KDE started trick or treating early, and will continue after it’s late.
Today I received an email from Paul Brown, who’s a marketing consultant with KDE, the nonprofit behind the Plasma desktop, KDE Gear, and all sorts of other cool and groovy software for Linux. The email had some bad news and some good news, but I’m going to start with the bad news because that way I can end on an up note.
He said that “many open source projects are currently struggling in the current climate of tech industry deceleration” — and when the tech industry decelerates everybody goes down.
“KDE is no exception,” he said.
“Grassroots support from end users and community members has become vital for our survival,” he added. “That is why we are asking you to please mention our end of year fundraiser in your news outlet.”
At that point he included in his email a link to a page on the KDE website called “Halloween Fundraiser Special.” I of course clicked to check it out, but even before I clicked I was thinking, “Wowie-zowie! KDE’s having a fundraiser and they could use our help!”
I ask you, “How could I not help?”
I put that in quotes, because those are my exact words.
How could I say no? KDE was my first desktop environment, and it’s still the DE I use to measure all others by. Just as the St. Pauli’s Girl brewery used to say, “You never forget your first Girl,” I say you never forget your first DE. After all, the DE is your definition of the entire operating system when you’re a Linux greenhorn — because its all you see at first.
Here’s what that fundraising page had to say for itself:
“We’re kicking off our 2024 end-of-year fundraiser just in time for Halloween!
“Even if the spine-tingling horrors of the long dark night of Walpurgis are mostly imaginary, the sinister threats of predatory proprietary software providers remain all too real.
“Fear not! We, the KDE community, will help you, your friends, family, company, and community banish all the creepy and insidious proprietary software that haunts your computers, phones, and household appliances.
“But we can’t do it alone! We need you to help us fight the good fight against the tech-ghouls from beyond. Use the form to donate any amount to our fundraiser (or become a regular donor to our community) and help us keep the dark forces of proprietary software at bay.”
Oh, and because you can’t say “fundraiser” without saying “fun,” the folks at KDE have made the fundraiser page so very… well, fun to enjoy — — and have included some seasonably appropriate side trips for your’ perusal to places like Invasion of the Project Snatchers, The Silence of the Lans, The Byte Witch Project, and many more.
But seriously folks…
If you run Linux and use KDE, you might wanna consider donating. If you run Linux and you don’t use KDE, you still might want to consider making a donation because odds are you’re still running some software that came from KDE. If you use a computer but you don’t run Linux or use KDE, again consider giving, because a dynamic computer environment is good for everybody. And if you’re Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer, you definitely want to make a big donation, to help atone for all that sowing of FUD you used to do in the old days.
Give here. Tell them Christine sent you. Let’s make this story have a happy ending.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering about that whole “long dark night of Walpurgis” thing, here’s what this old hippie mindless acid freak can tell you about it:
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
Spooky stories indeed in that website!
I’m a monthly donor already but I’ll see if I can send some extra cash their way.
Thanks for spreading the word!
Ricardo
(A KDE/Plasma user since KDE 1.something, who actually started with GNOME way back when)