---
title: 'Technically Biased: Taking Free Software''s Niche Appeal Mainstream'
osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/conferences/seagl2021/program/proposals/822
beginning: '2021-11-06T15:30:00.000-07:00'
end: '2021-11-06T16:00:00.000-07:00'
resources:
  internet_archive_identifier: SeaGL2021-Stephen_Michel-Technically_Biased_Taking_Free_Softwares_Niche_Appeal_Mainstream
presenters:
- name: Stephen Michel
  osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/users/1148
  gravatar_id: b9351e1fff5dd1cdd2834c7813c4eaef
  biography: |-
    Human. Problem-solver. Friend. Tinkerer. Aikido practitioner. Idealist (within reason). Aspiring imperfectionist. Musician.

    Co-founder at Snowdrift.coop. Maintainer of Red Moon; contributor to the F-Droid ecosystem. GNU/Linux user and [FLO](https://wiki.snowdrift.coop/about/free-libre-open#flo)SS advocate since 2010.

    Programmer ("Software Engineer") looking for work near Queens, NYC (or remote). Contact: <seagl-bio-2021@smichel.me>
---

The Free Software movement's ideals are egalitarian. We aim to bring the benefits of computing freedom to all users. However, we often overlook an uncomfortable inequality: Software Freedom disproportionately empowers programmers and those wealthy enough to hire them.

For today's average "end users", freedomware leaves them with basically the same options as proprietary freeware: use it as-is, or politely ask the developer and hope for the best. In my opinion, this is a key reason why it's difficult to convince the wider public to care; it's why Software Freedom largely remains a movement by and for programmers.

In this talk, I'll argue that:

- Programming education policy is the most important area for Software Freedom advocacy.

- Designing for "nontechnical users" is an existential threat to Free Software.

- Scriptable interfaces are a great way to make software more accessible to tech-illiterate users.
