Unexpected opposition to free software advocacy
I've been boycotting proprietary software for roughly 14 years. Perhaps I was engaged in advocacy in my own noncommittal way in all this time. But in the past one year, largely inspired by Ravi Dwivedi, 11 The views expressed in this post are not his. Hell, he probably disapproves of most of it. I've dedicated myself more strongly to free software advocacy.
It's not enough to merely keep using free software quietly and to boycott proprietary software at a personal level. If we don't proactively inform and onboard others, sooner or later we will be forced to use proprietary software. 22 This really applies to any kind of activism. You could replace "free software" with "veganism" and the same would apply.
Not convinced? Perhaps you know somebody who caved in to social pressure and started using WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, GitHub, LinkedIn, or other proprietary platforms. Or perhaps they want to quit them, but social pressure keeps them there.
Those of us who truly understand the importance of free software - enough to boycott proprietary software - are a small minority in the world. Such people (myself included) will use free software even when it lacks features or has worse UX (even as we try to improve it).
