= Document Freedom Day from Brussels to Taiwan: Open Standards celebrated in 30 countries =
[Read online: http://fsfe.org/news/2013/news-20130327-02.en.html ]
In 30 countries around the world, activists are celebrating Open Standards on today's Document Freedom Day, an annual campaign to promote Open Standards. More than 50 groups are hosting events around the world, from Brussels to Nicaragua to Taiwan.
Open Standards are crucial to ensure that different computer systems can work together, and that users can access documents regardless of the computing platform or device they use. They are the foundation of the Internet and the World Wide Web.
"Markets for digital products such as audiobooks and cloud documents have grown dramatically. Open Standards let users break free from vendor lock-in and corporate control," said Sam Tuke, Campaign Manager at the Free Software Foundation Europe.
This year the campaign focuses on web-streaming technologies. "In 2012 trail-blazing Open Standards advocates introduced thousands of people to better standards" said Erik Albers, Community Manager. "This time, we are encouraging people to switch to HTML5 technologies".
The campaign calls on websites to replace Flash with Open Standards-based HTML5 technologies. Activists are reporting Flash-dependent web pages and donating to educational packs including blacked-out "Flash Player required" glasses, illustrating the exclusive and inaccessible nature of closed formats for media streaming.
Document Freedom Day 2012 is facilitated by the Free Software Foundation Europe, and supported by campaign sponsors Google and openSUSE.
== About Document Freedom Day ==
Document Freedom Day (DFD) campaigns to celebrate information accessibility and introduce non-technical audiences to Open Standards. Open Standards are a basic condition for freedom and choice in software; ensuring the freedom to access data, and the freedom to build Free Software to read and write information. Started in 2008, the campaign last year had 54 events worldwide. It will happen on 27th March.
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a non-profit non-governmental organisation active in many European countries and involved in many global activities. Access to software determines participation in a digital society. To secure equal participation in the information age, as well as freedom of competition, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pursues and is dedicated to the furthering of Free Software, defined by the freedoms to use, study, modify and copy. Founded in 2001, creating awareness for these issues, securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving people Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are central issues of the FSFE.