- - -

- - Free Software Foundation - -

- + + + + + + 2014 Holiday Giving Guide | Free Software Foundation | Working together for free software + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

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Are you giving your loved ones holiday gifts they can use freely, or gifts which put someone else in control?

Electronics are popular gifts for the holidays, but people often overlook the restrictions that manufacturers slip under the wrapping paper. From remote deletion of files to harsh rules about copying and sharing, some gifts take more + than they give. The good news is that there are ethical companies making better devices that your loved ones can enjoy with freedom and privacy. This is the Free Software Foundation (FSF) guide to smarter gifts, compared with their restrictive + counterparts. +

Like this guide? Download the printable version (translations welcome!) and organize a Giving + Guide Giveaway to share it with your community. And remember: donating to a charity in someone's name is at least as meaningful as buying them an electronic device.

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3D Printers

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Lulzbot TAZ 4.0

+ Respects Your Freedom-certified by the FSF to run with all free software, making 3D printing more accessible and encouraging innovation. +
+ Supports tetherless printing, optional Dual Extruder upgrade, and exotic filaments including wood-, rubber- and stone-like materials. +
Hardware designs available to make modification and improvement easy.

+ +

+ +

Makerbot Replicator

+ MakerWare software is proprietary, restricting freedom and stifling innovation. +
+ Recently announced an increasingly proprietary approach, further distancing itself from the free software community. +

+ +

+ + +

+ +

+ +

Ebooks

+ +

Project Gutenberg

+ +

All of the ebooks are gratis, including classics like Peter Pan and Huck Finn.
The original purveyor of eBooks free of DRM (Digital Restrictions Management), inspiring many others.
Enjoy the freedom to read your ebooks on any device.

+ +

Amazon

+ Amazon can remotely block or delete individual ebooks or your entire library with no warning or explanation (they've done + it before). +
- - About - + Amazon uses DRM + to prevent you from sharing your favorite books with friends or moving them between readers.
- - Campaigns + Amazon openly claims + + you don't actually own or control your + ebooks.
- - Licensing +

+ +

+ + +

+ +

+ + +

Laptops

+ +

ThinkPenguin GNU/Linux Notebook

+ +

+ Comes installed with a free OS, and its Wi-Fi and 3D-accelerated graphics work with any other fully free GNU/Linux distribution. +
While its proprietary boot firmware means it's not fully free, this laptop is one of the most freedom-supporting available. Browse more companies that sell free software-compatible computers.

+ +

Apple Macbook Pro

+ Runs on proprietary software that restricts the user's freedoms. +
+ Apple's App Store uses DRM to restrict what you can do with your purchases. +
Comes crawling with spyware.
+ Planned obsolescence: business model forces you to buy new devices frequently. +

+ + +

+ +

+ + +

Graphic Design

+ +

GIMP and Inkscape

+ +

Free software, with thriving developer communities.
Designed for free formats, but can also open files created in other programs.
Wide variety of plugins grants limitless features.
Easy to install on all major operating systems.

+ +

Photoshop and Illustrator

Proprietary software controlled by Adobe.
Prefers locked-down proprietary formats.
Requires costly upgrades to stay up to date.

+ +

+ + +

+ +

+ + +

Operating Systems

+ +

Trisquel GNU/Linux

+ FSF-endorsed completely free operating system: transparent and modifiable.
- - Membership - + Break the cycle of forced upgrades and planned obsolescence.
- - Resources - + Comes with all the software you need and an easy software manager to find more.
Works great with the Wi-Fi adapters in this guide.

+ + + +

+ +

Windows

- - Community - + Proprietary software that profits from controlling how you use your computer.
- - Donate - + Invades privacy and exposes personal data to Microsoft, the NSA, and other malicious attackers.
- - Shop + Dependent on mandatory upgrades and devices that don't support older versions of Windows. +

+ + +

+ +

+ + +

Gift Cards

+ +

FSF Membership Card

Join over 3,000 active members working to make a better world built on free software.
Enjoy a host of member benefits, including admission to the yearly LibrePlanet conference.
Membership donations are tax-deductible in the US. For a smaller gift, donate in a friend's name.

+ +

iTunes Card

DRM + on everything (except music) controls what you can do with your purchases. +
Apple claims (wrongly) that you don't actually own anything you buy from the iTunes store.
Requires proprietary software to use, even to download DRM-free music.

+ +

+ + +

+ +

+ + +

Mobile OS

+ +

Replicant

+ Fully free software, based on Android. +
+ + Supported devices + include both phones and tablets. +
+ Works on used devices, so your dollars won't go to proprietary OS companies. (All commercially + available Android devices ship with some proprietary software.) +

+ + +

+ +

Apple iPhone, iPad and Watch

Comes with no shortage of spyware.
+ iOS is a fully proprietary operating system, giving Apple control over the software on the devices. +
+ Apple uses DRM to block competing software.

+ + +

+ +

2014 Holiday Giving Guide

- -

- Are you giving your loved ones holiday gifts they can - use freely, or gifts which put someone else in - control? -

- -

- Electronics are popular gifts for the holidays, but - people often overlook the restrictions that - manufacturers slip under the wrapping paper. Companies - like Microsoft and Apple can and will use Digital - Restrictions Management (DRM) to - prevent your loved ones from sharing apps on the - laptop you got them or remixing the songs on their - expensive new iPad. If the recipient of your gift - is as unlucky as one woman last year, - - - Amazon might even block all the books on their - Kindle and refuse to explain why - . - - Companies want us to accept this kind of intrusive - control, but when you think about, it's unethical - (and annoying!). -

- -

Give freely

- -

- The good news is, for every device that uses DRM or - has a remote "kill switch" like the Kindle, ethical - companies have made a better one that doesn't, one - that your loved ones will be free to enjoy however - they wish. Here's a list of these smarter gifts, - compared with their more well-known, but more - restrictive alternatives. While you're reading, please - remember that donating to a charity in your friend or - family member's name is at least as meaningful as - buying them an electronic device. Some of our favorite - charities are the - - - Electronic Frontier Foundation - , - - Creative Commons - , - - Wikimedia Foundation - , - - Software Freedom Conservancy - , - - Software Freedom Law Center, - GNOME Foundation - and - Free Software Foundation. -

- -

The Free Software Foundation's Holiday Giving Guide

- -

- The gifts in the left column respect your freedom much - more than those in the right column. -

- -

- - Please - - share the Giving Guide +

+
+
Online Storage
+ +
+
+ + +
+ +
Least Authority File System
+ +
+
+ Free software system guarantees that you control who sees your data. +
+ +
+ Decentralized infrastructure protects from attacks and give you flexibility in how your data is stored. +
+ +
+ Client side encryption to prevent snooping, unlike Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud, Microsoft SkyDrive, and Ubuntu One. +
+
+ +
+ +
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+ + +
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Google Drive
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+ Requires granting Google a virtually unlimited license to any public data, and also having your public and personal data mined for ads. +
+ +
+ Data may be accessed by + intelligence agencies. +
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Media Hosting
- with your friends and family members, especially - those that might give you presents! (We're using the hashtag - #givefreely.) - -

- -

- To make a really big splash, get some friends - together, print the - - PDF version of the Giving Guide +

+ +

GNU MediaGoblin

+ +

+ Soon-to-be federated to allow decentralized sharing. +

+ +

Supports free video formats and grants the ability to choose a copyleft license.
Source files can be attached to an upload, making it easy to remix people's work.

+ +

+ +

YouTube

+ Uses proprietary Adobe Flash player and patent-encumbered H.264 codec by default. +
+ Even the optional HTML5 player requires proprietary JavaScript. +
+ Implements DRM to control access to videos by device and region. +
+ Imposes advertising on your uploads and polices copyright harshly. +

+ +

+ + +

- and hand it out near a local store that sells - DRM-encumbered products. Be sure to take photos! - - Send us photos and any questions at - - campaigns@fsf.org - . -

- -

- Operating System: Give the gift of free, flexible, and - ethical computing -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- Trisquel GNU/Linux - - - - Completely free operating system: - transparent and modifiable - - - - Break the cycle of forced upgrades and - planned obsolescence - - - - Comes with all the software you need and an - easy software manager to find more. You can - also give the gift of - - free software - - in general, without an entirely new - operating system. - - - - Visit - - trisquel.info - - to download the gift of GNU/Linux and help - your friends and family set up their new - OS. If you know someone who wants to run a - fully free GNU/Linux distribution, but - depends on proprietary wifi, one of the - adapters in the - - Respects Your Freedom - - certification program can help. - - -		- Windows 8 - - - - Proprietary software that profits from - controlling how you use your computer - - - - Invades privacy and exposes personal data to - Microsoft, - - the NSA, - and other malicious attackers - - - - Dependent on mandatory upgrades and devices - that don't support older versions of Windows - - -

- -

- 3D Printing: Give the maker in your life a 3D printer - that promotes innovation, or buy one for yourself and - 3D print all your presents this year! -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- Lulzbot TAZ 2.0 3D printer - - - - - Respects Your Freedom - - - certified by the Free Software Foundation - - - - Powered by free software, making 3D printing - more accessible and encouraging innovation - - - - Learn more about the Lulzbot at - - www.lulzbot.com - - - -		- Makerbot Replicator 2 - - - - MakerWare software is proprietary, - restricting freedom and stifling innovation - - - - Hardware patents threaten free printers like - the Lulzbot - - - - Recently announced an increasingly - proprietary approach, further distancing - itself from the free software community - - -

- -

- Gift Cards: Giving a gift card this season? Give one - that has benefits the recipient can keep. -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- FSF Membership Card - - - - Join with over 3,000 active members and - become part of a community working to make a - better world built on free software - - - - Enjoy a host of - - member benefits - - including free admission to the - - LibrePlanet conference - - - - - Membership donations are tax-deductible in - the US - - - - Get your gift membership today at - - www.fsf.org/associate - - - - - For a smaller gift, donate in a friend's name at - - fsf.org/donate - . - - -		- iTunes Card - - - - The iTunes store uses DRM (Digital - Restrictions Management) on everything it - sells except music to control what you can - do with your purchases - - - - Apple claims (wrongly) that you don't - actually own anything you buy from the - iTunes store - - - - Requires proprietary software to use, - including to download DRM-free music - - -

- -

- Laptops: Give a top-of-the-line laptop that comes with - fewer strings attached -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- ThinkPenguin GNU/Linux Notebook - - - - Free software compatible wifi and - 3D-accelerated graphics chipsets--run any - - fully free GNU/Linux distribution - - you choose. While not fully free (using - - proprietary boot firmware - - ) this laptop is one of the most freedom - supporting models currently available. - - - - Comes preinstalled with free software for a - no-hassle experience. Visit - - libre.thinkpenguin.com - - and - - www.gnu.org/links/companies - - to shop for fully free GNU/Linux - compatible laptops - - -		- Macbook Pro - - - - Runs on proprietary software that restricts - the user's freedoms - - - - Apple's App Store uses DRM (Digital - Restrictions Management) to restrict what - you can do with your purchases - - - - Planned obsolescence: business model forces - you to buy new devices frequently - - -

- -

- Ebooks: The readers in your life deserve digital - libraries that won't disappear on them -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- Project Gutenberg - - - - The original purveyor of DRM-free eBooks - - - - Enjoy the freedom to read your ebooks on any - device - - - - All of the ebooks on Project Gutenberg, - including classics like Peter Pan and Huck - Finn, are gratis - - - - Pick out the perfect books for the whole - family at - - www.gutenberg.org - - or from other - - DRM-free ebooks sites - - - -		- Amazon - - - - Amazon can remotely block or delete - individual ebooks or your entire library - with no warning or explanation (they've done - it before--read about it - - here - ). - - - - DRM prevents you from sharing your favorite - books with friends, and Amazon uses DRM to - - maintain their monopoly - - - - - Amazon claims - - you don't actually own or control your - ebooks - - - - - Thanks to DRM, you won't be able to transfer - your books to any other reader - - -

- -

- Mobile OS: You should have control over the computer - in your pocket -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- Replicant - - - - Fully free software mobile OS based on - Android - - - - - Supported devices - - include both phones and tablets - - - - Used devices can be purchased, so your - dollars won't go to proprietary OS - companies. - - - - - iOS is a fully proprietary operating system, - giving Apple ultimate control over devices - running it - - - - Apple uses DRM to block competing software. - - - - The company claims to take away your freedom - - for your own good - . - - -

- -

Online storage: Who owns your personal files?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- Least Authority - - - - Based on Tahoe-LAFS, a free software, - verifiably secure, decentralized, - fault-tolerant, peer-to-peer distributed - data store & file system - - - - Guarantees that only those you grant access - to may view your data - - - - Client side encryption to prevent snooping - unlike Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud, - Microsoft SkyDrive, and Ubuntu One. - - - - Go to - - https://leastauthority.com/ - - to learn more - - -		- Google Drive - - - - Requires granting Google a virtually - unlimited license to any public data, and - also having your public and personal data - mined for ads - - - - Data may be accessed by Google and - - intelligence agencies - - - - - Puts a 3rd party company in charge of your - data - - -

- -

Media hosting: Who owns your personal files?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- -	- -	- -
- MediaGoblin - - - - Soon-to-be federated to allow decentralized - sharing - - - Supports free video formats - - Ability to choose a copyleft license - - Source files can be attached to an upload - - - Go to - - http://mediagoblin.org/ - - to learn how to use it and see a list of - public instances. - - -		- YouTube - - - - Uses proprietary Adobe Flash player and - patent-encumbered H.264 - - - - Implements DRM to control access to videos - by device and region - - - - Imposes advertising on your uploads and - polices copyright harshly - - -

- -

- - If you have ideas for more gifts that can be given - freely, submit your recommendations to our growing - page at - - libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Giving_Guide_Suggestions - . - -

-
- - -

Licenses

- -

- This page is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 - Unported - . - -

- -

- Lulzbot by FSF is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - . -
- Based on a work at - - https://static.fsf.org/nosvn/ryf/taz2.jpg - . -

- -

- Replicator 2 by FSF is licensed under a - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic - . -
- Based on a work at - - http://www.flickr.com/photos/creative_tools/8080029032/ - . -

- -

- FSF USB membership card by FSF is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - . -
- Based on a work at - - http://static.fsf.org/nosvn/dontcardomebro.jpg - . -

- -

- iTunes gift card by FSF is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - . -
- Based on a work at - - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmiphone/4640570159/ - . -

- -

- ThinkPenguin with GNU by FSF is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - . -
- Based on a work at - - https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/royal-penguin-gnu-linux-notebook - . -

- -

- Macbook Pro PSD by andrew-gw is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - . -
- Retrieved from - - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Macbook_Pro_PSD.png - . -

- -

- Astounding Stories by FSF is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - . -
- Retrieved from - - http://www.gutenberg.org - . -

- -

- The Amazon.com logo is public domain but is a - registered trademark. -

- -

- Replicant by Paul Kocialkowski is licensed under a - - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - . -
- Retrieved from - - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Replicant_logo_alpha.svg - . -

- -

The iOS logo is a registered trademark.

- -

- The Least Authority logo is copyright Least Authority - Enterprises. -

- -

- The Google Drive logo is public domain but may be - subject to trademark laws. -

- -

The MediaGoblin graphic is public domain.

- -

- The YouTube logo is public domain but may be subject - to trademark laws. -

+ +

- The FSF is a charity with a worldwide mission to advance - software freedom - - learn about our history and work. - -

+ -

More Recommended Products

- - - - - - - -

- - +

+ +

Tehnoetic dongle Wi-Fi adapter

Great for all-free-software installations on laptops with incompatible Wi-Fi hardware. Certified to Respect Your Freedom. Discount code: FSFGIVING.

+ +

ThinkPenguin Wi-Fi N router

High speed wireless router running FSF-endorsed LibreCMC operating system. Certified to Respects Your Freedom. Discount code: FSFGIVING.

+ +

+ +

ThinkPenguin dongle Wi-Fi adapter

Great for all-free-software installations on laptops with incompatible Wi-Fi hardware. Certified to Respect Your Freedom.

+ +

If you have ideas for more gifts that can be given freely, submit your recommendations to our + growing page. +

+ + + +

Recommended charities for holiday donations

Electronic Frontier Foundation, + Creative Commons, + Wikimedia Foundation, + Software Freedom Conservancy, + Software Freedom Law Center, + GNOME Foundation and + Free Software Foundation.

+ + + +

More devices on h-node

To learn more about which hardware supports free software and which doesn't, explore the community-run h-node database.

+ + + + +

Licenses

This page by the Free Software Foundation is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported. +

The graphics and photos used on this page have been modified by the Free Software Foundation and are licensed separately under the following terms:

Lulzbot 3D printer photo by Aleph Objects is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
FSF USB membership card by FSF is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
iTunes gift card is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
ThinkPenguin with GNU is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
Macbook Pro PSD by andrew-gw is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
Astounding Stories is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
The Inkscape and GIMP logos are licensed under the GNU General Public License.
The Amazon, iOS, YouTube, Google Drive and Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator logos are in the public domain but are registered trademarks.
Replicant by Paul Kocialkowski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
Tehnoetic Wi-Fi dongle by Tehnoetic 2014 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Least Authority logo is copyright Least Authority Enterprises.
The Media Goblin graphic is public domain.

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