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diff --git a/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/hackathons.html b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/hackathons.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e75a375 --- /dev/null +++ b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/hackathons.html @@ -0,0 +1,164 @@ +<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" --> +<!-- Parent-Version: 1.84 --> +<title>Hackathons should insist on free software +- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> + <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/hackathons.translist" --> +<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> +<h2>Why hackathons should insist on free software</h2> + +<p>Hackathons are an accepted method of giving community support to +digital development projects. The community invites developers to +join an event which offers an encouraging atmosphere, some useful +resources, and the opportunity to work on useful projects. Most +hackathons choose the projects they will support, based on stated +criteria.</p> + +<p>Hackathons fit the spirit of a community in which people take an +attitude of cooperation and respect towards each other. The software +that accords with this spirit is free (libre) software, <a +href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free as in freedom</a>. +Free software carries a license that gives its users (including +programmers) freedom to cooperate. Thus, hackathons make sense within +the free software community. <a +href="/philosophy/free-hardware-designs.html">Hardware +design projects</a> also can and ought to be free.</p> + +<p>Respect for freedom can't be taken for granted. On the contrary, we +are surrounded by companies that shamelessly release proprietary +(nonfree) software, available for use only to those that will yield to +their power. These companies develop software as a <a +href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">means +to dominate and control others</a>.</p> + +<p>These companies' harmful success inspires young developers to follow +their example by developing their own programs or hardware designs to +dominate users. They sometimes bring their projects to hackathons, +seeking the community's support while rejecting the community's +spirit: they have no intention of returning cooperation for +cooperation. Hackathons which accept this undermine the community +spirit that they are based on.</p> + +<p>Some perverse hackathons are specifically dedicated to aiding the +computing of certain companies: in some cases, <a +href="https://www.beyondhackathon.com/en">European</a> and <a +href="http://www.hackathon.io/rbc-digital">Canadian banks</a>, and +<a href="http://expediaconnectivity.com/blog#madrid-hackathon-winners"> +Expedia</a>. While they don't explicitly say, the announcements give the +impression that they aim to promote development of some nonfree +software, and that attendees are meant to help these non-charitable +projects.</p> + +<p>Those examples show how far down the slope hackathons can slide. +Let's return to the more common +case of a hackathon that is not specifically commercial, but accepts +projects that are proprietary.</p> + +<p>When a developer brings a project to a hackathon, and doesn't say +whether it will be free, that is not overt opposition to the community +spirit, but it undermines that spirit. Hackathons should strengthen +the community spirit they are based on, by insisting that hackathon +projects commit to release in accord with that spirit.</p> + +<p>This means telling developers, “So that you deserve our support and +help, you must agree to give the community the use of your project's +results in freedom, if you ever consider them good enough to use or +release.”</p> + +<p>As an individual hackathon participant, you can support this +principle: before joining in any hackathon project, ask “What license +will you publish this under? I want to be sure this will be free +(libre) before I join in developing it.” If the developers of the +project say that they will choose the license later, you could respond +that you will choose later whether to participate. Don't be shy—if +others hear this discussion, they may decide to follow the +same path.</p> + +<p>To see which licenses are free licenses, see <a +href="/licenses/license-list.html">the GNU license +list</a>. Most “open source” licenses are free, but <a +href="/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html">some +open source licenses are nonfree because they are too restrictive</a>.</p> + +<p>Firmness by individuals has an effect, but a policy of the hackathon +itself will have a bigger effect. Hackathons should ask each +participating project to pledge to follow this rule:</p> + +<blockquote> +<p>If you ever release or use this code or design, you will release its source +code under a free (libre) license. If you distribute the code in executable +form, you will make that free (libre) also.</p> +</blockquote> + +<p>Many hackathons are sponsored or hosted by schools, which is an +additional reason they should adopt this rule. Free software is a +contribution to public knowledge, while nonfree software withholds +knowledge from the public. Thus, <a +href="/education/edu-schools.html">free software +supports the spirit of education, while proprietary software opposes +it</a>. Schools should insist that all their software development be +free software, including that of hackathons they support.</p> + +</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above --> +<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" --> +<div id="footer"> +<div class="unprintable"> + +<p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to +<a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. +There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> +the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent +to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>.</p> + +<p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, + replace it with the translation of these two: + + We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality + translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. + Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard + to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> + <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> + + <p>For information on coordinating and submitting translations of + our web pages, see <a + href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations + README</a>. --> +Please see the <a +href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations +README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations +of this article.</p> +</div> + +<!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to + files generated as part of manuals) on the GNU web server should + be under CC BY-ND 4.0. Please do NOT change or remove this + without talking with the webmasters or licensing team first. + Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the + document. For web pages, it is ok to list just the latest year the + document was modified, or published. + + If you wish to list earlier years, that is ok too. + Either "2001, 2002, 2003" or "2001-2003" are ok for specifying + years, as long as each year in the range is in fact a copyrightable + year, i.e., a year in which the document was published (including + being publicly visible on the web or in a revision control system). + + There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers + Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. --> + +<p>Copyright © 2017 Richard Stallman</p> + +<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license" +href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative +Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p> + +<!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" --> + +<p class="unprintable">Updated: +<!-- timestamp start --> +$Date: 2017/09/13 18:59:48 $ +<!-- timestamp end --> +</p> +</div> +</div> +</body> +</html> |