who have taken the time to submit a talk as well as a special thanks to this year's LibrePlanet committee.
Tax filing Web sites have been sending users' financial information to Facebook
From November 22 by Simon Fondrie-Teitler, Angie Waller, and Colin Lecher
US taxpayers do not have many good options when it comes to filing what, for some individuals, can often be a burdensome array of tax forms. Unlike some other countries, the US has a heavily privatized system for filing taxes, one that often requires the use of third-party tax preparers. Unfortunately, when it comes to software, the IRS currently only publishes a list of proprietary software for individual tax preparation. Citizens who care about their freedom may file by paper, of course, but many people feel obligated to use the software. The Markup conducted research on widely used tax preparation software and found several instances where, in addition to its inherently unjust power over its users, the software examined utilized the Meta (Facebook) Pixel to send sensitive financial and personal data to Meta, which included "not only information like names and email addresses but often even more detailed information, including data on users' income, filing status, refund amounts, and dependents' college scholarship amounts."
Sign the FSFE's open letter about the right to install any software on any device
From November 22 by the Free Software Foundation Europe
Advocating for "the universal right to install any software on any device," the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is asking for signatures in an open letter to European Union legislators. Backed and signed by more than a hundred civil society organizations, the FSFE is calling for the right to freely choose operating systems and software running on their devices; the right to freely choose between service providers; devices to be interoperable and compatible with free and open standards; and that the source code for the devices' drivers, tools, and interfaces to be published under a free license. Read more about the campaign and sign the letter in advance of the European Parliament and Council's reading of the Proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition.
France says "non" to Office 365 and Google Workspace in school
From November 22 by Thomas Claburn
The French minister of national education and youth has said that certain versions of Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace should not be used in schools, citing data sovereignty issues involved with storing students' personal data on American servers. While this decision is promising, it fails to address other issues. For example, in order to maintain software freedom for students, software in so-called "cloud" computing instead should be installed onto students' computers when, in principle, it could be run on students' computers. Data storage on servers should allow for encryption by the end users in order to keep teachers and students in control of their personal data. This is an important opportunity for the French government to do the right thing for students' freedom and privacy, and we urge them to recognize comprehensive software freedom as being an imperative prerequisite to protecting its citizens' data sovereignty.
ChessBase GmbH and the Stockfish team reach an agreement and end their legal dispute
From Joost VandeVondele on November 18
An agreement in accord with the spirit of free software was reached between the leading developers of the chess engine Stockfish, which is licensed under the General Public License version 3 (GPLv3), and ChessBase Gmbh. Fat Fritz 2 and Houdini 6 software are based on Stockfish, and ChessBase infringed on the license by not distributing these as free software in accordance with the GPLv3. ChessBase's customers were given neither the license nor the source code of these programs, which they would need to exercise the rights granted by the GPLv3. In a year from now, Stockfish will reinstate ChessBase's license. To prevent future violations, ChessBase will, among other things, create the position of a Free Software Compliance Officer, and will maintain a domain that lists free software they distribute.
Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth of useful information, from basic category and descriptions to version control, IRC channels, documentation, and licensing. The Free Software Directory has been a great resource to software users over the past decade, but it needs your help staying up-to-date with new and exciting free software projects.
To help, join our weekly IRC meetings on Fridays. Meetings take place in the #fsf channel on Libera.Chat, and usually include a handful of regulars as well as newcomers. Libera.Chat is accessible from any IRC client -- Everyone's welcome!
The next meeting is Friday, December 2 from 12:00 to 15:00 EST (17:00 to 20:00 UTC). Details here:
LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet 2023 BoF
Every month on the LibrePlanet wiki, we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful -- often one that could use your help.
For this month, we are highlighting LibrePlanet 2023 Birds of a Feather sessions, which provides information about how to propose a social event for the upcoming LibrePlanet 2023. You are invited to propose BoFs for LibrePlanet 2023.
To download: nearly all GNU software is available most reliably from https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/. Optionally, you may find faster download speeds at a mirror located geographically closer to you by choosing from the list of mirrors published at https://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp.html, or using https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/ to be automatically redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
We appreciate everyone who donates to the Free Software Foundation, and we'd like to give special recognition to the folks who have donated $500 or more in the last month.
Assigning your copyright to the Free Software Foundation helps us defend the GNU GPL and keep software free. The following individuals have assigned their copyright to the FSF (and allowed public appreciation) in the past month:
Asaf Fisher (GDB, GNU Binutils)
Zachary Ryan Romero (GNU Emacs)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
Contributions from thousands of individual associate members enable the FSF's work. You can contribute by joining at https://my.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:
Do you read and write Portuguese and English? The FSF is looking for translators for the Free Software Supporter. Please send an email to campaigns@fsf.org with your interest and a list of your experience and qualifications.
