Erik Moeller

@sovtechfund (funded by the German government) just announced a €1M grant towards the @gnome project, an open source desktop environment.

Imagine a world in which governments don't spend billions of dollars in licensing fees every year to make Microsoft richer, and that money instead goes towards _public code_ that belongs to all of us.

That may seem utterly implausible - but every example like this brings us one step closer to it being inevitable.

https://foundation.gnome.org/2023/11/09/gnome-recognized-as-public-interest-infrastructure/

GNOME Recognized as Public Interest Infrastructure – The GNOME Foundation

Nov 11, 2023 at 4:14amWeb
Show threadErik MoellerNov 11, 2023

Here's some of what that money will be used for:

- Improve the current state of accessibility
- Design and prototype a new accessibility stack
- Encrypt user home directories individually

Here's what it will not be used for:

- More reminders to use Edge as your default browser
- Clippy 2.0, now powered by a Large Language Model
- Microsoft Teams brain-computer interface

Sinking taxpayer funds into Microsoft's money pits has always been indefensible. Another world is possible & necessary.

Show threadDragan EspenschiedNov 11, 2023
@eloquence I agree but Clippy 2.0 sounds cool tbh
Show threadErik MoellerNov 11, 2023

@despens don't worry there is no escape

clippy will find us all

c̸̯̉͋l̷̘͗̍i̷̭̘̚p̷̨̜̓p̵̞͗̐y̵̞̌ ̴̠̟̆̅l̴̤̜͝͝o̵͓͆̀v̸̮̅̐ȅ̶͔̩s̷̫͑̀ ̵̦̘͌͊ỵ̸̝̀o̵͎̒͠ū̸̩͗

Show threadRyuno-KiNov 12, 2023
@eloquence @despens Especially when we attempt to write a letter 🙈
Show threadlj·rkNov 11, 2023

@despens @eloquence I'm fine just using kakoune: https://kakoune.org/img/screenshots/cargo-make-screwtape.png :D

(Although I'd definitely install a GNOME Clippy extension)

Show threadSam Thurston Nov 11, 2023

@eloquence

> Encrypt user home directories individually

Why though? This seems like a terrific way to make stuff unrecoverable.

Show threadErik MoellerNov 11, 2023

@samthurston

I don't think that's necessarily the case, but I do agree of course that the recoverability story is really important for all encryption features, whether full-disk or home directory level. @sonny may be able to provide more detail on the specific goals.

Show threadSonnyNov 11, 2023

@eloquence @samthurston

Why encrypting home directory individually rather than say full disk encryption?

1. Keep users safe from each others
2. Improve the user experience and encourage adoption

The design team is looking at the options for recovery.

Show threadSam Thurston Nov 11, 2023
@sonny @eloquence is this a *desktop environment* level function though?
Show threadWill TNov 12, 2023

@samthurston @sonny @eloquence the idea AIUI is to use systemd-homed. But you need desktop environment-level support so that you can set it up & recover in case of emergency without having to be able to operate a command line.

(Not my project, I'm just a spectator!)

Show threadSam Thurston Nov 11, 2023
@eloquence @sonny as an admin, if I want to protect users from each other I set appropriate permissions. As a user if I have data that needs to be protected from other users I encrypt it.
Show threadLanda Nov 12, 2023

@samthurston most potential new users probably don’t have your skill and competence to
(a) know that anything needs protection at all
(b) decide what needs protection
(c) do it correctly

@eloquence @sonny

Show threadSam Thurston Nov 12, 2023
@Landa @eloquence @sonny fair enough, I'm not even sure I do it correctly
Show threadLanda Nov 12, 2023
@samthurston me neither, I think that's part of the problem :)
@eloquence @sonny
Show threadflere-imsaho 🇺🇦Nov 13, 2023
@samthurston as a user and admin i find it important to keep my data away from admins. should we go for more non sequiturs?
@eloquence @sonny
Show threadSam Thurston Nov 13, 2023
@mawhrin
Show threadflere-imsaho 🇺🇦Nov 14, 2023
@samthurston i do indeed! a rare case when a basic latin course from thirty years prior comes useful.
Show threadSam Thurston Nov 14, 2023

@mawhrin congrats. However forgive me if it seems misapplied when I'm pointing out there are sufficient features to secure user account data without a folder wide encryption. And if there's a recovery strategy as has been discussed, you won't be able to secure your data from admins. (Not that you can anyway, without managing your own off-device keys.)

As an admin you want to secure your data from admins. Man keep that martian crypto ganja to yourself.

Show threadflere-imsaho 🇺🇦Nov 14, 2023
@samthurston you too have a good day, mister.
Show threadFlorian LawsDec 21, 2023
@eloquence what is the rationale for funding encrypted individual users home directories as part of that grant?
Show threadbaconandcoconutNov 11, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome Great news!
Show threadGurre VildskäggNov 11, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome
This has over the last few years become part of my politics fot the reasons listed.
The OS, the gui, the office suite, the medical records apps, etc etc.
All ought to be open source projects and get funding from governments in ways like this, and be the preferred choice for use in governmental agencies & state held companies etc.
Show threadKevinOnEarthNov 11, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome
Good.
I have been calling for years for the EU to invest in a multi-faceted EU-wide OS ecosystem, that would release Europe from dependence on a US-controlled PC/server monopoly.
The biggest obstacle though is moving from habit to adoption.
Show threadMayor Gamal SherifNov 11, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome Important framing. For our small borough in the US, there’s also potential to regionally democratize internet delivery, electric [solar/wind] supply and delivery, EV fleets instead of more privatised EV cars. Hospitals.
Show threadteledyn 𓂀Nov 11, 2023

@eloquence

While it was nowhere near the wide impact of funding something like Gnome, this was the very same argument I presented to @CBCNews in 2002 to let me release our Olympics 'sportwire' website code under GPL!

As I understand it, @BBCSport is still using bits of it!

@sovtechfund @gnome

Show threadteledyn 𓂀Nov 11, 2023

@eloquence

Around 2002, Bluewater Schoolboard was seeking a CTO. I was working on education things with Industry Canada and, with the formal backing of the National Research Council I pitched FOSS. On licence fees alone they could build a new school, and staff it, EVERY YEAR.

Then, working with OTHER boards, here and abroad, together we build core components that do the job without needing Disney branding!

Sadly, they outsourced CTO selection to a Microsoft partner.

@sovtechfund @gnome

Show threadgohlischNov 11, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome This is great! Hope more german institutions start to embrace foss. Thanks for sharing this with us. 😊
Show threadSigmundFreudsBartenderNov 11, 2023
@eloquence they sould also give money to sailfish jolla and adopt an european OS.
Show threadGamey  Nov 11, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome Funfact, they have so called "Apple classes" in German schools. I love this move but idk if the German Government will be the one to switch to FOSS stuff, that's just one of their institutions!
Show threadgrrebyNov 11, 2023

@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome I understand that people here like open source getting funded (me too), but we should remember that the government takes money from people who might not care about foss at all; they would maybe rather buy a new fridge or go to a vacation to Costa Rica.

If you like what open source devs and organisations do, please, give them your money and support. ❤️
Don't force people who may want to spend the money differently.

Show threadErik MoellerNov 11, 2023

@grreby @sovtechfund @gnome

Sorry, but I disagree. We need tax justice, to be sure, but that means taxing billionaires more and taxing ordinary folks less. Taxes are a necessary instrument to support public goods.

Show threadhaui ☭🇵🇸Nov 13, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome this made my day. Thank you. I really appreciate someone who sees the good in this.
Show threadlordjeffDec 21, 2023
@eloquence as long as people with disabilities can use it too so it doesn't bar them from employment or continued employment cuz linux accessibility hasn't been good
Show threadstfDec 21, 2023
@eloquence @sovtechfund @gnome i hope some of that money gets spent on making scrollbars work like they did in gtk2 - the gtk3 scrollbars are a crime against humanity.