New Project Page - “Ask your candidates” / Now I ask you

[Matthias Kirschner]

Hi all,

I just added the following information to FSFE’s project page for the
German federal election [1]:

Because of the German federal elections in 2009, FSFE called on all
German Free Software supporters to ask the parties’ candidates about
their positions on Free Software and Open Standards. FSFE set up a page
about the German Bundestagswahl [2] to help asking questions, and to
collecting answers.

During the campaign politicians from many parties have recognised the
potential of Free Software [3] and Open Standards [4] for Germany. In
response to questions from supporters of FSFE, they explained that Free
Software equals more competition, promotes innovation and provides cost
savings.

FSFE collected the candidates’ answers [5] and wrote an overview of the
parties’ programmes [6] where they concern Free Software (in German).
Our Fellows, volunteers [7] and the German team asked 35 questions and
got 26 replies.  FSFE’s publications

- 2009-09-08: Press release “German Election: Ask your candidate about
  Free Software!” [8]
- 2009-09-10: Matthias Kirschner’s question to Frank-Walter Steinmeier
  (SPD and Germany’s Vice-Chancellor) [9] (in German) 
- 2009-09-15: Torsten Grote’s question to Martina Krogmann (CDU) [10]
  (in German) [Got a reply]
- 2009-09-16: Matthias Kirschner’s question to Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU
  and Germany’s Minister of the interior) [11] (in German). [Got a
  reply]
- 2009-09-17: Thomas Jensch’s question to Guido Westerwelle (FDP) [12]
  (in German).
- 2009-09-21: Press release “Free Software hits German election
  campaigns” [13]

= Selected media coverage =

- 2009-09-09: Gulli: “Kandidaten nach Freier Software löchern!" [14]
- 2009-09-09: Netzpolitik: “Wahl09: Fragt die Kandidaten nach Freier
  Software!” [15]
- 2009-09-10: Heise: “Free Software Foundation Europe startet Aktion zur
  Bundestagswahl” [16]
- 2009-09-10: Pressetext: “Freie Software als Wahlkampfthema” [17]
- 2009-09-10: Pro-linux: “FSFE startet Kandidaten-Befragung zur
  Bundestagswahl” [18]
- 2009-09-14: Computerwoche: FSFE startet Kandidaten-Befragung Freie
  Software als Wahlkampfthema [19]
- 2009-09-21: Heise: “Freie Software: Die Positionen der Politiker” [20]
- 2009-09-21: Pro-Linux: “FSFE stellt Politiker-Antworten zu freier
  Software vor”. [21]
- 2009-09-22: OSOR: “DE: Interior minister: ‘Open source reduces vendor
  lock-in and monopolies’” [22] (in English).
- 2009-09-22: Pressetext: “Politiker zeigen Interesse an freier Software
  — FSFE bemängelt fehlendes Gesamtkonzept deutscher Parteien” [23].
- 2009-09-25: Heise: “Mit dem “Steini-Girl” und “3 Tage wach” in den
  Wahlkampfendspurt” [24]

= You liked that? =

Please support us preparing and implementing such activites in future.
Here are some suggestions:

- Help us translating our information into your mother tongue [25], so
  more people can read about Free Software and our activties.
- Support us with a donation [26] or ask your employer to donate us.
  That is crucial to secure our financial independence.
- Join FSFE’s Fellowship [27] to meet other likeminded people,
  participate in our activities and secure our financial independence
  plus our political weight.
- Promote our newsletter [28] so more people read about Free Software
  issues. You can do this with our _new newsletter banners and buttons_
  [29].
- Buy a t-shirt [30] and spread our message, plus support us
  financially.

Best wishes, 
Matthias


  1. http://www.fsfe.org/projects/btw09/btw09.en.html
  2. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Bundestagswahl2009
  3. http://blogs.fsfe.org/documents/freesoftware.html
  4. http://blogs.fsfe.org/projects/os/def.html
  5. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Bundestagswahl2009#SchongestellteFragenunderhalteneAntworten
  6. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Bundestagswahl2009#DiePositionenderParteieninihrenProgrammen
  7. http://blogs.fsfe.org/contribute/
  8. http://blogs.fsfe.org/news/2009/news-20090908-01.html
  9. http://blogs.fsfe.org/mk/?p=333
  10. http://blogs.fsfe.org/mk/?p=343
  11. http://blogs.fsfe.org/mk/?p=349
  12. http://blogs.fsfe.org/riepernet/?p=90
  13. http://blogs.fsfe.org/news/2009/news-20090921-01.html
  14. http://www.gulli.com/news/bundestagswahl-kandidaten-nach-2009-09-09/
  15. http://www.netzpolitik.org/2009/wahl09-fragt-die-kandidaten-nach-freier-software/
  16. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Free-Software-Foundation-Europe-startet-Aktion-zur-Bundestagswahl--/meldung/145153
  17. http://pressetext.at/news/090910009/freie-software-als-wahlkampfthema/
  18. http://www.pro-linux.de/cgi-bin/NB2/nb2.cgi?show.14679.3010
  19. http://www.computerwoche.de/software/software-infrastruktur/1905401/
  20. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Freie-Software-Die-Positionen-der-Politiker--/meldung/145631
  21. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2009/14722.html
  22. http://www.osor.eu/news/de-interior-minister-open-source-reduces-vendor-lock-in-and-monopolies
  23. http://pressetext.de/news/090922025/politiker-zeigen-interesse-an-freier-software/
  24. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Mit-dem-Steini-Girl-und-3-Tage-wach-in-den-Wahlkampfendspurt--/meldung/145917
  25. http://www.fsfe.org/contribute/translators/translators.en.html
  26. http://www.fsfe.org/donate/donate.en.html
  27. http://fellowship.fsfe.org/join
  28. http://www.fsfe.org/news/newsletter.en.html
  29. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Artwork/Banners#Newsletterbannersandbuttons
  30. http://www.fsfe.org/order/order.en.html
-- 
German Coordinator, Fellowship Coordinator
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) []              (http://fsfe.org)
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