Google users can still send subscription requests to contacts whose accounts are hosted elsewhere. But they cannot accept incoming requests. This change is akin to Google no longer accepting incoming e-mail for @gmail.com addresses from non-Google domains. That would be unthinkable.

by John Sullivan, Executive Director, and Ward Vandewege, CTO

Update: Google has now done the right thing and corrected this problem.

Earlier this year, we announced an instant messaging service for our members using Jabber (XMPP). This service is federated, so like email, you can talk to people whose account is hosted somewhere else than the FSF. Your account is, say, johns@member.fsf.org, but you could still seamlessly talk to someone who is sergey@gmail.com.

Until now. Recently, some of our members started reporting that they were no longer able to add contacts at GoogleTalk, which is the Jabber service Google provides to Gmail users. Since Google has run a fully federated Jabber service for a long time and ours is new, we investigated under the assumption the problem was on our end.

Turns out, Google has started blocking invites sent from non-Google Jabber servers. Subscription requests just disappear mysteriously, confusing both users and server operators.

Google users can still send subscription requests to contacts whose accounts are hosted elsewhere. But they cannot accept incoming requests. This change is akin to Google no longer accepting incoming e-mail for @gmail.com addresses from non-Google domains. That would be unthinkable.

According to a public mailing list thread, Google is doing this on purpose, to handle a spam problem. We sympathize; we spend a disappointing amount of energy combating similar problems on the services we provide for the free software community. But the solution can't be something that breaks legitimate communication channels, and especially not in a way that enhances Google's disproportionate control of the network. While Google is offering to whitelist servers whose operators write to them, this just accentuates the inequality and doesn't realistically solve the problem.

We hope that Google will retract this change and find a solution that does not undermine the distributed nature of the Internet. We have already reached out to them toward this end.

Meanwhile, we will continue offering our Jabber server as part of our commitment to the vision of the Internet as a place of free federation. You can join the FSF as a member and start using yourname@member.fsf.org anytime.

Join the FSF and friends on Friday, April 19th, from 2:00pm to 5pm EDT (19:00 to 22:00 UTC) to help improve the Free Software Directory by adding new entries and updating existing ones. We will be on IRC in the #fsf channel on freenode.

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 Free Software Directory has been and continues to be a great resource to the world over the past decade, it has the potential of being a resource of even greater value. But it needs your help!

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!

Thank you to everyone for thinking of us at the Free Software Foundation office in downtown Boston as yesterday's terrible news unfolded. We appreciate all the concerned emails and queries.

Our office was officially closed during the attack, in observance of the Patriots' Day holiday. The bombs went off about a mile away from our location, so we were not at risk. Today, all of our staff and interns are safe and accounted for.

Our hearts are with those who were injured and the loved ones of those who died.

There has already been a tremendous outpouring of support from Boston residents and businesses offering hospitality and help to visitors who have been displaced. Let me add our small contribution -- as always, anyone visiting Boston is welcome in our office; we can at least offer wifi, coffee, and good company.

Sometimes, proprietary software actually helps us fight for freedom. Windows 8 is so bad it's almost funny--it's not only proprietary software full of spyware and security vulnerabilities, but it's also confusing for would-be users. Lucky for us, Microsoft's spectacular failure is the perfect time to help people switch to free software.

Today, we're launching a new infographic to encourage everyone to close Windows and open the door to software freedom. Windows 8 is so ripe for parody, we just couldn't resist. Check it out:

Upgrading to free software can be daunting for some people. That's why we need you, the free software experts, to lend a helping hand.

Take our pledge to help a friend or family member upgrade from Windows

Then, share this infographic with every Windows user you know. When your friends or family see the infographic and want to switch, set a date to help them do it. You'd be surprised what a difference a few hours of your time can make in someone else's life.

So, what are you waiting for? Take the pledge and liberate someone from Microsoft's shackles today.

With recent improvements to the Free Software Directory server software, editing is now easier than ever!

Join the FSF and friends on Friday, April 12th, from 3pm to 6pm EDT (20:00 to 23:00 UTC) to help improve the Free Software Directory by adding new entries and updating existing ones. We will be on IRC in the #fsf channel on freenode.

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 Free Software Directory has been and continues to be a great resource to the world over the past decade, it has the potential of being a resource of even greater value. But it needs your help!

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!