manu/mldr-zoomed-100char-total-queries-documents

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48_87	activism against Digital Restrictions Management and other issues promoted by the FSF.
48_88	High priority projects
48_89	The FSF maintains a list of "high priority projects" to which the Foundation claims that "there is
48_90	a vital need to draw the free software community's attention". The FSF considers these projects
48_91	"important because computer users are continually being seduced into using non-free software,
48_92	because there is no adequate free replacement."
48_93	As of 2021, high priority tasks include reverse engineering proprietary firmware; reversible
48_94	debugging in GNU Debugger; developing automatic transcription and video editing software, Coreboot,
48_95	drivers for network routers, a free smartphone operating system and creating replacements for Skype
48_96	and Siri.
48_97	Previous projects highlighted as needing work included the Free Java implementations, GNU
48_98	Classpath, and GNU Compiler for Java, which ensure compatibility for the Java part of
48_99	OpenOffice.org, and the GNOME desktop environment (see Java: Licensing).
48_100	The effort has been criticized by Michael Larabel for either not instigating active development or
48_101	for being slow at the work being done, even after certain projects were added to the list.
48_102	Endorsements
48_103	Operating systems
48_104	The FSF maintains a list of approved Linux operating systems that maintain free software by
48_105	default:
48_106	Dragora GNU/Linux-Libre dyne:bolic GNU Guix System Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre
48_107	Parabola GNU/Linux-libre PureOS Trisquel Ututo LibreCMC ProteanOS
48_108	The project also maintains a list of operating systems that are not versions of the GNU system:
48_109	Replicant
48_110	Discontinued operating systems
48_111	The following are previously endorsed operating systems that are no longer actively maintained:
48_112	gNewSense BLAG Linux and GNU Musix GNU+Linux
48_113	Hardware endorsements (RYF)
48_114	The FSF maintains a "Respects Your Freedom" (RYF) hardware certification program. To be granted
48_115	certification, a product must use 100% Free Software, allow user installation of modified software,
48_116	be free of backdoors and conform with several other requirements.
48_117	Structure
48_118	Board
48_119	John Sullivan is the current FSF executive director. Previous members that occupied the position
48_120	were Peter T. Brown (2005–2010) and Bradley M. Kuhn (2001–2005).
48_121	The FSF's board of governors includes amongst themselves professors at leading universities, senior
48_122	engineers, and founders. Current board members are:
48_123	Geoffrey Knauth, senior software engineer at SFA, Inc. (served since October 23, 1997)
48_124	Henry Poole, founder of CivicActions, a government digital services firm (served since December
48_125	12, 2002)
48_126	Gerald Jay Sussman, professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
48_127	(served since inception)
48_128	Ian Kelling, Senior Systems Administrator at the FSF and the staff representative on the board.
48_129	Odile Bénassy, research engineer at the Paris-sud university computer science research
48_130	Richard Stallman, founder, launched the GNU project, author of the GNU General Public License.
48_131	Previous board members include:
48_132	Alexander Oliva, Vice President (served since August 28, 2019)
48_133	Hal Abelson, founding member, professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of
48_134	Technology (served from inception until March 5, 1998, and rejoined circa 2005)
48_135	Robert J. Chassell, founding treasurer, as well as a founding director (served from inception
48_136	until June 3, 1997)
48_137	Miguel de Icaza (served from August 1999 until February 25, 2002)
48_138	Benjamin Mako Hill, assistant professor at the University of Washington (served from July 25, 2007
48_139	until October 2019)
48_140	Matthew Garrett, software developer (served since October 16, 2014)
48_141	Bradley Kuhn, executive director of the Software Freedom Conservancy and FSF's former executive
48_142	director (served from March 25, 2010 to Oct 13, 2019)
48_143	Lawrence Lessig, professor of law at Stanford University (served from March 28, 2004 until 2008)
48_144	Eben Moglen (served from July 28, 2000 until 2007)
48_145	Len Tower Jr., founding member, (served until September 2, 1997)
48_146	Kat Walsh, copyright and technology attorney, free culture and free software advocate, and former
48_147	chair of the Wikimedia Foundation. She joined the board in 2015. She voted against the readmittance
48_148	of Richard Stallman to the board and, on March 25, 2021, resigned in protest of his return.
48_149	Voting The FSF Articles of Organization state that the board of directors are elected.
48_150	The bylaws say who can vote for them. The board can grant powers to the Voting Membership.
48_151	Employment
48_152	At any given time, there are usually around a dozen employees. Most, but not all, work at the FSF
48_153	headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.
48_154	Membership
48_155	On November 25, 2002, the FSF launched the FSF Associate Membership program for individuals.
48_156	Bradley M. Kuhn (FSF executive director, 2001–2005) launched the program and also signed up as the
48_157	first Associate Member
48_158	Associate members hold a purely honorary and funding support role to the FSF.
48_159	Legal
48_160	Eben Moglen and Dan Ravicher previously served individually as pro bono legal counsel to the FSF.
48_161	After forming the Software Freedom Law Center, Eben Moglen continued to serve as the FSF's general
48_162	counsel until 2016.
48_163	Financial
48_164	Most of the FSF funding comes from patrons and members. Revenue streams also come from
48_165	free-software-related compliance labs, job postings, published works, and a web store. FSF offers
48_166	speakers and seminars for pay, and all FSF projects accept donations.
48_167	Revenues fund free-software programs and campaigns, while cash is invested conservatively in
48_168	socially responsible investing. The financial strategy is designed to maintain the Foundation's
48_169	long-term future through economic stability.
48_170	The FSF is a tax-exempt organization and posts annual IRS Form 990 filings online. Criticism
48_171	Position on DRM
48_172	Linus Torvalds has criticized FSF for using GPLv3 as a weapon in the fight against DRM. Torvalds
48_173	argues that the issue of DRM and that of a software license should be treated as two separate
48_174	issues.
48_175	Defective by Design campaign
48_176	On June 16, 2010, Joe Brockmeier, a journalist at Linux Magazine, criticized the Defective by
48_177	Design campaign by the FSF as "negative" and "juvenile" and not being adequate for providing users
48_178	with "credible alternatives" to proprietary software. FSF responded to this criticism by saying
48_179	"that there is a fundamental difference between speaking out against policies or actions and smear
48_180	campaigns", and "that if one is taking an ethical position, it is justified, and often necessary,
48_181	to not only speak about the benefits of freedom but against acts of dispossession and
48_182	disenfranchisement."
48_183	GNU LibreDWG license controversy
48_184	In 2009, a license update of LibDWG/LibreDWG to the version 3 of the GNU GPL, made it impossible
48_185	for the free software projects LibreCAD and FreeCAD to use LibreDWG legally. Many projects voiced
48_186	their unhappiness about the GPLv3 license selection for LibreDWG, such as FreeCAD, LibreCAD,

48_87

activism against Digital Restrictions Management and other issues promoted by the FSF.

48_88

High priority projects

48_89

The FSF maintains a list of "high priority projects" to which the Foundation claims that "there is

48_90

a vital need to draw the free software community's attention". The FSF considers these projects

48_91

"important because computer users are continually being seduced into using non-free software,

48_92

because there is no adequate free replacement."

48_93

As of 2021, high priority tasks include reverse engineering proprietary firmware; reversible

48_94

debugging in GNU Debugger; developing automatic transcription and video editing software, Coreboot,

48_95

drivers for network routers, a free smartphone operating system and creating replacements for Skype

48_96

and Siri.

48_97

Previous projects highlighted as needing work included the Free Java implementations, GNU

48_98

Classpath, and GNU Compiler for Java, which ensure compatibility for the Java part of

48_99

OpenOffice.org, and the GNOME desktop environment (see Java: Licensing).

48_100

The effort has been criticized by Michael Larabel for either not instigating active development or

48_101

for being slow at the work being done, even after certain projects were added to the list.

48_102

Endorsements

48_103

Operating systems

48_104

The FSF maintains a list of approved Linux operating systems that maintain free software by

48_105

default:

48_106

Dragora GNU/Linux-Libre dyne:bolic GNU Guix System Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre

48_107

Parabola GNU/Linux-libre PureOS Trisquel Ututo LibreCMC ProteanOS

48_108

The project also maintains a list of operating systems that are not versions of the GNU system:

48_109

Replicant

48_110

Discontinued operating systems

48_111

The following are previously endorsed operating systems that are no longer actively maintained:

48_112

gNewSense BLAG Linux and GNU Musix GNU+Linux

48_113

Hardware endorsements (RYF)

48_114

The FSF maintains a "Respects Your Freedom" (RYF) hardware certification program. To be granted

48_115

certification, a product must use 100% Free Software, allow user installation of modified software,

48_116

be free of backdoors and conform with several other requirements.

48_117

Structure

48_118

Board

48_119

John Sullivan is the current FSF executive director. Previous members that occupied the position

48_120

were Peter T. Brown (2005–2010) and Bradley M. Kuhn (2001–2005).

48_121

The FSF's board of governors includes amongst themselves professors at leading universities, senior

48_122

engineers, and founders. Current board members are:

48_123

Geoffrey Knauth, senior software engineer at SFA, Inc. (served since October 23, 1997)

48_124

Henry Poole, founder of CivicActions, a government digital services firm (served since December

48_125

12, 2002)

48_126

Gerald Jay Sussman, professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

48_127

(served since inception)

48_128

Ian Kelling, Senior Systems Administrator at the FSF and the staff representative on the board.

48_129

Odile Bénassy, research engineer at the Paris-sud university computer science research

48_130

Richard Stallman, founder, launched the GNU project, author of the GNU General Public License.

48_131

Previous board members include:

48_132

Alexander Oliva, Vice President (served since August 28, 2019)

48_133

Hal Abelson, founding member, professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of

48_134

Technology (served from inception until March 5, 1998, and rejoined circa 2005)

48_135

Robert J. Chassell, founding treasurer, as well as a founding director (served from inception

48_136

until June 3, 1997)

48_137

Miguel de Icaza (served from August 1999 until February 25, 2002)

48_138

Benjamin Mako Hill, assistant professor at the University of Washington (served from July 25, 2007

48_139

until October 2019)

48_140

Matthew Garrett, software developer (served since October 16, 2014)

48_141

Bradley Kuhn, executive director of the Software Freedom Conservancy and FSF's former executive

48_142

director (served from March 25, 2010 to Oct 13, 2019)

48_143

Lawrence Lessig, professor of law at Stanford University (served from March 28, 2004 until 2008)

48_144

Eben Moglen (served from July 28, 2000 until 2007)

48_145

Len Tower Jr., founding member, (served until September 2, 1997)

48_146

Kat Walsh, copyright and technology attorney, free culture and free software advocate, and former

48_147

chair of the Wikimedia Foundation. She joined the board in 2015. She voted against the readmittance

48_148

of Richard Stallman to the board and, on March 25, 2021, resigned in protest of his return.

48_149

Voting The FSF Articles of Organization state that the board of directors are elected.

48_150

The bylaws say who can vote for them. The board can grant powers to the Voting Membership.

48_151

Employment

48_152

At any given time, there are usually around a dozen employees. Most, but not all, work at the FSF

48_153

headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

48_154

Membership

48_155

On November 25, 2002, the FSF launched the FSF Associate Membership program for individuals.

48_156

Bradley M. Kuhn (FSF executive director, 2001–2005) launched the program and also signed up as the

48_157

first Associate Member

48_158

Associate members hold a purely honorary and funding support role to the FSF.

48_159

Legal

48_160

Eben Moglen and Dan Ravicher previously served individually as pro bono legal counsel to the FSF.

48_161

After forming the Software Freedom Law Center, Eben Moglen continued to serve as the FSF's general

48_162

counsel until 2016.

48_163

Financial

48_164

Most of the FSF funding comes from patrons and members. Revenue streams also come from

48_165

free-software-related compliance labs, job postings, published works, and a web store. FSF offers

48_166

speakers and seminars for pay, and all FSF projects accept donations.

48_167

Revenues fund free-software programs and campaigns, while cash is invested conservatively in

48_168

socially responsible investing. The financial strategy is designed to maintain the Foundation's

48_169

long-term future through economic stability.

48_170

The FSF is a tax-exempt organization and posts annual IRS Form 990 filings online. Criticism

48_171

Position on DRM

48_172

Linus Torvalds has criticized FSF for using GPLv3 as a weapon in the fight against DRM. Torvalds

48_173

argues that the issue of DRM and that of a software license should be treated as two separate

48_174

issues.

48_175

Defective by Design campaign

48_176

On June 16, 2010, Joe Brockmeier, a journalist at Linux Magazine, criticized the Defective by

48_177

Design campaign by the FSF as "negative" and "juvenile" and not being adequate for providing users

48_178

with "credible alternatives" to proprietary software. FSF responded to this criticism by saying

48_179

"that there is a fundamental difference between speaking out against policies or actions and smear

48_180

campaigns", and "that if one is taking an ethical position, it is justified, and often necessary,

48_181

to not only speak about the benefits of freedom but against acts of dispossession and

48_182

disenfranchisement."

48_183

GNU LibreDWG license controversy

48_184

In 2009, a license update of LibDWG/LibreDWG to the version 3 of the GNU GPL, made it impossible

48_185

for the free software projects LibreCAD and FreeCAD to use LibreDWG legally. Many projects voiced

48_186

their unhappiness about the GPLv3 license selection for LibreDWG, such as FreeCAD, LibreCAD,