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authoryctct <yctct@yctct.com>2026-04-22 16:44:37 +0200
committeryctct <yctct@yctct.com>2026-04-22 16:44:37 +0200
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-rw-r--r--blog/md/24.md43
-rw-r--r--blog/md/add-multiple-email-accounts-nextcloud.md12
-rw-r--r--blog/md/add-password-recovery-email-address.md13
-rw-r--r--blog/md/add-user-to-nextcloud.md6
-rw-r--r--blog/md/agpl.md33
-rw-r--r--blog/md/create-email-addresses.md17
-rw-r--r--blog/md/dinum-linux.md7
-rw-r--r--blog/md/discord-id.md5
-rw-r--r--blog/md/discord-loves-open-source.md18
-rw-r--r--blog/md/first-apps-nextcloud.md9
-rw-r--r--blog/md/le-bureau.md33
-rw-r--r--blog/md/libreoffice-crdt.md17
-rw-r--r--blog/md/microsoft-wireguard-veracrypt.md52
-rw-r--r--blog/md/set-up-new-domain-name-with-galae.md17
-rw-r--r--blog/md/set-up-your-email-application.md30
-rw-r--r--blog/md/tree.md65
-rw-r--r--blog/md/user-case-mmm.md49
-rw-r--r--blog/md/why-copyleft.md123
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diff --git a/blog/md/24.md b/blog/md/24.md
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+# To choose an instance, is to choose who we trust | March 2025
+
+Most of us fail to imagine that businesses will be willing to pay for something that is freely distributed.
+
+Yesterday, I had a chat with Vincent L., developer, owner-member of the cooperative 24eme[1], a software development agency working with freely distributed software only.
+
+A few points from our conversation:
+
+- using freely distributed software rebalances power between clients and software providers (to the advantage of the client).
+- if 24eme shuts down, or if clients are no longer satisfied with 24eme, clients can hire other developers to carry on maintaining software 24eme has used, or clients can internalise the work by hiring developer.
+- Vincent tells me it is a good thing when their clients hire developers to work on software 24eme has developed; it pushes the developers of 24eme to be more transparent, more diligent in documenting what they do, not to take shortcuts - so other developers can join in to maintain - and improve software 24eme develops. Having external developers as contributors is a remedy against regression; it helps 24eme’s developers progress.
+- using freely distributed software also rebalances power between employees and employers; developers can quit and carry on working on the software they’ve gained expertise on and developed.
+- other organisations in the industry can use software 24eme has developed for their clients; these new organisations might have new needs, pay for new features, then all users can benefits from improvements.
+- Vincent tells me that some organisations are afraid to adopt freely distributed software; they are afraid that their competitors will adopt the same software; conversely, it is easier for organisations to adopt freely distributed software when software is not the core of their value proposition.
+
+24eme maintains the software signaturePDF[2]
+
+- friends of 24eme, and others, maintain instances of signaturePDF.
+- a number of other organisations use signaturePDF; I don’t remember how many.
+- an organisation, Logilab, adopted signaturePDF and has paid 24eme for the development of additional features.
+
+On the organisation 24eme:
+
+- 24eme is run and managed by developers.
+- there is no project manager.
+- clients communicate directly with developers.
+- there is no single point of contact.
+- all developers must be apt to respond to clients' enquiries.
+- 24eme is a registered cooperative.
+- transparency is key
+- all administrative documents, including bank account statements, are public[3]; Vincent tells me it is key for trust, within the organisation, and with clients. Clients can see what they pay for; and what others pay for.
+- When it comes to paying for the development of freely distributed software, clients, if they wanted to, can see which commit they paid for.
+
+Quote I liked:
+
+> [To choose an instance], is to choose who we trust.[4]
+
+PS: an instance is a server running a freely distributed software.
+
+[1] https://www.24eme.fr/
+[2] https://gh.owo.si/24eme/signaturepdf
+[3] https://github.com/24eme/administratif/blob/master/README.md
+[4] “C'est choisir à qui on fait confiance”
diff --git a/blog/md/add-multiple-email-accounts-nextcloud.md b/blog/md/add-multiple-email-accounts-nextcloud.md
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+# Add multiple email accounts to Nexcloud’s mail app
+
+You can add multiple email accounts to the mail applications of your Nextcloud instance.
+
+To do so:
+
+- log in into your Nextcloud instance
+- click on 'Mail' in the navigation bar of Nextcloud
+- click on 'Mail settings' in the bottom left of the screen
+- 'Mail Settings' should pop, set on the tab 'General'
+- under 'Account settings', click '+ Add mail account'
+- follow the instructions to [connect your mailboxes](https://copyleftculture.com/blog/set-up-your-email-application.html)
diff --git a/blog/md/add-password-recovery-email-address.md b/blog/md/add-password-recovery-email-address.md
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+# Mailcow: Add a recovery email address so users can reset their passwords
+
+- you need the admin credentials of the email system
+- log into https://admin.galae.net/domainadmin/mailbox with admin credentials
+- click on the tab 'Mailboxes'
+- the URL should be https://admin.galae.net/domainadmin/mailbox
+- find the email address for which you want to add a recovery email address
+- on the row of that email address, click '+ Edit'
+- you should be on the page https://admin.galae.net/edit/mailbox/username%40domain.tld
+- on the row 'Password recovery email', add the recovery email address
+- click 'Save changes'
+
+
diff --git a/blog/md/add-user-to-nextcloud.md b/blog/md/add-user-to-nextcloud.md
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+# Add a new user to your Nextcloud instance
+
+- log in into your Nextcloud instance
+- click on your initial, in the top-right corner of the screen
+- click on 'Accounts’
+- click on '+ New Account'
diff --git a/blog/md/agpl.md b/blog/md/agpl.md
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+# What's the loophole for SaaS with GPL? | March 2026
+
+In a conversation, the topic of licensing a software that can be running as a service came up.
+
+While GPL is a powerful license when it comes to making sure that the source code will remain freely distributed, it has limitations.
+
+GPL isn't enough to make sure that the source code will remain freely distributed.
+
+AGPL addresses that loophole.
+
+A blog post from maintainer.s who chose AGPL, sums up why:
+
+> What’s the issue with the GPL license?
+>
+> The problem with the GPL license is that it didn’t imagine cloud
+> computing and how the cloud would come to dominate the world of
+> software. Cloud companies download open source software, modify
+> it, run it on their servers and resell it as a service.
+>
+> They’re not actually “distributing” the software because users
+> never have the software installed on their computers. It means
+> that cloud corporations have no obligations to contribute their
+> modifications back to the open source community.
+
+ AGPL is the answer to this.
+
+> What's the GNU AGPLv3 license?
+>
+> “If you make a derivative work of this, and distribute it or run it as a
+> service on a server to others then you have to provide the source code
+> under this license”
+
+Full post: https://plausible.io/blog/open-source-licenses
diff --git a/blog/md/create-email-addresses.md b/blog/md/create-email-addresses.md
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+# Mailcow: How to create new email addresses
+
+- you need the admin credentials of the email system to add an email address
+- log into https://admin.galae.net/domainadmin/mailbox with the admin credentials
+- click on the tab 'Mailboxes'
+- the URL should be https://admin.galae.net/domainadmin/mailbox
+- click on the green button '+Add mailbox'
+- you should see a pop up titled 'Add mailbox'
+- on the row 'Username (left part of an email address)', add the username, e.g. if you want to create bob@example.com write 'bob'
+- on the row 'Domain', select the domain name e.g. example.com
+- on the row 'Password' click 'generate'
+- on the row 'Quota' type '1024'; that is the size of the mailbox, for storage
+- scroll to the bottom of the screen
+- tick the box 'Force password update at next login'
+- click 'Add'
+- you should see the email address you created in the list https://admin.galae.net/domainadmin/mailbox
+- send the password and email address to the user; the user will be prompted to change the password at first log in.
diff --git a/blog/md/dinum-linux.md b/blog/md/dinum-linux.md
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+# France's information technology directorate announced switching to Linux
+
+On April 8th 2026, the *direction interministérielle du numérique (DINUM)*, France's information technology directorate announced they will switch to Linux.
+
+In the same press release, the DINUM also mentioned that the 80,000 agents of France's Social Security will switch to Tchap, Visio and FranceTransfert, 3 open source software that governmental agencies maintain.
+
+Source: https://www.numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-reduction-dependances-extra-europeennes/
diff --git a/blog/md/discord-id.md b/blog/md/discord-id.md
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+# Discord seeks to implement user ID check | February 2026
+
+Discord Inc. will ask some user to provide their ID or undergo a scan of their face to carry on using Discord.
+
+https://web.archive.org/web/20260301033743if_/https://discord.com/press-releases/discord-launches-teen-by-default-settings-globally
diff --git a/blog/md/discord-loves-open-source.md b/blog/md/discord-loves-open-source.md
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+# Discord "loves Open Source", but isn't | 02nd February 2025
+
+Someone asked me whether Discord is freely distributed software; indeed Discord mentions "open source" on their website; they have a page "Discord loves open source"[1] where open source projects which use Discord are listed, and Discord nudge users to join "servers", as if those servers were instances (they aren't).
+
+Discord isn't open source. It's proprietary (Wikipedia is a reasonable source to check the license of a software).
+
+Discord uses the word "server" but that does not mean instance. A "server", in Discord' jargon is just a group chat.
+All the action takes place on Discord's servers.
+All the users remain in Discord's walled-garden.
+
+One of the checks you can do, to understand whether a software is freely distributed is to check whether one can run an instance of that software.
+That's the case with Mastodon, for example.
+You can run your own Mastodon instance, or join the instance of someone else.
+
+Freely distributed alternatives to Discord are: Matrix along with the client Element which support audio, maybe Tox protocol for chatting and voice, Mumble for low-latency voice (only); some people mentioned Mattermost on the web, but based on the feedback I got from some people managing instances of Mattermost, Mattermost is making more and more features proprietary.
+For chat only, there is also Gitter and IRC.
+
+[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20250201134938if_/https://discord.com/open-source
diff --git a/blog/md/first-apps-nextcloud.md b/blog/md/first-apps-nextcloud.md
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+# Apps to install on your newly set up Nextcloud instance
+
+- Workspace, so you can create folders "workspace" for each specific teams
+- Contacts, so you can synchronise and share contacts across teams
+- Calendar, so you can synchronise and share calendars across teams
+- Appointments, so you can share a public link with calendar slots people can book (a la Calendly)
+- Deck, a kaban application on Nextcloud
+- Forms, to create surveys, forms via Nextcloud
+- Mail, to set up your mailboxes on your Nextcloud instance
diff --git a/blog/md/le-bureau.md b/blog/md/le-bureau.md
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+# 'Le Bureau': a cooperative to register domain names | 25th April 2025
+
+'Le Bureau' is a cooperative that acts as an intermediary for people to buy domain names; it's not yet a *domain registrar*: an organisation that can register a domain name on the behalf of a registrant (you) with a registry.
+
+Examples of registrars: GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Gandi.
+
+Examples of registries: DENIC in Germany, Nominet in the United Kingdom
+
+In their FAQ, Le Bureau explains that the aim is for Le Bureau to become a registrar.
+
+From their FAQ:
+
+> Actuellement, LeBureau.coop agit en tant que revendeur de noms de domaine, le temps de développer son offre. L'objectif à terme est de devenir un bureau d'enregistrement et de traiter directement avec les registres.
+
+> At the moment, LeBureau.coop acts as a reseller of domain names [...]. The long-term aim is for Le Bureau to become a registrar so it can deal directly with registries.
+
+*Why do I think what Le Bureau does is interesting?*
+
+Most registrars are for-profit businesses or publicly listed companies; meaning that they cater to the interests of owners or investors.
+
+Some of us might have seen registrars change hands, or might have experienced a decline in the quality of customer service over time, or erratic price increase, like when Gandi got acquired a few years ago (for the second time).
+
+Le Bureau is a cooperative, not a for-profit, neither a non-profit; meaning that users can buy shares of the cooperative to become voting members (*sociétaires*).
+
+There are no investors; the cooperative cannot be sold or acquired.
+
+*Sociétaires* govern the cooperative, and once Le Bureau becomes a registrar of its own, users will govern the entity which registers and hold their domain names.
+
+More information at https://lebureau.coop (in French).
+
+Sources:
+https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/what-2013-05-03-en
+https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/registries/registries-en
diff --git a/blog/md/libreoffice-crdt.md b/blog/md/libreoffice-crdt.md
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+# Distributed real-time collaboration for LibreOffice Writer | 27th February 2025
+
+During FOSDEM 2025, a conference about freely distributed software, Thorsten
+Behrens, a LibreOffice hacker, presented:
+
+> Distributed real-time collaboration for LibreOffice Writer - a first prototype.
+
+What's that?
+
+> This is a mode where multiple people, each with their own local copy of LibreOffice Writer running on their own machine, can all work together simultaneously on the same collaborative document.
+
+In essence, it's like Google Doc, but you don't need a third-party server; you don't need to work in the browser; you don't need to be online:
+
+> It's the same sort of functionality that you get from Google Docs. [...]
+> The big difference is that such tools [Google Doc] run in a browser, so you need to be online. What makes the CRDT implementation different is that this is a local app, working on a local file, but using a network copy to keep changes in sync. The idea is to free you from keeping your apps and data on someone else's computer, without losing the handy collaborative features that web apps bring.
+
+Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/13/libreoffice_wasm_zetaoffice/
diff --git a/blog/md/microsoft-wireguard-veracrypt.md b/blog/md/microsoft-wireguard-veracrypt.md
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+# Microsoft temporarily suspended the accounts of VeraCrypt and WireGuard
+
+*April 19th, 2026*
+
+Both, the lead maintainers of VeraCrypt and Wireguard, wrote that the accounts they use to sign the releases of drivers had been terminated or suspended.
+
+After some media coverage both accounts were reinstated.
+
+The accounts of other security software was also suspended or terminated.
+
+--
+
+This is the message Mounir Idrassi, the lead developer of VeraCrypt, posted on the forum where users discuss VeraCrypt:
+
+> Hi everyone,
+>
+> I want to share an update following my absence over the past few months.
+>
+> I have encountered some challenges but the most serious one is that Microsoft terminated the account I have used for years to sign Windows drivers and the bootloader. You can see below a screenshot of the message shown when I tried to sign in.
+>
+> Microsoft did not send me any emails or prior warnings. I have received no explanation for the termination and their message indicates that no appeal is possible.
+>
+> I have tried to contact Microsoft through various channels but I have only received automated replies and bots. I was unable to reach a human.
+>
+> This termination impacts my work beyond VeraCrypt and has consequences for my daily job.
+>
+> Currently I'm out of options.
+>
+> Regarding VeraCrypt, I cannot publish Windows updates. Linux and macOS updates can still be done but Windows is the platform used by the majority of users and so the inability to deliver Windows releases is a major blow to the project.
+>
+> I'm open to proposals and help. [1]
+
+And a couple of messages from the lead maintainer of WireGuard:
+
+> This is the same problem I'm currently facing with WireGuard. No warning at all, no notification. One day I sign in to publish an update, and yikes, account suspended. Currently undergoing some sort of 60 days appeals process, but who knows. That's kind of crazy: what if there were some critical RCE in WireGuard, being exploited in the wild, and I needed to update users immediately? (That's just hypothetical; don't freak out!) In that case, Microsoft would have my hands entirely tied.
+>
+> If anybody within Microsoft is able to do something, please contact me -- jason at zx2c4 dot com. [2]
+
+And:
+
+> WireGuard has some big updates ready to go on Windows, our first on the platform in nearly 4 years. We've done some nice modernizations and improvements, fixed bugs, added features, updated the toolchain, and more. But our release is currently blocked by @Microsoft.
+>
+> The recent thread on Hacker News encouraged me to write this up, rather than just grumbling to myself privately about it as I have the last two weeks.
+>
+> I logged in to get the WireGuardNT driver signed -- a necessary step for driver authors -- and was greeted by this vague message that the account has been suspended. Looking further into it, it seems like they instituted an identity verification policy, didn't notify me about it, and then I guess they suspended accounts who didn't do the verification. So of course I did the ID card verification immediately, but now an appeal is necessary. The appeals process requires filing a support ticket, but filing a support ticket requires a non-suspended account... Catch-22, eventually resolved by filing one through Azure and getting it rerouted to the right department. That was two weeks ago. Now they've told me there's a 60 day appeal review period. Wish us luck! [3]
+>
+> [...]
+
+[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20260410202929/https://sourceforge.net/p/veracrypt/discussion/general/thread/9620d7a4b3/
+[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20260409082249/https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47686549
+[3] https://xcancel.com/EdgeSecurity/status/2041872931576299888
+
diff --git a/blog/md/set-up-new-domain-name-with-galae.md b/blog/md/set-up-new-domain-name-with-galae.md
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+# How to set up a new domain name to create new email addresses
+
+- ask us to add the new domain to the interface
+- go to https://galae.net
+- scroll down to the footer
+- click on 'generate DNS'
+- enter your domain name without https://
+- go to [https://admin.galae.net/domainadmin](https://admin.galae.net/domainadmin/mailbox)
+- log in with your admin credentials
+- click ‘Edit’ on the domain name (after Galae’s support added it)
+- scroll down
+- copy the DKIM key
+- go back to the config generator for DNS
+- click generate
+- paste the DKIM key on the DNS generator
+- go to the DNS management screen of the domain name
+- paste the DNS configuration in the DNS zone of the domain name
diff --git a/blog/md/set-up-your-email-application.md b/blog/md/set-up-your-email-application.md
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+# Set up your own email applications on laptop or mobile with your work email address
+
+For Apple users (Macbook, iPhone, iPad), to set up the Mail application:
+
+- open Safari
+- copy/paste this URL: <code>https://mail.galae.net/index.php?mobileconfig</code> in the navigation bar
+- follow the instructions.
+
+For other applications, follow the instructions as per the interface of the application you'd like to use.
+
+Once you've found where to add a new email account, you should find the fields where you can type the following information:
+
+## OUTGOING SERVER
+
+- protocol: IMAP
+- host: <code>mail.galae.net</code>
+- port: 993
+- connexion/security: SSL/TLS
+- authentification: normal
+- username: type your email address
+
+## INCOMING SERVER
+
+- host: <code>mail.galae.net</code>
+- port: 465
+- connexion/security: SSL/TLS
+- authentification: normal
+- username: type your email address
+
+Once you have set up the above you should be able to synchronise your mailbox with your preferred email application on desktop or mobile.
diff --git a/blog/md/tree.md b/blog/md/tree.md
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+# A decision tree to help your organisation adopt open source software without the hassle of managing a server | 12th March 2025
+
+This is a follow up post from:
+
+> [Does using open source software means that I have to maintain servers myself?](https://agency.yctct.com/blog/using-open-source.html)
+
+In that previous post we saw that you don't necessarily need to host freely distributed and open source software yourself for your organisation to use freely distributed software.
+
+But, if freely distributed software need to be install or run somewhere then,
+
+- Where shall software run then?
+- or, which server shall you use?
+
+This is a decision tree to help you figure how you can use freely distributed software.
+
+Before you use software on third-party server, you should see if you can run it locally.
+So the first question of this decision tree is:
+
+## 1. Can I use this software locally?
+
+List of software of you can use locally:
+
+- LibreOffice
+- Pluma
+- Abrowser
+- git
+- *etc*
+
+Yes -> great, go on and install that software on your computer.
+
+No -> next question.
+
+## 2. Would a peer-to-peer software do the job?
+
+List of peer-to-peer software:
+
+- Tox
+- Syncthing
+- *etc*
+
+Yes -> great, go on and install that software on your computer.
+
+No -> next question.
+
+## 3. Is an organisation running an instance I can use?
+
+List of organisations running instances of freely distributed
+software, for example:
+
+- Ghost: blog, (paid) newsletter
+- Disroot: jitsi, Matrix, NextCloud etc
+- Ouvaton: Sympa, Website, etc
+- Autistici: website/blog
+- *etc*
+
+Yes -> great, go on sign up/create an account on that instance.
+
+No -> next question.
+
+## 4. Can I find an organisation that would run that instance for me?
+
+List of organisations that can run a standalone instances of
+freely distributed software for you:
+
+- Hostsharing e.G. or Pâquerette, for example
diff --git a/blog/md/user-case-mmm.md b/blog/md/user-case-mmm.md
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+# An IT set up for a startup/SME: Nextcloud, Mattermost, Mailcow and more
+
+I had a client who wanted to avoid vendor lock-in.
+
+They wanted:
+
+- Mailboxes under 7 different domain names
+- an alternative to Google Drive, docs, sheets
+- an alternative to Slack
+- an alternative to Calendly
+- an alternative to Airtable
+- an alternative to Zoom
+- an ERP for HR and accounting
+- a password management system for the whole organisation
+
+Solutions:
+
+- Mailcow
+- Nextcloud
+- Mattermost (MM)
+- Nextcloud's applications Calendar and Appointments
+- Grist
+- Big Blue Button
+- ERPNext
+- Vaultwarden
+
+We customized Nextcloud as such:
+
+- Shared folders per team/department with 'Workspace'
+- Set up collaborative documents: spreadsheet, slides/decks and documents with Collabora
+- Activated Nextcloud's application Forms to run surveys
+- Activated Nextcloud's Calendar and Appointments to have a booking system (alternative to Calendly)
+- Connected MM and Nextcloud to share files from MM to Nextcloud
+- Activated Nextcloud's application Deck, a Kaban system within Nextcloud
+
+For mailboxes, we use an instance of Mailcow which includes the ability for them to:
+
+- manage the mailboxes of multiple domain names
+- create unlimited email addresses
+- create common email addresses e.g. <code>contact@example.com</code>
+- create wildcard email addresses e.g. <code>client-\*@example.com</code>
+
+Next steps are:
+
+- set up LibreSign to their Nextcloud instance to sign documents
+- set up an instance of Grist to replace Airtable
+- set up Big Blue Button and link that to their Nextcloud instance as well as a Mattermost to start calls from within either apps
+- set up ERPNext for HR and accounting
+- set up an instance of Vaultwarden to store, share and manage permissions of passwords
diff --git a/blog/md/why-copyleft.md b/blog/md/why-copyleft.md
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+# Why do I use copyleft-licensed software? | 27th March 2025
+
+*This blog post is an extract of a discussion where I explain why I use copyleft-licensed software.*
+
+In an email conversation, someone wrote to me:
+
+> I'd be interested to hear you explain why – I read your site and agreed
+> with much that was on this blog. I couldn't immediately understand the 'why',
+> perhaps I was looking in the wrong place.
+
+Maybe the 2 reasons I tend to use copyleft-licensed software could be:
+
+First reason:
+
+- when I use an application, I tend to think that I contribute to that application, and that if I become dependent on it, so I don't want it to be taking away from me.
+
+Second reason:
+
+- I tend to think that copyleft-licenses are a mechanism against the asymmetry of power between controllers of software/applications and users.
+
+I'll elaborate on both points, and also mention some of the limitations.
+
+#### When you use an application, you contribute to the success of that application
+
+I think of my usage of a software as a contribution to that software or
+application - I think of usage as contribution because, say, Facebook
+would not exist without users.
+Users of Facebook make Facebook possible.
+No users, no Facebook.
+
+Then, I am thinking that if I contribute to something, and if I become dependent on this something for my everyday life, for my business for example, I want to have
+some agency over it.
+
+I don't want this thing to be taken away from me; it's costly to build something, and then lose it.
+
+I always have this example in mind: a calendar application I used to use, Sunrise Calendar, that got acquired and then shut down.
+
+An example of a calendar application can sound trivial, but you can think of that would mean for a business.
+
+Sunrise became successful - because it had acquired half a million
+users, and then, because it was successful, it was acquired by
+Microsoft, and then shut down.
+
+Users, who had made Sunrise successful, were left with no application.
+
+This is an extract from the last blog post the team behind Sunrise published to users[1]:
+
+> One last note to let you know that we’re moving on for good to Outlook and
+> shutting down the Sunrise apps
+>
+> [...]
+>
+> Tomorrow, you will be logged out of your account.
+>
+> [...]
+>
+> We’d like to extend a final and massive thank you to all of you who’ve
+> supported us along the way. It’s been a hell of a ride. We really hope you
+> enjoyed those years we spent together as much as we did.
+>
+> With lots of love,
+>
+> The Sunrise team
+
+You might think of other examples; in my case I also remember using Mailbox which was
+acquired by Dropbox and then shut down.
+Skype is another example some might remember.
+
+So now, if I start using a software or any digital tool, I am thinking:
+
+am I contributing to something which can be taken away from me?
+
+Permissive licenses help but don't prevent the maintainer from turning a
+software proprietary, as far as I understand - so copyleft acts against this.
+The source code of a copyleft-licensed software will remain freely
+distributed.[2]
+
+*Copyleft isn't a panacea though.*
+
+Also, I am reluctant to use software that are copyleft-licensed, like Signal
+Messenger, yet are walled-gardens.
+To me, lack of interoperability is an issue.
+I don't want to get trapped in a walled-garden, so I don't use Signal for that
+reason, even though it's copyleft, and end-to-end encrypted and collect very
+little metadata.[3]
+
+It's too much power in the hand of a few people, the CEO of Signal and a board probably.
+
+And that's also why I think copyleft helps: it's a mechanism against
+asymmetry of power between controllers of software and users.
+
+#### Copyleft: a mechanisms against asymmetry of power
+
+We, as users, adopt software and sometimes tend to become dependent on it, to
+run our business or keep in touch with our family for example - maintainers of these software we are dependent upon
+then suddenly have a lot of power: they control a software which we can no longer
+exist without.
+
+With proprietary software, users have little leverage to keep the hubris of providers in check; they can sell the software, get it shut down, and leave users with nothing; or they can govern what people can and cannot do *etc*. Zuckerberg and other CEOs of
+large technology providers have little counter-power against them; head of states
+meet them face-to-face - I am not saying it's bad or good, but they get
+stronger as users become dependent on their tools.
+
+Relying on software whose source code is freely distributed, for me, as a user,
+is a way to know that there are some mechanisms in place to keep the hubris of
+maintainers (controllers of software) in check: if maintainers act in a way that displease users, then users can fork, and
+carry on using a software on their own terms.
+Audacity, an audio editor, is an example. Maintainers joined a corporate (the corporate now maintains Audacity), users forked and created Tenacity.
+
+So, in a way, I think of freely
+distributed software as a mechanism to re-balance the asymmetry of power there
+is between users and controllers of software.
+
+[1] You can find this blog post in full on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20170317060955if_/http://blog.sunrise.am/
+
+[2] Although there are examples of copyleft-licensed software that later
+became non-free.
+There is a Wikipedia page about it which I can't find right now.
+How a company can switch from a copyleft-licensed software to proprietary is still unclear to me.
+
+[3] MM and others will answer by saying that if Signal is built this way (as a walled-garden - my own words) that's for the security of users; that's another question we could discuss: "*What do we mean by security?*"
+
+*Thanks to David, maintainer of blot.im, for asking me this question in the first place.*