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Why We Need FOSS Force

By FOSS Force Guest Writer on January 14, 2016 |

Site News

Robin ‘Roblimo’ Miller

Our guest writer offers his views on why you should support FOSS Force with your contribution to our Indiegogo fundraising campaign.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

We are blessed with a good number of online news outlets that cover free and open source software. Why, then, should we care about FOSS Force?

For one thing, the more the merrier. The more eyes that are trained upon the development of “the people’s software,” the more its fame will spread, which means not only more users but more developers. And that means more — and more useful — free and open source software, which is good for all of us.

Continue readingWhy We Need FOSS Force
When It’s Time to Seed the Pot and Get Things GoingFOSS Force begging

When It’s Time to Seed the Pot and Get Things Going

By Christine Hall on January 10, 2016 |

Site News

FOSS Force: 2016 Fund Drive

Our Indiegogo campaign with the descriptive title “FOSS Force: 2016 Fund Drive” has begun. We’d like you to pull out your wallet and make a contribution to help us continue to supply you with all of the great content you’ve come to expect from FOSS Force. Actually, you don’t even have to go to the effort of pulling out your wallet, you can just click and pay using your PayPal account. Then again, you might need to dig for your wallet if you want to pay by credit card, unless you’ve memorized the number.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

If this were an NPR outlet, right about now I’d start telling you that your contributions help pay for all of the content you read on our site. That’s true; it does. Also if this were an NPR outlet, I’d be telling you that we’re user supported (in NPR’s case listener supported) and that 90 percent of our funding comes from readers like you. That’s not true. We run ads, offer sponsorships and such. It’s just that right now that’s not enough to pay the bills — but revenues are increasing and if we keep on keeping on we’ll soon be able to stand on our own two feet. Right now, we just need some help to see us through.

Christine Hall

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

FOSSForce.com
Continue readingWhen It’s Time to Seed the Pot and Get Things Going

December’s Top Ten

By FOSS Force on January 1, 2016 |

Site News

These are the ten most read articles on FOSS Force for the month of December, 2015.

1. Is That Linux? No, It’s PC-BSD by Larry Cafiero. Published December 3, 2015. An encounter at a local coffee house causes a fellow customer to ask, “Is that Linux on your machine?” Nope, it wasn’t, but you know what it was. The title gives it away.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

2. Linux Foundation’s Deal With the Devil by Christine Hall. Published December 14, 2015. The Linux Foundation made a deal to help Microsoft offer Linux certifications? Say it ain’t so, Joe.

3. Ubuntu Bugs That Won’t Go Away by Ken Starks. Published December 15, 2015. It’s one think when a bug needs fixing in an operating system. When the bug remains unfixed since 2012, that a whole ‘nother story.

Continue readingDecember’s Top Ten
You Might’ve Noticed a Few Changes Around Here…FOSS Force fundraiser

You Might’ve Noticed a Few Changes Around Here…

By Christine Hall on December 31, 2015 |

Site News

If you’ve been visiting FOSS Force for a while, you might have noticed some changes around here. Nothing serious. We didn’t do anything drastic like change our layout or put our content up in twenty page slide shows or anything like that. But we’ve expanded, and I think, improved our content. We’re offering more coverage of FOSS than ever before, while also expanding into territories of free tech that lie outside the arena of software and Linux.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

FOSS Force beggingYou might have also noticed that the expansion began just after our May fundraising campaign in which you gave us $2,300 to improve our site. Thanks to you, we have been able to pay our writers — not much mind you, truthfully a small fraction of what they should be paid — which has been a key element to our improved coverage.

Christine Hall

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

FOSSForce.com
Continue readingYou Might’ve Noticed a Few Changes Around Here…
The Dog Ate Our Poll ResultsSchroedinger's cat film

The Dog Ate Our Poll Results

By FOSS Force on December 17, 2015 |

Polls, Site News, Software and Web Apps

Or desparately seeking Schrödinger’s cat’s data

Right about now is the time we told you we’d be giving you the results of the poll we started last week detailing the methods our readers use to receive and send emails. Well, it ain’t going to happen. Nor are we going to tell you next Wednesday about the results of the poll we put up late Sunday night on how you feel about Microsoft as an open source company. Why? The best we can come up with is “the dog ate our homework.” Actually, none of us has a dog, so that’s out. We’ll just say the poll data ran away from home.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Continue readingThe Dog Ate Our Poll Results

November’s Top Ten

By FOSS Force on December 1, 2015 |

Site News

These are the ten most read articles on FOSS Force for the month of November, 2015.

1. The Devil & BSD: Leaving Linux Behind by Larry Cafiero. Published November 23, 2015. Mr. Cafiero takes a stand and makes a statement by wiping Linux from his go-to laptop in favor of PC-BSD.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

2. System Requirements: When Is ‘Enough’ Enough? by Ken Starks. Published November 10, 2015. Do you have a computer that still runs great, but you can’t install anything on it because it doesn’t meet modern “system requirements”? Well, our Mr. Starks says that enough might be enough.

Continue readingNovember’s Top Ten

October’s Top Ten

By FOSS Force on November 1, 2015 |

Site News

These are the ten most read articles on FOSS Force for the month of October, 2015.

1. A Miracle Comes to Linux by Ken Starks. Published October 27, 2015. This story is so fantastic that it had many of you convinced that it was a work of fiction. Not so. To paraphrase Mary McCarthy: Every word is the truth, including “and” and “the.”

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

2. Is Oracle Abandoning Java? by Christine Hall. Published October 6, 2015. A report on news from “a former high-ranking Java official” that Oracle might no longer be interested in continuing development of Java.

3. Microsoft Infects Windows Computers With Malvertising by Christine Hall. Published October 15, 2015. It appears that our friends in Redmond have seen it necessary to upgrade their malicious software removal tool to include the ransomware TelsaCrypt. As well they might, since the MSN website was downloading the program through malicious ads for a while.

Continue readingOctober’s Top Ten

September’s Top Ten

By FOSS Force on October 1, 2015 |

Site News

These are the ten most read articles on FOSS Force for the month of September, 2015.

!. Real Linux Coming to Tablets by Christine Hall. Published September 7, 2015. This month saw the announcement of two impressive tablets, both running versions of Linux. One’s running Sailfish OS from Jolla. The other will run the much anticipated Ubuntu Touch.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

2. Booting Windows 10…Out the Door by Ken Starks. Published September 15, 2015. Our irrepressible Mr. Starks finds out a few things that make him angry about Windows 10 and goes on a rant. He’s mad. Really, really mad. We can’t imagine how angry he’d be if he actually used Windows.

Continue readingSeptember’s Top Ten

FOSS Force Is Looking For a Few Good Writers

By FOSS Force on September 5, 2015 |

Site News

Would you like to become part of the FOSS Force team?

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

In order to expand our coverage, FOSS Force is looking to add two or three experienced writers to our team who are knowledgeable and supportive of free and open source software. We are seeking writers who can write in any of the following areas:

Continue readingFOSS Force Is Looking For a Few Good Writers