This document provides guidance on community organizing for free software activists. It discusses why free software is important, the current state of the movement, and strategies for growth. Specific tactics covered include defining goals, planning events, targeting diverse groups, making invitations personal, follow up, sharing work and power, fostering leadership, and one-on-one meetings. The overall message is that growing and diversifying the community requires thoughtful, repeated outreach while empowering new members.

1. Hello LinuxFest
Northwest!
Community Organizing
for Free Software Activists
Deb Nicholson
April 28th, 2012

2. What I'm going to talk about
● Why free software is critical
● The state of the movement
● Strategy and perception
● Specific tactics for growth

3. In the 60's, people believed that computers would be used
primarily to enhance the power of the individual
● CC­BY­SA ­­ DJ Brandon on Flickr

4. Freedom of speech
and freedom of assembly
are meaningless if the methods
of exercising them are not
controlled by the people.

5. “Power concedes nothing
without a demand. It never did
and it never will. “ ­­ Frederick Douglass

6. Free software is distributed power.

7. Today, free software users
are the minority
“As an organizer
I start from where the world is, as it is,
not where I would like it to be.”
­­ Saul Alinsky

8. The “low hanging fruit” is already here.

9.
According to FLOSSPOLS,
women comprise less than 2%
of the free software community.

10.
We have a movement
that needs to grow and
a huge population
we haven't reached.

11. Lots of opportunity!
● More people spreading the word =
– More users
– More designers
– More developers
– More people spreading the word

12. Diversity beyond gender
● People of color
● GLBTQ
● People with disabilities
● Working class people
● “Non­computer people”

13. The tactics I'm about to share
aren't only for increasing diversity – they're
good guidelines for reaching out to anyone.

14. There are no shortcuts
“Effective organization is thwarted by the
desire for instant and dramatic change.”
“To build a powerful organization takes time.”
­­ Saul Alinsky

15. How do we get there?
Cesar Chavez was once asked how he did
all that organizing. His answer, “I talked to
one person, then I talked to another person,
then I talked to another person...”

16. Talking to people effectively
● Define your purpose
● Plan an event or
meeting
● Who is your target?
● Make it personal

17. Define your goal
It's hard to invite people in
when you can't articulate
what you're inviting them to.

18. Stay on message
● Be up front about
your goal
● Keep attention
getting measures
thematically related
● Consider #off­topic
or beer afterwards
CC­BY – photogirl7 on flickr

19. Events or meetings
● Give you a specific time and place to
focus on
● Newcomers' events cut out the weirdness
of inviting new people one at a time
● Face to face helps people feel connected

20. Planning your event...
A public place
●
● Entice people with
snacks
● Make a plan and
stick to it
CC­BY Tomi Tapio on flickr

21. Stay on target, stay on target...
● Who are you
inviting?
● What's in it for them?
● Tailor your approach
● Repeat and repeat
and repeat
CC­BY­SA Eric Kilby on Flickr

22. Perception & Recruitment
● It's easy to recruit
yourself
● Stereotypes
● “Just another
member” vs.
“unicorn”
CC­BY­SA smws on Flickr

23. Making it personal
● What is the person you're
talking to interested in?
● Send personalized emails
● Talk to people in person
● Repeat and repeat and repeat

24. They're here! Now what?
● Run good meetings
● Follow up with people
● Analyze what you just did
● Improve it for next time!

25. A few things to remember
● Introductions as opportunity
● Thank people constantly
● Use inclusive language
● Have next steps ready

26. Growing
Think of your new
participants as
seedlings, they'll
need care and
feeding ­­ but not
smothering.
CC­BY – Rev Stan on flickr

27. 90% of organizing is follow­through

28. Tools for follow-through
● Take notes at your meetings
● Keep institutional knowledge up to date
and somewhere everyone can access it
● Set deadlines and stick to them
● Thank people for the tasks they've
completed ­­ publicly if possible!

29. Share the work
● Work is “digital”
● Baby factor
● Burnout factor
● Documentation
CC­BY – Steven Depolo on flickr

30. Share the power
● Don't be “the boss”
● Mission > details
● What's so great
about doing it your
way?
● Invested people
stick around
CC­BY­SA Tom Raftery on flickr

31. Fostering Leadership
● Recognition: free
and awesome
● Reward people
with more
responsibility
● Teach/empower
people to recruit
others
CC­BY – moonlightbulb on flickr

32. One on Ones
● Build accountability
● Listen
● Make it better
● Stay on topic
CC­BY – Anya Logic on flickr

33. In closing...
● More people and different people == larger
and more successful free software
movement!
● Invite people thoughtfully and repeatedly
● Share the work and the decision making!
● Make sure people are getting something
back so they stick around
●
Always be fostering leadership

34. Want more?
● Email me, deb@eximiousproductions.com
● Free software organizing resources
http://groups.fsf.org/wiki/Womenscaucus/resources
● “Rules for Radicals” by Saul Alinski