id: afsi title: Adopting Free Software Ideals location: LibrePlanet 2021 date: 2021-03-20 locimg: lp-2021 abstract: Adopting free software ideals can be confusing and challenging for + individuals, filled with cognitive dissonance and questioning of + practicality. Am I a bad person if I use non-free software? What + example should I set as a free software activist or advocate? How does + that relate to responsibilities of developers and distributors? + + This is a talk about practical ethics and ideals. It is personal, + drawing upon my experiences and evolution over the past fifteen + years. It contains some awkward discussions that free software + activists like to avoid, and hopes to guide those seeking to adopt + more free software ideals, but fear they may not be able to meet such + high standards. It's a talk about evolution and growth. + + But complacency in the face of conflict can also dilute our + ideals. So this is also a talk about balancing ideals in the context + of one's own unique circumstances, while at the same time preserving a + strong message about software freedom. event_link: https://libreplanet.org/2021 id: sapsf title: The Surreptitious Assault on Privacy, Security, and Freedom location: LibrePlanet 2017 date: 2017-03-26 locimg: lp-2017 abstract: Privacy, security, and personal freedom: one cannot be had without the + others. Each of these essential rights are being surreptitiously + assaulted; only the most technical among us even know what to look for, + let alone how to defend ourselves. Governments, corporations, and groups + of ill-minded individuals are spying and preying upon both users and + bystanders with unprecedented frequency and breadth. For those of us who + do understand these issues, it would be irresponsible not to fight for + the rights of others and continue to bring these assaults to light. + + This talk will survey the most pressing issues of today, including + topics of government surveillance and espionage; advertisers and data + analytics; the Internet of Things; corporate negligence; public policy + and the crypto wars; dangers of a non-free Web and untrusted, ephemeral + software; pervasive monitoring; remote servers, services, and “the + cloud”; modern vehicles; the fight against decentralization and free + software; societal pressures and complacency with the status quo; and + more. + + Attendees will walk away with a broad understanding of these topics; an + overview of mitigations; and dozens of resources for further research + and discussion with others. No prior knowledge of security or + cryptography are necessary. video_url: https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/the-surreptitious-assault-on-privacy-security-and-freedom/ link: /talks/sapsf.pdf Slides link: /projects/sapsf/plain/sapsf.bib Bibliography link: /projects/sapsf/ Source Code event_link: https://libreplanet.org/2017 id: cs4m title: Computational Symbiosis: Methods That Meld Mind and Machine location: LibrePlanet 2019 date: 2019-03-24 locimg: lp-2019 abstract: Words like "wizardry" and "incantation" have long been used to describe + skillful computational feats. But neither computers nor + their users are performing feats of magic; for systems to think, we must + tell them how. + + Today, users most often follow a carefully choreographed workflow that + thinks _for_ them, limited by a narrow set of premeditated + possibilities. But there exist concepts that offer virtually no limits on + freedom of expression or thought, blurring the distinction between "user" + and "programmer". + + This session demonstrates a range of practical possibilities when + machine acts as an extension of the user's imagination, for the technical + and nontechnical alike. video_url: https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/computational-symbiosis-methods-that-meld-mind-and-machine/ link: /talks/cs4m.pdf Slides link: /projects/cs4m/ Source Code event_link: https://libreplanet.org/2019 id: ethics-void title: The Ethics Void location: LibrePlanet 2018 date: 2018-03-25 locimg: lp-2018 abstract: Many communities have widely adopted codes of ethics governing the + moral conduct of their members and professionals. Some of these codes may + even be enshrined in law, and for good reason—certain conduct can have + enormous consequences on the lives of others. + + Software and technology pervade virtually every aspect of our lives. Yet, + when compared to other fields, our community leaders and educators have + produced an ethics void. Last year, I introduced numerous topics concerning + privacy, security, and freedom that raise serious ethical concerns. Join me + this year as we consider some of those examples and others in an attempt to + derive a code of ethics that compares to the moral obligations of other + fields, and to consider how leaders and educators should approach ethics + within education and guidance. video_url: https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/the-ethics-void/ link: /talks/ethics-void.pdf Slides link: /projects/ethics-void/ Source Code event_link: https://libreplanet.org/2018 id: online-freedom title: Restore Online Freedom! location: LibrePlanet 2016 date: 2016-03-20 locimg: lp-2016 abstract: Imagine a world where surveillance is the default and users must + opt-in to privacy. Imagine that your every action is logged and analyzed to + learn how you behave, what your interests are, and what you might do + next. Imagine that, even on your fully free operating system, proprietary + software is automatically downloaded and run not only without your consent, + but often without your knowledge. In this world, even free software cannot + be easily modified, shared, or replaced. In many cases, you might not even + be in control of your own computing—your actions and your data might be in + control by a remote entity, and only they decide what you are and are not + allowed to do. + + This may sound dystopian, but this is the world you’re living in right + now. The Web today is an increasingly hostile, freedom-denying place that + propagates to nearly every aspect of the average users’ lives—from their PCs + to their phones, to their TVs and beyond. But before we can stand up and + demand back our freedoms, we must understand what we’re being robbed of, how + it’s being done, and what can (or can’t) be done to stop it. video_url: https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/restore-online-freedom/ link: https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/restore-online-freedom-14bf/ Slides link: /projects/online-freedom/ Source Code event_link: https://libreplanet.org/2016