Don't delay: Register today to ensure that you will attend
LibrePlanet 2017: The Roots of Freedom. Remember, FSF members
and students attend gratis.
Hundreds of people from across the planet will gather at LibrePlanet
2017: The Roots of Freedom at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This year's conference speakers will examine the foundations of
software freedom and the ideas and projects they inspired.
Four keynote speakers will anchor the event. Kade Crockford,
director of the Technology for Liberty program of the American Civil
Liberties Union of Massachusetts, will kick things off on Saturday
morning by sharing how technologists can enlist in the growing fight
for civil liberties. On Saturday night, Free Software Foundation
president Richard Stallman will present the Free Software
Awards and discuss pressing threats and important opportunities
for software freedom.
Day two will begin with Cory Doctorow, science fiction author
and special consultant to the Electronic Frontier Foundation,
revealing how to eradicate all Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) in a
decade. The conference will draw to a close with Sumana
Harihareswara, leader, speaker, and advocate for free software
and communities, giving a talk entitled "Lessons, Myths, and Lenses:
What I Wish I'd Known in 1998."
That's not all. We'll hear about the GNU philosophy from Marianne
Corvellec of the French free software organization April, Joey Hess
will touch on encryption with a talk about backing up your GPG keys,
and Denver Gingerich will update us on a crucial free software need:
the mobile phone.
Others will look at ways to grow the free software movement: through
cross-pollination with other activist movements, removal of barriers
to free software use and contribution, and new ideas for free software
as paid work. Speakers will include Software Freedom Conservancy's
director of strategic initiatives Brett Smith, blind free software
activist Chris Hofstader, and Micky Metts of the Cambridge,
Massachusetts Web development collective Agaric. The full program will
be published soon. In the meantime, you can see the list of confirmed
speakers.
Each year at LibrePlanet, we gather software developers, activists,
policy experts, and computer users to share accomplishments, learn
skills, and address challenges to software freedom. Newcomers are
always welcome, and LibrePlanet 2017 will feature programming for a
broad range of experience levels, including students.
When planning your travel, keep in mind that while the conference
proper will be Saturday and Sunday, there will be social events on
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening.
LibrePlanet 2017 is produced in partnership by the Free Software
Foundation with the Student Information Processing Board
(SIPB) at MIT.
Pre-order a LibrePlanet 2017 t-shirt by March 6th
You can also pre-order a LibrePlanet 2017 commemorative t-shirt
in the GNU Press shop. Order your shirt by March 6th, 7am EST/13:00
UTC to guarantee availability in your size. If you will be picking up
the shirt at the conference, use the code LP17 to waive shipping
costs. If you want it shipped to you, don't use that code, and expect
it to arrive after the conference.
Volunteers make LibrePlanet awesome
LibrePlanet has grown in scope and attendance over the years—it
started out as a Free Software Foundation membership meeting. This
conference would never have become the highly-anticipated event it is
today without the help of dozens of volunteers who make things happen,
before and during the conference—and it's a great way to meet
fellow community members. There are even ways to help if you can't
attend in person! If you are interested in helping out with
LibrePlanet 2017, email resources@fsf.org. We show our appreciation
for our volunteers by offering gratis conference admission and a
LibrePlanet t-shirt.
Don't miss out on your chance to explore the roots of
freedom. Register for LibrePlanet 2017 today!