---
title: 'The free software movement: Where it came from, how I came to it, what it
  means to me, and what it could mean to you.'
pretalx_url: https://pretalx.seagl.org/2024/talk/FXZU3Y/
beginning: '2024-11-08T14:00:00-08:00'
end: '2024-11-08T14:20:00-08:00'
presenters:
- name: Craig Topham
  pretalx_url: https://pretalx.seagl.org/2024/speaker/P3ZMUL/
  biography: |-
    Craig came to work for the Free Software Foundation as a Copyright and Licensing Associate at the end of 2018. Prior to the FSF, Craig worked as a PC/Network Technician for the City of Eugene, Oregon for twelve years. Besides the desire to see free software thrive, Craig also envisions a world where everyone's inner light shines bright.
abstract: |-
  This is talk detailing how I came to the free software movement, what
  it means to me, and why discussing freedom is more important than
  ever. It is a personal story, but with historical details of the free
  software movement, and an overview of free software licenses which my
  experience lets me speak to in an informative way. The latter two of
  which would be of interest to new people in this space.
---

At the core of my talk is _why_ many of us in the free software
community insist on saying free software and not open source. I am
grateful to answer when asked what I do for work, "I am working to
save humanity from an technological dystopia." What scares me the most
is that if the free software movement fails we are doomed to have the
Amazons and Apples of the world running our lives from up high
possibly forever. This is not hyperbole. We are in a lot of trouble.
