2026-03-17 –, Room Auditorium
Your code is FOSS, but the project uses all the famous and fancy proprietary platforms. Does it matter? Yes. Relying on non-free tools contradicts open source values and hurts your project. This talk pulls the curtain from the damages it makes, busts myths and gives you a director's cut commentary on how to be the hero your story needs.
The goal of this talk is to spark reflection and conversation about the tools we use to build open source projects, not just the code we write. It is meant to encourage both new and experienced maintainers to think critically about how proprietary tools may, unintentionally, be limiting their communities and values. We'll explore how can we strengthen our open source ecosystem by reducing our dependency on tech giants and supporting community-owned infrastructure. The audience will leave with a better understanding of the trade-offs involved, where to take action, and the motivation to make small changes that lead to more open, inclusive, and resilient projects.
Whether you're starting a new project or maintaining a mature one, this talk will challenge you to think critically about the tools you use and advocate for open, community-controlled alternatives that align with the spirit of FOSS.
Jan is an advocate for openness and collaboration. He is running the company Open By Default where he helps other organizations on their journey to becoming more open. He has a history of working with open source at the Foundation for Public Code, open knowledge at and with Wikimedia and open data at Creative Commons.