FSF Ethical Tech Giving Guide: Remember to give freedom
All year long, but especially during the last two months of the year, ads and media that celebrate the use of freedom-violating software are fed to us by greedy corporations. No matter which holiday(s), if any, you celebrate, the spirit of cherishing our loved ones is very strong right now. Unfortunately, so is the messaging that many of us encounter on a daily basis that you have to buy the newest tech gifts (most of which are not freedom-respecting) if you want to show your friends and family that you love them. While you as one single person can't stop the production or advertising of tech that infringes on user freedom tomorrow, you can choose to not participate, and we're here to help.
Fifteen years ago, we started the Ethical Tech Giving Guide to give you a few ideas for gifts that respect user freedom. Every year, we publish an updated version detailing your options for ethical tech gifts, from computers to e-books. Many of the devices we recommend in the Ethical Tech Giving Guide have successfully received our Respects Your Freedom (RYF) certification, ensuring that whoever receives your thoughtful gift will have full control of their own computing. Similar to 2023, we don't have much in the way of new tech to recommend, as there isn't much newer hardware that supports free software. While the value of freedom is immeasurable, to large tech companies freedom is worth much less than extra cameras and your data.
However, that doesn't stop us from being excited about the following:
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ThinkPenguin's VPN Router, designed to complement your existing router by providing a VPN that enhances privacy and security and circumvents network controls;
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Technoethical's Mini Wi-Fi Adapter which is great for all-free-software installations on laptops with incompatible Wi-Fi hardware; and
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DRM-free books, music, and video such as the thrilling computer-animated films in the Blender Open Movies project collection that were made entirely with the popular free software tool Blender.
We have plenty other suggestions for ethical tech gifts in our Ethical Tech Giving Guide (not just for the holiday season!), so consider getting your friends and family gifts that send a good message and guarantee freedom.
Our Giving Guide does include a lot of ideas for gifts that are freedom-respecting, but it also includes suggestions for non-monetary ways to show people you care. If you know someone who's using proprietary programs on their computer, you can give them the gift of freedom by installing and showing them the basics of a free software program, all while helping prevent e-waste! For a lot of people still using proprietary programs it's intimidating to install a free software program and learn how to use it yourself. A great gift for someone you know that hasn't switched over to free software can be installing a program (or many) for them and showing them how to use it. Not only are you giving them a freedom-respecting program, but you're also giving them the confidence to seek out more free software. Not only are you giving someone the gift of knowledge, but you're also getting to spend time with someone and create priceless new memories.
We know not everyone is in a position to, but if you can, can you support our efforts by making a donation? Or, an associate membership is a great show of support we can rely on, and an annual FSF associate membership translates to a mere $2.69 per week, or $0.38 per day! We need resources to continue our work, but my request is even bigger, because we have to do more. By supporting us today, you help secure our future. Associate members will also be able to enjoy all the associate member benefits. Will you help us reach our year-end fundraising goal of USD$ 400,000 this year-end? If you join as a member this period, we'll send you a set of five unique postcards to help you promote computer user freedom.
Please do take the time to share the Guide with the people you care about. More importantly, we hope that you'll continue to move forward on your own individual journey to freedom. In our experience, one of the best ways to persuade others to use free software is simply by using it yourself, both by setting a moral example and showing those around you all that software freedom does for you. In the face of so many new and seemingly "dazzling" devices, the holiday season is one of the best times to introduce friends, family, and even coworkers to free software.
Wishing you a happy gifting season from the FSF!
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