The Silent Number

Posted: 2009-06-20

We, the greater Free Software community, have to do a much better job of reaching out to everyday people and educating them about software freedom. Now, i know many of you will argue that most people will never care about software freedom, and that we should focus on making a superior product as well as market it well. There's plenty being done on that front, although i do have some criticisms on that i'll post later, but even though it may be true that most people will never care about free software, or any issue, we have done a particularly bad job of educating people. We should not undervalue educating the average person on free software or underestimate the benefits in focusing our activism.
There's a lot we could learn from other activists. There is still a significant number of people who would care about the subject if only they knew. Reaching out to other activists can be very effective in building support. Many activist communities would be eager to join us if only we could explain our movement to them. After all, we usually share the same ethical positions and social interests.
Wouldn't it be nice if there was some guide somewhere on effective activism? Turns out they're everywhere. I went around and compiled information from various sources to create this specific Free Software Activism Guide on the Ubuntu wiki as a resource for individuals and LoCo Teams to help advocate digital rights and software freedom and the adoption of Ubuntu, GNU/Linux, Free Software, and Free Formats as a means of achieving that.
It includes general tips, instructions for converting friends and fundraising, hitting the streets, lobbying government, talking to organizations and educational institutions, gaining industry support, and getting media coverage. I hope you will take a look, pass it on, contribute to it, and get active!