It's Time To Give Back! DLN Charity Drive

Destination Linux Network Announcements
#1

When we founded DLN we wanted to make sure that we helped organize events around supporting important causes throughout the community. The first charity the community picked was FreeGeek, and we were able to raise several thousand dollars and donate equipment to communities in need and help do our part in closing the digital divide. We want to do it again, but we need your help! Please provide suggestions on a charity that you feel is important. We would love to find charities that help with issues like closing the digital divide, helping with education, improving the lives of people all around the world. Since our community is worldwide we would like to have a charity that is as well.

So list your picks down below and heart the ones you like the most. Canā€™t wait to see what you pick!

Fun fact: DL is the most popular in United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, France and India. However, there are literally dozens more like Afghanistan, Albania, Andora, Argentina, Aruba, Belarus, Barbados, that maintain a community of regular listeners to Destination Linux. How cool is that?

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#2

Another fun fact; it seems that iā€™m the only? one from Belgium around here. (can somebody prove me wrong?).

Iā€™d like to promote https://www.digitalforyouth.be/
Why? I think they do a great job where itā€™s needed. Iā€™ve read about some government initiatives too, but seeing how divided this country is, and keeping in mind that nothing really moves in the 4!! governments we have here, i think digitalforyouth does a really great job.

My 2 cents.

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#3

I nominate FreeGeek.

Free Geekā€™s mission is to sustainably reuse technology, enable digital access, and provide education to create a community that empowers people to realize their potential.

I also believe some members of the DLN have a functioning relationship with this charity which might make it easier to facilitate a more efficient and lucrative charity drive.

#4
#5

Youā€˜re not alone :slightly_smiling_face: Sometimes it seems so weird to only know linux users online. I have a friend whoā€™s also a user and another one whoā€™s in Linux for his work (windows at home) and thatā€™s it :sweat_smile:

#6

thank you for the suggestion @PatPlusLinux but FreeGeek was already used as the charity for the first charity drive so we wanted to allow for other charities to benefit.

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#7

Wow!! Great to see that iā€™ve been proven wrong. And yes, i know how you feel. (but thatā€™s for another topic, i guess) :slightly_smiling_face:

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#8

I personally like https://www.atcp.org/

#9

What about EFF Electronic Frontier Foundation? With things like the youtube-dl debacle it seems like a good charity to support. Thoughts?

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#10

Iā€™d rather see the DLN tackle another charitable organization which might not have the same spotlight as the venerable EFF. Giving money to the EFF, while important, doesnā€™t feel the same as helping communities cross the digital divide.

#11

Iā€™ve been following the EFF for about a decade and have long since regarded them as absolute heroes for which they continue to be.

In recent years however theyā€™ve begun dabbling in identity politics and embracing support of speech suppression under the categories of ā€œhate speechā€ and ā€œdisinformationā€ even to the extent of questioning their own stance on privacy. These categories are impossibly vague, endlessly shifting and more often the favored political weapon of their new political alignment.

This runs directly contrary to the core ethics of the ACLU and American ideals let alone drawing implications on their impartiality on whoā€™s rights they protect.

A quick scan to grab recent examples:

https://www.eff.org/event/hate-not-found-deplatforming-far-right-and-its-consequences

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/10/content-moderation-and-us-election-what-ask-what-demand

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/10/online-content-policy-modernization-act-unconstitutional-mess

Defending civil rights is incredibly hard and more often the battle lines are drawn protecting the ugliest members of society because their rights are everyoneā€™s rights which rely on legal precedent. To shirk that in favor of short term socially popular wins is advocating the role of protector because those battle lines will just continue to regress one bad actor at a time.

That said, iā€™d support donating to the EFF because IMHO they do orders of magnitutde more good than harm. I just think this is worth a mention as sometimes you need to gut check those you love to get them back to who they were.

Lastly a quote from the ACLUā€¦

Over the years, the ACLU has represented or defended individuals engaged in some truly offensive speech. We have defended the speech rights of communists, Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members, accused terrorists, pornographers, anti-LGBT activists, and flag burners. Thatā€™s because the defense of freedom of speech is most necessary when the message is one most people find repulsive. Constitutional rights must apply to even the most unpopular groups if theyā€™re going to be preserved for everyone.

https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech

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