Every week free software activists from around the world come together in #fsf on irc.freenode.org to help improve the Free Software Directory. This blog recaps the work we accomplished at the Friday, July 28th, 2017 meeting.

It was a very special Directory meeting this time, since it coincided with the eighteenth annual SysAdmin Day. This day gives us a moment to collectively pause and acknowledge the invaluable work done by these individuals. With that said, we'd like to give a special shout out to quidam, sudoman, and iank, who all strive tirelessly to keep the FSF running smoothly.

This week also saw alkamod providing the program for a new entry. The most relevant point is that this program provides license-checking from repositories, as well as other valuable features.

If you would like to help update the Directory, meet with us every Friday in #fsf on irc.freenode.org from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT (16:00 to 19:00 UTC).

Every week free software activists from around the world come together in #fsf on irc.freenode.org to help improve the Free Software Directory. This blog recaps the work we accomplished at the Friday, July 21st, 2017 meeting.

This week we returned to the classics, looking at entries that haven't had an update in a while. eric23 worked on many older entries, and jxself helped to track down source and Web pages when they were hard to find. Juesto joined the channel randomly but got into the mix, learning how to update entries. aindilis also made an appearance and was excited to get started on the import project. They had been working on their own project for cataloging free software, and so they had the know-how to jump in and get the import working for the Directory. We look forward to working with them in the future to hopefully add thousands more packages to the Directory!

If you would like to help update the Directory, meet with us every Friday in #fsf on irc.freenode.org from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT (16:00 to 19:00 UTC).

Participate in supporting the Directory by adding new entries and updating existing ones. We will be on IRC in the #fsf channel on irc.freenode.org.

Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth of useful information, from basic category and descriptions, to providing detailed info about version control, IRC channels, documentation, and licensing info that has been carefully checked by FSF staff and trained volunteers.

While the Directory has been and continues to be a great resource to the world for over a decade now, it has the potential to be a resource of even greater value. But it needs your help!

It was on this day in 1983 that NASA launched the Telstar 3A into geosynchronous orbit at 96 degrees W. With this in mind the Directory is going to look at the tangentially related category of astronomy software. Stellar examples of such software allow for the simulation of astral bodies, and there is also the well-known Gnuastro, an official GNU package that enables the manipulation and analysis of astronomical data. We hope to see you there on Friday when we blast off for the stars!

If you are eager to help, and you can't wait or are simply unable to make it onto IRC on Friday, our participation guide will provide you with all the information you need to get started on helping the Directory today! There are also weekly Directory Meeting pages that everyone is welcome to contribute to before, during, and after each meeting.

Every week free software activists from around the world come together in #fsf on irc.freenode.org to help improve the Free Software Directory. This blog recaps the work we accomplished at the Friday, July 14th, 2017 meeting.

This week we looked at software for organizing. mutante cleverly pointed out that there was great software in the Directory for organizing the software, namely the Directory software itself! A new program was added that allows you to submit links to the Internet Archive for storage. In addition to working on organizing software, some time was spent on unapproved entries. The backlog of entries is now down to just a limited number of smaller extensions for web browsers. Participants also discussed the conditions under which computer languages are Turing complete, as well as similarities between sheet music and source code.

This coming week, efforts to expand the Directory import project will take the forefront.

If you would like to help update the Directory, meet with us every Friday in #fsf on irc.freenode.org from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT (16:00 to 19:00 UTC).

Participate in supporting the Directory by adding new entries and updating existing ones. We will be on IRC in the #fsf channel on irc.freenode.org.

Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth of useful information, from basic category and descriptions, to providing detailed info about version control, IRC channels, documentation, and licensing info that has been carefully checked by FSF staff and trained volunteers.

While the Directory has been and continues to be a great resource to the world for over a decade now, it has the potential to be a resource of even greater value. But it needs your help!

This week we'll be doing some cleaning up, focusing on entries that haven't had an update in a while. We are doing a great job at getting new packages listed, but if we don't take the time to go back and update older entries, the Directory risks becoming stale. Making sure entries are up to date is just as important as expanding the Directory, since an out-of-date download or listing isn't super useful. So, come join us this week in freshening up those golden oldies!

If you are eager to help, and you can't wait or are simply unable to make it onto IRC on Friday, our participation guide will provide you with all the information you need to get started on helping the Directory today! There are also weekly Directory Meeting pages that everyone is welcome to contribute to before, during, and after each meeting.