Free Software Foundation Marks 40 Years with Livestreamed Celebration
Teh free Software Foundation (FSF) is celebrating its 40th anniversary today with a combined online and in-person event running from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT. The event is being livestreamed on the FSF website at https://www.fsf.org/live, and attendees can join the discussion via the #fsf40 IRC channel on Libera.Chat. The anniversary’s slogan is “4 decades, 4 freedoms, 4 all users.”
A key moment during the celebration was the formal acknowledgement of Ian Kelling as the FSF’s new president.Kelling was unanimously confirmed by the FSF board members,and participated in a cake-cutting ceremony.
kelling, 43, has served as a board member and voting member as March 2021. The board highlighted his “hands-on technical experience” as the institution’s senior systems administrator as invaluable to his work on the board, noting his ability to speak authoritatively on free software issues and his strong community ties through speaking and blogging.
A computer science graduate, Kelling is a dedicated user, developer, and advocate for free software, with a commitment shaped by his experience balancing work at proprietary software companies with personal contributions to GNU/Linux.
FSF founder Richard Stallman praised Kelling’s “good judgment on the board, and a firm commitment to the free software movement.” Outgoing FSF President Geoff Knauth added, “Since joining the board in 2021, Ian has shown a clear understanding of the free software philosophy… and a strong vision.” Knauth also expressed gratitude for Kelling’s advice, stating he “has always adhered to ethical principles.”
Kelling will continue in his role as senior systems administrator, leading the FSF’s tech team under the direction of Executive Director Zoë Kooyman. He will fulfill the governance role as a volunteer, consistent with FSF tradition.
The livestream schedule includes Free Software Foundation trivia, lightning talks from the LibreLocal group, and a panel discussion featuring representatives from the FSF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), F-Droid, and Sugar Labs.
