The FSF is turning 39! Join us in celebrating almost 40 years of fighting for software freedom
Can you believe that we've been demanding user freedom since 1985?
Today, we're celebrating our thirty-ninth anniversary, the "lace year," which represents the intertwined nature and strength of our relationship with the free software community. We wouldn't be here without you, and we are so grateful for everyone who has stood with us, advocating for a world where complete user freedom is the norm and not the exception. As we celebrate our anniversary and reflect on the past thirty-nine years, we feel inspired by how far we've come, not only as a movement but as an organization, and the changes that we've gone through. While we inevitably have challenges ahead, we feel encouraged and eager to take them on knowing that you'll be right there with us, working for a free future for everyone. Here's to many more years of fighting for user freedom!
Celebrate our 39th year by learning the basics of SuperCollider with Nathaniel Cohen
Birthday celebrations need (free!) music, so we asked Nathaniel Cohen, a musician, audio engineer, and sound artist from New York City, to teach us the basics of using SuperCollider. SuperCollider is a free audio synthesis that was developed by James McCartney in 1996, and is used by artists and researchers alike. Outside of kindly teaching folks how to use programs such as SuperCollider, Cohen's work explores sonic spaces and the emergence of technology through soundscapes and live performance. If you've never used SuperCollider, or you're looking for an activity to do with someone, check out Nathaniel's video and make some music!
Tell us how you're celebrating the FSF turning 39
We love to hear about how free software advocates around the world are celebrating our 39th birthday! Here's a few ideas on how you can join in on the festivities:
- Try out a fully free distribution of GNU/Linux or help someone else give it a try
- Learn how to encrypt your emails and opt out of bulk surveillance
- Take a small step with big impact and swap out one nonfree program with one that's truly free
- If you have an Android phone, download F-Droid, which is a catalogue of hundreds of free software applications
- Wish us happy birthday on social media
- Join a Free Software Directory (FSD) meeting, which we host every Friday from 16:00 to 19:00 UTC.
- Become an associate member or gift a membership to a friend
- Donate $39 to help support free software advocacy
Add us on Mastodon and post about how you're celebrating #FSF39.
Download some party favors and show your love for the FSF
What's a celebration without party favors? Grab one or all digital party favors and share them!
- Print off stickers of our 39th birthday cake
- Change your desktop background to an early-2000s-cyberspace-inspired image of our former front desk
- Switch out your browser theme to match your new desktop background
Illustration Copyright © 2024, Free Software Foundation, Inc., by Eko K. A. Owen, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.