Christine Hall takes the scenic route while explaining the whys and wherefores behind our 2026 Independence Drive.
Ya might’ve noticed we’ve turned to GoFundMe to launch a fundraiser for FOSS Force. The last time we did anything like this was way back in 2015… so, eleven years ago. Back then we raised $2,300 on Indiegogo, a platform we were going to use again this time — mainly because we still had our login credentials and wouldn’t have to go through the rigmarole of opening a new account.
It was only after we’d gone to the trouble of setting up our fundraiser on Indiegogo that we dropped it. It appears that, for the kind of campaign we’d need to run there now, we wouldn’t be able to receive the funds if we fell short of our fundraising goal. That was a dealbreaker for reasons I probably don’t need to explain. Suffice it to say, if our fundraiser only raises enough to fund us for six months instead of a year, that still gives us six months to carry on while we figure out how to cross that bridge when we get there.
Meanwhile, here we are, always understaffed, spending time managing our fundraiser while still doing all the other work it takes to keep FOSS Force rolling. These days I understand Camus’ take on Sisyphus much better than I did forty‑some odd years ago when I was a student at Rochdale College in Toronto.
If you haven’t heard of Rochdale College, look it up. It was like taking summer‑of‑love‑era Haight‑Ashbury, cramming it into an 18‑story building, and registering it as a college. I got a degree there that cost me $25 and required me to answer one question. I could’ve gotten a Ph.D. for $100 with no questions asked. Gawd, how I miss the late sixties and early seventies. Those days are long gone, but the need for scrappy, independent places like FOSS Force isn’t.
But I digress. I was telling you about our fundraiser…
Between now and March 15, we’re seeking to raise 12 grand. That seems like a lot, but it isn’t. That will just about cover what we’re paying our writers right now — except for me. I don’t get paid. Maybe one day, but not now.
If we reach our goal, we’ll have enough to keep our level of reporting where it is, which is good, but I’d like it to be better. If we go over, we’ll be able to expand our coverage. We’ve also been in the process of establishing a sponsorship program to partner with companies whose major focus is open source and/or free software. That too will help us grow our coverage — and maybe even give me a paycheck.
If you want to help, we will appreciate it. Just go to our FOSS Force 2026 Independence Fundraiser and enter an amount. $10 or $25 would be great. $100 would be, like Wow! But even $5 would be super cool.
Meanwhile, I gotta go. I have an article to write.
Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux
Be First to Comment