CIW172 - Ralf at Software Freedom Podcast

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Mar 4, 2026

Ralf Hersel, aktiver Mitwirkender der FSFE Local Group Zürich und Initiant zahlreicher Schweizer Projekte zu Freier Software. Er erzählt kurz, wie er vor 20 Jahren zur Bewegung kam. Es geht um I Love Free Software Day, GNU Taler in der Schweiz, Bildungs‑ und Jugendprojekte, Workshops zu Google‑freien Androids, Fediverse für Behörden und den Aufbau von GNU/Linux.ch.

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INSIGHT

Fotobuch Macht Geschichten Greifbar

FSFE Zürich publizierte ein gedrucktes Fotobuch, in dem Leute ihre persönlichen Einstiegs‑ und Lieblingsprojekte im Bereich Freie Software schildern.
Solche physische Publikationen schaffen greifbare Geschichten und erhöhen Sichtbarkeit außerhalb digitaler Kanäle.

ADVICE

Nutze Umfragen Für Politische Sichtbarkeit

Mit Projekten wie FreedomVote lässt sich Politik auf Free‑Software‑Positionen abklopfen, indem Kandidaten zu freien Technologien befragt werden.
Das Format überträgt das Wahl‑O‑Konzept auf Fragen zu Freier Software und Gesellschaft.

INSIGHT

Fediverse Als Öffentliche Alternative

Fedigov zielt darauf ab, Behörden das Fediverse als Alternative zu proprietären Kanälen für öffentliche Kommunikation nahezubringen.
Ralf sieht Fediverse‑Nutzung als politischen Hebel gegen Abhängigkeit von kommerziellen Plattformen.

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CIW - Folge 172 - 04.03.2026 - Ralf at Software Freedom Podcast

We welcome all listeners to episode 172 of “Captain it's Wednesday,” the podcast about free software and free society from GNU/Linux.ch, recorded on March 3 by Bonnie Mehring and Ralf Hersel. This episode is a rushing ahead publication of the Software Freedom Podcast episode.

Subject: Ralf at Software Freedom Podcast

You are part of the local FSFE group in Zurich. Could you very briefly tell us how you got involved there?
About twenty years ago, I became interested in free software and wanted to join the community. At that time, I discovered the “Gnus und Pinguine” group in Zurich and met up with the people there a few times. That's where I found out about the ‘Ubunteros’ group, which I joined. We organized three “Ubucon Conventions” in Switzerland (Winterthur, Zurich, Basle). A few years later, we renamed the group “Tuxeros” because we didn't want to focus solely on Ubuntu. As fewer and fewer people joined Tuxeros, the remaining members joined the “FSFE Local Group Zurich.”
You have just recently participated in the "I Love Free Software Day"
events. How was it?
We have been celebrating “I Love Free Software Day” at the FSFE for a long time, including in Zurich. In previous years, we usually met for dinner and invited other interested parties to join us. That changed in 2025, when we organized talks whose content matched the theme of “I Love Free Software Day.” This year's theme was “Maintainers,” which is why we brought four talks on this topic to the stage. They were about Xournal++, OpenBSD and LibreSSL, NewPipe, and GNU Taler. Admittedly, the last talk was not about maintainers. But Lioh and I had experimented a lot with GNU Taler beforehand and didn't want to withhold our findings from the community. We would have liked to see more visitors and more diversity at “I Love Free Software Day” (there were 15 men present).
What do you as FSFE local group do in Zurich?
First of all, I would like to emphasize that the activities of FSFE Zurich are transparent and public. We meet monthly, alternating between in-person and online meetings. Minutes are taken at our meetings; you can find the link in the show notes. We have carried out many projects over the years. Among the most important are:
- “Learn Like the Pros,” a project on free software in schools and universities,
- “EndOf10,” where we held three workshops to help people switch to Linux,
- “Free your Android,” a workshop on Google-free smartphones,
- “Photo book,” a printed booklet in which people tell their stories about free software,
- “FreedomVote” was a survey in which candidates for the Swiss parliamentary elections could express their stance on free software and a free society,
- and “FediGov,” an initiative that aims to get the government to use the Fediverse for public communication.
We have also appeared on many stages and given presentations on a wide range of free topics. Currently, we would like to focus on young people again, because we see a lack of information about free software in this area.
You are also not only part of the FSFE but also the founder and an
active write on the well known GNU/Linux.ch. And of course also podcast
host of the Captain it's Wednesday Podcast from GNU/Linux.ch. How did
GNU/Linux.ch kick off and how did it all started?
GNU/Linux.ch (GL) was not founded by me, but by Lioh Möller in May 2020. After Prolinux.de came to an end, we wanted to fill a gap. In the beginning, GL was a news blog about free software. In summer 2020, I added the podcast to offer another format. We soon realized that there was some duplication because Linuxnews.de offered similar content. We then established a partnership in which Linuxnews focuses on news and GL presents magazine content. We are proud to collaborate with other providers and are delighted to be able to offer the largest range of free software and free society content in the German-speaking world.
Our podcast has also changed over time. At the beginning, it was a monthly news format with a length of 2 hours per episode. With the introduction of “Captain it's Wednesday,” we now publish weekly episodes lasting 30 minutes or longer. The podcast is interesting because it features a variety of speakers and offers a wide range of topics.
What is the aim of GNU/Linux.ch? Who can participate?
The selection of topics is very important to us. We break out of the nerd niche by describing free software in the context of a free society. There can be no free society if people are not given the opportunity to participate. That is why GL is a project by the community for the community. This offering has been well received. Our articles have been written by over 220 authors. In the podcast, over 100 speakers have had the opportunity to explain their views.
GL is non-commercial and transparent, especially when it comes to our finances. Every year, we publish a transparency report in which we disclose our transactions. GL is financed by donations and sponsors. Our income is used exclusively to cover costs. No one on the GL team receives a cent of our income. All those involved work on a voluntary basis.
From your perspective as a person that very closely follows the digital policy topics in Switzerland. Can you give us an overview of the current situation for Free Software?
No, I am not an expert on Swiss digital policy. Of course, I keep an eye on developments, but I don't presume to make any relevant statements about them. There are other people who are much better at that, for example Kire from Digitale Gesellschaft or Matthias Stürmer from ParlDigi. See links in the show notes.
From the latest news regarding digital policy in Switzerland, it looks like Free Software is becoming more of a topic? How is your perception of this and do you see movement towards using more FOSS products in the public administrations?
Something is indeed happening in Switzerland and Europe. With the decline of former democracies, many authorities, organizations, and companies have realized that they need to take digitalization into their own hands. In Switzerland, we see the “Netzwerk SDS” (Network Sovereign Digital Switzerland), an interest group that hundreds have rapidly joined. Federal authorities, courts, large companies, and civil society organizations gather information there. In addition to information and participant exchange, the network offers three test installations of openDesk. OpenDesk is a free office platform from the German company ZenDiS, funded by the government. Matthias Stürmer is a founder of this network. I recently recorded an interview with him. The link is in the show notes.
Is there something our listeners can do to support Free Software in Switzerland?
This question should not be limited to Switzerland, but should apply to all democratic states and, in particular, their citizens. Free software knows no national borders. We are a global movement that advocates for free software and a free society. Everyone can and should get involved because this movement works for people in the best sense of the word. Digital freedom affects everyone, no matter which country they live in. Digital freedom is essential for societies because it has an increasing impact on our lives every day. What can you do? There is a scientific study that has investigated this (see link in the show notes). This study concludes that connecting with like-minded people can have the strongest political leverage. That's why I don't recommend social media bubbles, but real-life meetings. Meet up in person and form peaceful communities to make positive contributions to society. You might even make new friends along the way.

Outro

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