For immediate release: LibrePlanet software freedom conference announces line-up

You can view this press release online at http://www.fsf.org/news/libreplanet-software-freedom-conference-announces-line-up

LibrePlanet software freedom conference announces line-up

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Friday, March 8, 2013 -- The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today announced the line-up for its upcoming LibrePlanet 2013 conference, to be held in Cambridge, MA at the Harvard Science Center on March 23-24.

The FSF describes LibrePlanet as the place where global free software community members and newcomers meet together to learn from each other, share accomplishments and face challenges. This is the fifth annual LibrePlanet conference.

"This year's LibrePlanet conference is perfect for all experience levels. Whether you're interested in learning more about what free software is and why you should use it, or whether you've been contributing code to free software projects for years, there's something for everyone at LibrePlanet," said Libby Reinish, an FSF campaigns manager.

Keynote speakers for the event include Foundation president, Richard Stallman, who led the development of the free software GNU operating system and started the free software movement, Karen Sandler, executive director of the GNOME Foundation, and Leslie Hawthorn, an internationally known community manager, speaker and author who now manages community action and impact at Red Hat, Inc.

This year, the conference theme is "Commit Change," and the program focuses on technology's role in struggles for justice, community, and freedom. From software developers to activists, academics to computer users, this convergence is about working together for software freedom.

Throughout the conference, over 25 sessions in three simultaneous tracks will feature workshops and sessions like, "Free software communities and the cloud," "Demystifying Blender: Quick ways to get into 3D Graphics with free software," and "Outreach Program for Women: Lessons in Collaboration." On Saturday, the FSF will announce the winners of its annual Award for Projects of Social Benefit and Award for the Advancement of Free Software. Sunday will feature a special workshop by Upstream University, with the goal of training students and developers to contribute code or documentation upstream in a free software project.

"We are at a critical moment for software freedom. Companies like Microsoft and Apple are looking for sneaky ways to increase their stranglehold on freedom by locking down their computers and spying on their users. This is a must-attend event for anyone who values free speech and privacy in the electronic era," said John Sullivan, executive director of the Foundation.

LibrePlanet 2013 will be live-streamed at http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Watch_Live. More information about LibrePlanet 2013: Commit Change can be found at: http://libreplanet.org/2013.

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 fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

About the GNU Operating System and Linux

Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom. See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html.

In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for one, the kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under the GNU GPL, making it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux formed a complete free operating system, which made it possible for the first time to run a PC without non-free software. This combination is the GNU/Linux system. For more explanation, see http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html.

Media Contact

Libby Reinish
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942 x30 campaigns@fsf.org

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