From 389f0a7084bb584f022fc48352af7f2c10e8dcb4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Leah Rowe Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2023 15:16:31 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] new new hampshire bill --- site/news/MANIFEST | 1 + site/news/usa-libre-part2.md | 212 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 213 insertions(+) create mode 100644 site/news/usa-libre-part2.md diff --git a/site/news/MANIFEST b/site/news/MANIFEST index 4b81e48..f5a3119 100644 --- a/site/news/MANIFEST +++ b/site/news/MANIFEST @@ -1,3 +1,4 @@ +usa-libre-part2.md fedfree.md libreboot20221214.md merge.md diff --git a/site/news/usa-libre-part2.md b/site/news/usa-libre-part2.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..353678b --- /dev/null +++ b/site/news/usa-libre-part2.md @@ -0,0 +1,212 @@ +% New Hampshire once again on the cusp of enshrining Software Freedom into law +% Leah Rowe +% 12 February 2023 + +Introduction +============ + +This article makes use of the term *libre software*, which has the same meaning +as more popular terms such as *open source software* or *free software* +or *free and open source software*. More information can be found about +it [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source) - to the Libreboot +project, this is important because it talks about your *freedom* to study, +adapt, share and re-use software as you see fit, alongside the rest of +humanity in a collective development effort, as opposed to the alternative +where we would be restricted by companies like Microsoft or Apple, who only +care about *controlling us* to make money. + +You may recall last year's article: [New Hampshire (USA) may soon enshrine +Software Freedom into law](usa-libre.md) - a proposed bill, if it passed, +would have provided official legal protections in favour of libre software in +the state of New Hampshire, in the United States. The bill didn't pass, largely +because of a complaint that the bill was too all-encompassing, and so the idea +then was that the bill should be split into a series of smaller bills that, in +combination, achieve the same goals. + +Since then, Eric Gallager (the representative behind the original bill) in +New Hampshire has done exactly that, and a new hearing takes place very soon, +on the *16th of February, 2023, at 1PM*. + +I once again call to action, any person that lives in New Hampshire or the +surrounding states in the USA. Your participation could help secure the rights +of all libre software users and developers, well into the future. I myself do +not live in the US, so I'm hoping that my American readers will listen well to +what I have to say. + +With your help, libre software could suddenly find itself in a much stronger +position, with more users and more developers, encouraged by such positive +changes. + +When, who, what and where? +------------------ + +Eric Gallager, the representative behind the previous bill, has continued his +efforts and now has a new hearing for the following bill very soon: + +* **16 February 2023, 1PM**: prohibiting, with limited exceptions, state + agencies from requiring use of proprietary software in interactions with the + public (house bill: HB 617-FN) + +The text of the proposed bill can be read here: \ + + +It is critical that as many people show up as possible, to express support for +the bill, and to defend it against any opposition that may appear, on each day. + +**Location of hearing: Legislative Office Building in Concord, New Hampshire:\ +** + +The bill's hearing shall take place in room 306-308. + +Who to contact +-------------- + +Eric Gallager is the representative in charge of the proposed bill, and you can +contact him in the following ways: + +Email address: \ +[Eric.Gallager@leg.state.nh.us](mailto:Eric.Gallager@leg.state.nh.us) + +Mastodon page: \ + + +Twitter page (use of Twitter is ill advised, due +to its proprietary nature - use Mastodon or email if you can): \ + + +Why should you support this bill? +================================= + +If this newly proposed bill is passed, it will provide the libre software +movement a *foot in the door*, that could lead to greater reform at a later +date, and strengthen the entire movement. This is because of the knock-on +effect it would have: as more people benefit from it, more states (in the US) +and countries outside of the US may follow, implementing similar laws. + +Laws are often made that reduce our freedoms. If any law should be passed, it +should be a law that strengthens or otherwise reaffirms civil liberties, which +is what the proposed bill aims to do. + +Libre software is about civil liberties, as it pertains to computer science, +because of the *right to learn* and the *right to read*. Just as mathematics +or physics should be free for anyone to study and make use of, so too should +that be the case for computer science. + +Any civil liberties that we have today are the result of *laws* that protect +them, because the purpose of law is to provide punishment for violation; if +no law exists, for or against something, then no punishment can take place. +For example, most countries have a law that says you should not be robbed; if +someone then robs you, then they get punished with jail time. The right to +private property is an important right. + +If no laws exist that protect libre software projects, then they are +vulnerable. + +Just as you should have the right to property, you must also have the right to +pursue a happy, productive life - the right, in practise, to work on libre +software should be part of that, if computer science is something you're +interested in. + +This right *also pertains to property*, specifically the property that is your +computational devices; tablets, PCs (desktops, laptops), whatever you use. +Libre software lets you truly *own* your computer, because it doesn't leave +you beholden to a *licensor*. You have the right to study, adapt, share and +re-use the software infinitely, and other people also have this right. With +libre software, your computer is no longer a *product* for a specific purpose +per se, but rather, a general purpose machine that can be reprogrammed +for *any purpose as you see fit*. This is similar to your right to have your +car modified, or repaired by anyone, including you, or perhaps your right to +reorganise (even completely re-build) your house. + +The proposed bill's hearing, on the 16th, regards the usage of proprietary +software by state agencies. *State agencies* could include schools run by the +state, but it could also include things like your local tax office. When you +file taxes, it is often the case that it cannot be done without running some +proprietary software, and many schools will insist that their students use +Windows (or other proprietary OS) rather than, say, Linux or BSD. By mandating +in law that people should be able to use *libre* software, it will create a +level playing field, because the state would *have to* make accomodation for +libre software; while initially a burden (time and money spent), it would be +a huge social boon later on, because if states stop relying on proprietary +software licenses, the money they currently spend on that can instead be spent +elsewhere, or on paying programmers, providing *better software* to the public; +the actual overall cost may be exactly the same as today, but with more +benefits for everyone, not to mention greater freedoms for computer users. + +To put it simply: the right to your (computational) property would be enhanced +by this bill's passage, by forcing the state to support libre software, against +the whims of proprietary software vendors. This, like anything that strengthens +the libre software movement, would increase the likelihood that you can actually +use libre software, on computers that you buy in the future, which means that +your *right to your own property* is enhanced, because at the end of the day, +that's exactly what *software freedom* is all about. + +We can all agree about education. The idea that people should be able to learn +and grow as people is natural, and we all want to better ourselves. Libre +software is an important part of that, in the field of computer science. +We can also agree about private property. + +What about money? Is this not an important part too? Is it not true that, with +private property, you can also have *private enterprise*? + +Libre software is very *profitable*, to a far greater extent than proprietary +software. When the free exchange of ideas and knowledge is permitted to flow, +innovation is much more likely. We can talk all day about the right to education +but money matters too. Many software developers *learn* on libre software, +because that is the only way to get really good with computers. You can't become +a competent programmer by using Windows or MacOS. Linux or BSD are your only +real choice, because that's where all the interesting development happens. +Today's most profitable industries are powered by libre software; without +it, we would be living in a very different world today, locked down by the +likes of Microsoft or Apple who see software as a *product*, a *means to an +end*, rather than the end in itself, that end being knowledge and +self-empowerment. Technology has given us many freedoms today, thanks to the +tireless efforts of libre software developers everywhere. + +For example: nearly every website you visit runs on some Linux or BSD system, +probably running the Apache web server, or (much more common nowadays) nginx. +Windows just doesn't scale as a *server* OS, it is completely inflexible, but +linux and bsd systems can be tweaked to do whatever you want. + +When I say *libre software is profitable*, I'm not referring to Microsoft +or Apple's profits. No, I'm referring to *yours*. With libre software, *you* +have the freedom to make real money; I'm just one of many examples of people +who do just that. With *software freedom*, you can take existing technology +and build something completely new that becomes the Next Best Thing; everyone +else has this freedom aswell, and people share knowledge freely because of the +culture that type of world inspires. It's the world we live in, now. + +The people of New Hampshire will benefit greatly, if such freedoms are +enshrined in law. It will be a huge success, and it will lead to more +jurisdictions (both within and outside the US) to follow suit. It will lead to +the *end* of monopoly powers like Microsoft or Apple, completely opening up +the entire body of knowledge to everyone, because that will become the norm; +hoarding knowledge will become *unprofitable*, because the new culture would +simply not allow it, so companies like Microsoft and Apple, if they want to +remain relevant, would have to start releasing more source code themselves, +rather than keeping everything proprietary. The people of the world will stop +seeing them as a gold standard; they are not, and have never been. Libre +software has always been superior, in every way, to proprietary software, +because it allows you to actually *own* the computer you bought, in practise +and in spirit. + +Proprietary software is like renting a house; you have a license to use it, +but you don't have the freedom to really change anything, and the licensor +(equivalent to a landlord) can pull the plug at any time. Libre software, on +the other hand, is equivalent to owning a house. When you run all libre software +on your computer, *you* control that computer. You can modify whatever you want, +or pay whoever you want to do that for you, to maintain everything for you, +and you can share your work with others, something which other people already +do; it's the reason libre software is so successful, precisely that people +share their knowledge. + +The state is an important part of our lives, no matter which country or +jurisdiction we live in. We interact with it constantly, for services that we +all rely on, so it is important that we should be *able to* with the software +of our choice. This is why it's so important that the state, in any +jurisdiction, take steps to ensure that libre software users don't get left +behind. If passed, this will will strongly reinforce the *right* of computer +users everywhere, to their own computational property. + +Please, please please if you can take time out of your day, then please show +up to to defend this bill and make sure that it gets passed!