Hans-Christoph Steiner @eighthave@librem.one
Joined Aug 2019
Does anyone know of any #FreeSoftware implementations of the #RCS encrypted messaging protocol? There is the nine year old
https://github.com/android-rcs/rcsjta I wonder if that is usable?
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
🇺🇦
So, the #Austrian Parliament ignores all expert opinion and ratifies a law to allow #statetrojan #spyware to be bought and used, making the whole population less safe while spending tax money on (non-EU) malware instead of more actual police forces. #Karner has won - at least until #VfGh nullifies it (again) - in getting his legal illusion past the Parliament, even though it can't be technically implemented as written in the law.
https://orf.at/stories/3399187/
> Nach jahrelanger Diskussion ist die Messengerüberwachung am Mittwoch vom Nationalrat ermöglicht worden. Widerstand gab es nicht nur von FPÖ und Grünen, sondern auch innerhalb der Koalition von NEOS-Abgeordneten. Mit der Vorlage wird es dem Staatsschutz künftig möglich sein, unverschlüsselte und verschlüsselte Nachrichten bei Diensten wie WhatsApp und Signal auszulesen.
@oec I've been exclusively writing #FreeSoftware for about 15 years, and the large majority of that funding has been grants from various governments and foundations. It can be a sustainable model for the right project. There are many sustainable models, but not all of them fit all projects or developers. Grants are a good model when one is good at explaining the benefits of your project in ways that are understandable to various points of view. That's a requirement of grant funding.
@totientfunction @oec Yes! Support contracts is a proven business model for sustaining free software, for example #GNU #GCC, #RedHat, #Nextcloud, and many more.
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
To all developers of #FOSS:
I'm interested in your experiences and opinions of funding #FOSS. How to maintain freedom and secure financial stability.
Which strategies work, which don't? Like: grants from public institutions, donations from companies, donations from users, subscription models, ad revenue, sponsors, etc. etc.
What are your experiences with those strategies?
And: Do you think an anonymous payment system like #GNUTaler, along with its anonymous subscription service capabilities, could be helpful and to what degree?
What other ideas do you have?
I'm looking forward to answers, comments and shares!
@RandamuMaki @GrapheneOS Someone who said they were from GrapheneOS posted an question in the online forum of the #DMAWorkshop. When the #Alphabet people dodged, I reformulated the question and asked in there in person. They dodged again, claiming they didn't know what #Google #PlayIntegrity and #GMS meant. Looks like calculated ignorance since those are key to their abusive, trust-building behaviors. #gatekeepers only send competition lawyers to #DMA events so they can dodge technical details.
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
This week in #FDroid (TWIF) has been live since last week, what you've missed:
* More categories and a Client bugfix WiP
* More appid and key changes
* #DAVx5 now with #UnifiedPush support
* #FennecFDroid search engine shenanigans, check your settings now!
* 15 years on #OSMAnd and better navigation
+ 4 new apps
& 131 more updates
Get up to speed: https://f-droid.org/2025/07/03/twif.html
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
In a world where data privacy is increasingly important, CoMaps stands out. We believe that your navigation data is yours, and only yours.
· No identify people: CoMaps does not know who you are.
· No tracking: The app does not track your locations.
· No data collection: Data is not collected.
Join us with a navigation app that prioritizes your privacy.
@jawsh There are people working on GrapheneOS who clearly have deep technical knowledge about Android. I welcome more topical, constructive bug reports about #FDroid from the GrapheneOS community. I'm also a #Debian Developer, and I practice the Debian Social Contract on all projects I work on. For example "we will not hide problems" and "our priorities are our users and free software".
@jawsh @GrapheneOS @AudraTran we welcome reports on any issue in #FDroid, also from @GrapheneOS as we recently got. It is important to note when @GrapheneOS is posting about #FDroid, they have blocked most of our accounts, so we can even respond. So I'm responding to your response.
We are not alone as former supporters being the target of their ire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4To-F6W1NT0
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
Would you like to end the constant drumbeat of ill-informed legislative proposals that threaten to destroy end-to-end #encryption in #OpenSource #software? Are you from #Europe? Can you demonstrate your expertise? Then why not apply to join the European Commission's Expert Group for a Technology Roadmap on Encryption (E04005). Deadline is September 1st, don't be late.
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
We are delighted to announce that we have received a #Zerodha #FLOSSfund grant https://floss.fund/blog/update-2025-may/
This is a great way to highlight the global magnitude of libre software. Ideas, development, or funding are not centralized in one place. No one is buying the power; everybody can contribute as they can and want. We will use this budget to improve #Weblate UX and implement some major features that were waiting to get boosted by funding.
For anyone who wants to relive the #Alphabet #DMAWorkshop the video has been released:
#DMA #compliance #competition #EC #EuropeanCommission #EU #gatekeepers #monopoly #mobile #Google #AI #GooglePlay #GooglePlayServices #GoogleFree #EDRi #FSFE #FDroid
For anyone who wants to relive the #Apple #DMAWorkshop the video has been released:
#DMA #compliance #competition #EC #EuropeanCommission #EU #gatekeepers #monopoly #mobile
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
" #Trump has an opportunity to match his administration’s actions to its rhetoric: stand up for fair markets and let Europe’s pro-competition law run its course. That would reaffirm that America’s edge comes from innovation, not coddling yesterday’s tech monopolists." #DMA https://www.ft.com/content/dc03021b-07c9-4960-9b5c-9a92325474d7
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
⚠️ In four days Gemini wants to scan your phone ⚠️
Stop #Google now: 👉 https://tuta.com/blog/how-to-disable-gemini-on-android
Remember when #Google said things like "don't be evil" and "we're going to be carbon neutral". Now they're focused on #AI and all that goes out the window. Google's own reports say their carbon emissions are up 51% in the past five years, external sources say more like 65%
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/02/google-carbon-emissions-report
Hans-Christoph Steiner
boosted
Brave for Android is now available as an F-Droid repository! 📱🤖
This officially-supported repository allows you to install the browser and get automatic updates without using the Google Play app.
We're excited to make our browser available on a decentralized and account-free platform that's free of Big Tech restrictions and tracking.
Learn how to install Brave for Android through our F-Droid repository here: https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/wiki/Installing-Brave-on-Android
Joined Aug 2019
