He developed a definition for free software, the concept of copyleft, a set of licences to implement copyleft, he travelled the world for decades building support for this, he wrote code for GCC and GNU Emacs and a lot of other software projects that enabled others to make the packages we use today, he inspired campaigns against software patents, against DRM, against bad copyright laws.

And he persevered despite decades of insults and other people trying to ensure no one heard of his work.

Not sure of the current status, but I remember in 2007 that Alexandre Oliva reverse engineered the software for filing taxes in Brazil:

https://www.linux.com/news/fsf...

Very much looking forward to seeing the video of Richard's 17 March speech and the Right To Repair keynote!

I guess they'll arrive here: https://media.libreplanet.org/...

I'm obfuscating nothing. Here's a brief to the European Commission with my name on it:

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/...

Medical data is covered in the GDPR, cloud stuff is in the DMA, the Data Act, and hardware stuff in the Directive on Defective Product Liability. Those are all ongoing if you'd like to get involved.

There might be some things that aren't covered and maybe a CRA is necessary, but the current proposed text says you cannot publish or import software unless it follows the requirements of the CRA. So, people in the EU will be hesitant to publish software and software from outside the EU that didn't follow the CRA during the design phase will not be available to people in the EU.

Even security patches. If there software being used in the EU and it has a vulnerability, and if someone outside the EU produces a patch or an updated version of the software, then this fix will not be available to people in the EU if the author did not provide all the documentation required by the CRA! People in the EU will be stuck using known-vulnerable software because of the CRA!

The W3C has indeed done fantastic work. With the new status, will they be more involved in policy work?

The EU is working on a new regulation on standard-essential patents. The legislative procedure is advancing on the Cyber Resilience Act, which makes it difficult to publish software (and serving a webpage with javascript seems to fit into that). And there's the issue of DRM (which shouldn't have been given support in the W3C standards, but what's done is done, let's look for how to improve the situation).

If W3C will be more active in policy, I'll be looking forward to working with them!

That would take centuries.

Remember, FSF isn't telling you to buy these things, it's just a guide for *if* you insist on buying tech. You can always get people socks or a jumper.

FSF's guide is also for people who put a lot of value on freedom. And I hope a lot of people do. But if you want to make a small effort, another interesting list is Mozilla's "Privacy Not Included":

https://foundation.mozilla.org...

Does anyone know what actual protocols and technology it works on? It would seem some form of Bluetooth (or my gut tells me less likely:NFC) for the initial handshake, but beyond that, I'm not sure. With the Zigbee alliance involved, I'm assuming it's 802.15.4, but I wouldn't be surprised if it just sticks to 802.11.

I'll believe it when I (don't) see it.

As you're already aware, making a new platform is an extremely dicey proposition. The "fax machine" effect is huge. Do you really think Truth will give Trump the attention he needs and he'd actually resist the siren call of his old soapbox?

https://twitter.com/RealSexyCy... points out -- rather selfish mentality. If you get the virus some other way, you are jus a walking virus fan.

One more positive interpretation is you can think of cases as a user-selectable customization and personalization!

I use a case, more with an eye out for scratches than for bending (which I've never seen as a problem) but also because silicone rubber feels great in the hand - on a big phone its pleasingly like a flat hockey puck - plus it's bright yellow to make the phone easier to find, and with a few stickers too because I'm a dork.

So thin phones have been "bragging rights" for manufacturers, and I think most phones out there are tough enough that you can "go commando" if you want. But by being so thin, it means when they ARE fully dressed in a case, they aren't unwieldy bulky....

Aye, laddie, you are trying to call out a "true scotsman" argument when you use weasel words like "mature markets", as in

> but as with the iPhone and iPad they've rarely managed to break 20% in mature markets

??? Like the US, which is a solid split, isn't a "mature" market?

Looking at https://fortunly.com/articles/... , I see Apple at 12% of combined desktop/laptops. Like, over one in ten of every damn computer made? Yes, HP and Dell each make a lot more, but to try and pretend one in ten computers is trivial is just stupid. (You make it sound like its Linux or ChromeOS ~2% numbers)

I agree "Get a job that pays, then you can afford one as well." is a shitty as hell line - it's great that low cost phones and computers are available. But if Apple IS able to take ~50-80% of the profits in smartphones every quarter... you gotta figure they're doing something right. I mean even if you're hella cynical about the brand/prestige/sheeple aspect, you just don't have that kind of success unless you read as providing value. (And at scale. I can't figure out how "Bentley" is doing profit wise, I assume the over all amounts are too small to register on the charts I can find... am guessing much less than Toyota or VW or even small players like Mazda)

I think it is a point that Apple goes high end. Like trackpads etc in the $300-500 market are truly dreadful. Yes you can get many things done with a cheap ass PC, but Apple products provide good longevity and great build quality, and a GUI with a lot of great first party support, on a decent Unix-y base. Sitting in my little garden of work and personal Apple, my clipboard leaps from device to device, I can drop files on a whim, and use my iPad as a handy pen-on-screen tablet. It might not be for everyone, but is absolutely value for money.

Their way of providing for the low end of the market are older and/or used models. Particularly true for iPhones. But Macs have terrific longevity - my Air was still a decent main machine from 2013-2020, and while its retina replacement gave way to a larger screen 16" after a year, I expect this one will last me a long, long time.

Mac is a Unix-base (unlike Windows) with good first party support.
(I've been fooled trying to get used to the linux desktop before - MacOS has its quirks but Linux has a lot more rough edges)

Being able to seamlessly share a clipboard w/ my phone, iPad, and computer, or using an iPad as an extra screen or pen-on-screen tablet? It feels amazing, and a true reward for living within this walled garden.

It may not be the end all be all of OS but it has a good feel, good design, and a proper terminal shell.

(to be fair Apple probably gets a boost in perception for avoiding the "race to the bottom" of cheap ass PCs. Just the thought of trying to live with the trackpad of one of those $400-wonders makes me curl up! Like, I'm sure there are great quality hardware PCs out there but they're about as expensive as the Macs)

I had a 2013 or so MacbookAir, then grabbed the still Intel retina and usb-c port refresh when it came out (easier for docking stations), but then last fall I bought the 16" Macbook Pro. On a less-technical level, that size of screen is WONDERFUL and for me worth the price of admission - it really allows apps to fit side by side, so now even couch time can be more productive.

I hope and suspect the 16" will last me closer to the original Macbook Air than that 1 year of the retina Air - my dev work isn't THAT challenging even for older chips.... it's just nice to have the screen.