Read and share online: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/mark-your-calendars-libreplanet-2019-will-take-place-march-23-24

Dear Ruben Safir,

The eleventh annual LibrePlanet free software conference will be held March 23-24, 2019,
in the Boston area! The call for proposals is open now, until
October 26, 2018. General registration and exhibitor and sponsor
registration are also open, so submit your talk and workshop
ideas, and register for the conference today!

LibrePlanet is an annual conference for free software users and
anyone who cares about the intersection of technology and social
justice. For more than a decade, LibrePlanet has brought together
thousands of diverse voices and knowledge bases, including free
software developers, policy experts, activists, hackers, students, and
people who have just begun to learn about free software.

LibrePlanet 2019 will feature sessions for all ages and experience
levels. Newcomers can gain a deeper understanding of free software and
strong connections with the community here: in 2018, Sharon Woods,
general counsel for the Defense Digital Service (US Department of
Defense) said, “Last year was my first LibrePlanet... I walked away a
complete believer in free software.” This year is your chance to join
the hundreds of people from around the world who attend LibrePlanet
each year and the thousands more who participate online by watching
the free software-powered livestream, joining the conversation on IRC,
or viewing nearly 40 hours of archived video on the Free Software
Foundation's (FSF) GNU MediaGoblin instance.

LibrePlanet 2019's theme is “Trailblazing Free Software.” In 1983, the
free software movement was born with the announcement of the GNU
Project. FSF founder Richard Stallman saw the dangers of proprietary
code from the beginning: when code was kept secret from users, they
would be controlled by the technology they used, instead of vice
versa. In contrast, free software emphasized a community-oriented
philosophy of sharing code freely, enabling people to understand how
the programs they used worked, to build off of each other's code, to
pay it forward by sharing their own code, and to create useful
software that treated users fairly.

When he identified control over one's own computer as a requirement
for ethical, trustworthy computing, Stallman anticipated some of the
most toxic aspects of today's proprietary software-filled world,
including Digital Restrictions Management (DRM), bulk surveillance,
and Service as a Software Substitute (SaaSS). With a new and
growing generation of free software enthusiasts, we can take this
conference as an opportunity to discuss both the present and the
future of the free software movement. Using the Four Freedoms as a
litmus test for ethical computing, we ask, "How will free software
continue to bring to life trailblazing, principled new technologies
and new approaches to the world?"

Call for proposals

LibrePlanet 2019's talks and hands-on workshops can be for developers,
young people, newcomers to free software, activists looking for
technology that aligns with their ideals, policymakers, hackers,
artists, and tinkerers -- and we really want you to propose a talk!
Talks and workshops should examine or utilize free software, copyleft,
and related issues, but otherwise, the sky's the limit. Here are some
types of talks presented at LibrePlanets past:

• Updates on free software projects, especially if they fulfill a
  High Priority Free Software need;


• The intersection of free software and broader social issues or
  trends (such as sharing economies vs. gig economies);


• How to fight the deleterious effects of proprietary software, using
  free software (for example, securing your digital presence against
  mass government or corporate surveillance);


• An introduction to an aspect of free software, for children or
  newcomers of all ages (for example, free software-based
  computing for children, getting started with free software);


• A hands-on workshop using free software for a specific application
  (for example, self-hosting a free software webmail server, or using
  LaTeX), again, for beginners or advanced audiences;


• Copyleft and other free software legal issues;


• Free software and government; and


• How to make art with free software (for example,
  photogrammetry, music composition).

Check out talk videos of LibrePlanet 2018 for more ideas!

Submissions to the call for proposals are being accepted through
Friday, October 26, 2018 at 10:00 EDT (14:00 UTC).

Gratis admission for FSF members

Members and students with valid ID attend LibrePlanet gratis. FSF
Associate Membership starts at just $10/month and comes with many
benefits.

Travel funding available

Do you want to attend LibrePlanet, but need help with the cost of
travel? The FSF is able to offer a limited amount of funding to bring
conference participants to Boston from all around the world. You can
apply for a scholarship through Friday, November 16 at 10:00 EST
(15:00 UTC). Scholarship recipients will be notified by the end of
November. If you don't need a scholarship, you can help those with
financial need attend LibrePlanet 2019 by making a contribution to
the conference's scholarship fund now, or when you register for
LibrePlanet.)

Free Software Award nominations

Each year at LibrePlanet, the FSF presents its annual Free Software
Awards. Nominations for the awards are open through Sunday,
November 4, 2018 at 19:59 EST (23:59 UTC).

Promotional opportunities

LibrePlanet is a good place to spread the word about your organization
to the free software community. You can sponsor LibrePlanet or have a
table in our exhibit hall (or both!). Our exhibit hall is at the
center of the LibrePlanet venue, and sponsors are highly visible at
the conference and in our promotional materials. LibrePlanet is a
distinctive event that centers free software in its infrastructure,
program of talks and events, and audience, and we appreciate the
support of organizations that embrace free software. Apply to
exhibit at LibrePlanet 2019 or email us at campaigns@fsf.org if
you are interested in being a sponsor.

Volunteering

LibrePlanet is propelled by the positive energy of dozens of
volunteers. We simply couldn't make this community event happen
without them, and we thank them accordingly, with a gratis T-shirt and
admission to the conference, and our deep gratitude. Applications for
most LibrePlanet volunteer opportunities will be available soon, but
if you would like to help with advance outreach, including spreading
the word about the conference in online communities and your networks,
and by posting flyers in schools and community spaces, please email
campaigns@fsf.org to get started!

2018 recordings

LibrePlanet 2018 was held at MIT from March 24-25, 2018. Nearly
350 attendees came together from across the world for workshops and
talks centered around the theme of "Freedom Embedded." You can watch
videos from last year's conference, including the opening
keynote, an exploration of the potential for the free software
community to last forever by maintaining its ideals while also
welcoming newcomers, by Deb Nicholson, who is now director of
community operations for the Software Freedom Conservancy.

LibrePlanet 2019 is just shy of 200 days away -- mark your calendars,
become an FSF Associate Member to get gratis admission, register, and start
preparing a talk proposal. Time may pass faster than you think, and
you will not want to miss out on this energizing, exciting free
software event!

Happy hacking!

Georgia Young

Program Manager