I'm the community manager for Librecast. Librecast is a project funded by the EU's Next Generation Internet Initiative. We're a human rights project masquerading as a FLOSS Project. [1]
I provide communications on behalf of the project. When you look at the Librecast social channels, I monitor it. I talk to others about Librecast. We want people to know what we are doing and why we are doing it. It takes time to build, but we still need to let people know about our code and our values. We need to do this so that as we build we get feedback on our plans. We do this so that our community grows and as we build more of Librecast, the community gets to test it.
How does our project get considered as an option for developers to try out? How do we become visible? We need to communicate about our projects. We also have the challenge of ensuring that Horizon keeps funding FLOSS. We got our start from NGI Zero. Which I wrote about for the anniversary of 5 years of NGI Zero.[2]
Any project funded by the EU needs to shout about that funding. I've been talking to the people in this space for 4 of those 5 years. Most of the EU Horizon Funding goes into Proprietary Software with the flavour of the moment. We have funds with AI, we have funds with Blockchain. Very often these are companies and consortiums rather than FLOSS projects. There's a danger of IP being locked up, rather than opened up to the commons.
The NLNet Foundation is the only funding body in Europe that opposes this trend. It funds small FOSS projects and Individuals. Projects and developers have to put their heads above the parapet, this is a political fund, funded by a political body. This money comes from the Member States taxpayers.
Human rights projects need to be vocal. Particularly when they get EU funding based on the use case of Freedom of Speech and Privacy. I have a responsibility to communicate with European Citizens as they pay taxes to the EU, which funds NGI Zero. Any project that gets funding from the EU has that responsibility.
The NLNet Foundation is a small team. It hasn't got the time to do that for us in addition to all of the work that they do. They want to boost the projects they fund to build a story for Independent FOSS project development. We are not VC-funded, we haven't taken any money from companies like Google. The foundation relies on the projects that they fund to be visible. When the EU comes to tally the books, the EU can see that the money was spent wisely because of successful projects and code, but also who uses that code.
We're trying to persuade the EU to support all of their short-term funded projects. I'm not just building a community for now. I'm building it down the line if you want more funding. Librecast certainly needs more funding. I'm trying to make the case slowly but surely for long-term funding for us all. This doesn't just mean for the coders, it means funding for the support network around coders.[3]
The entire ecosystem that has built up around NGI is in danger. There is no provision for New NGI consortiums beyond 2025, which means that FLOSS funding in Europe will dry up, with the last NGI fund currently finishing in 2027. [4], [5],[6]
So we do need to reach our National Contact Points to make our case that we should be funded long-term. It is very confusing to know who to contact. The IDEAL-ist network is a (non-public) web portal, only accessible to the members of the IDEAL-ist network. The portal contains the same information for projects published on the NLNet Foundation public website. What makes it private? There is a contact request button that allows them (and only them) to send a message to NLNet - which NLNet then pass on to the project concerned immediately. [7],[8]
So I have a favour to ask of projects funded by NGI, please consider joining this network and talk to the NCPs. Make your projects case, if you have projects you are friendly with make their case as well. We are an ecosystem. We need each other and we need the support that consortiums like NGI Zero give us.
I've only spoken about one of my hats. I help find funding for Librecast, I write grant proposals, and I plan the milestones with Brett. I talk to other projects. I keep an eye on what services and help I can get for the project. I tell the outside world what Librecast is and what we aim to do.
When Brett is coding sometimes he needs someone to talk it over with.
Many Hats, one Esther.
I have a responsibility to support Brett in what he does best, he codes. I'm here so he can stay focused on coding. I'm forgetting about other things I do. It means Brett doesn't have to think about them. He can think about code.
We are accountable to the NGI Zero Consortium, the EU, the larger community and Humanity which desperately needs tools to communicate and disseminate information safely. The folks who need those tools need to know that our projects exist.
It is my belief that many projects need folks to wear additional hats. Often though, the developer is left to cope on their own.
That's a heavy load in addition to coding.
FLOSS projects need a community around them to help with that load. Of course, Project founders and maintainers need to be open to that help.
I'm fortunate I get to help Brett and Librecast. But every FLOSS project needs help and funding to remain sustainable. Every NGI Funded project needs investment, to stay clear of VC funding that ultimately ends up in the US. Help our projects to remain in the EU. Not so much Unicorns and Zebras, but small sustainable communities.
More than code needs to be funded. But we also need funding to keep coding.
If you haven't signed the open letter [5], please do so. Consider joining Ideal-ist and contacting your national contact point now [8].
Tell them about NGI and why it's so important to you. Tell them about the projects that you love and the Fediverse projects that have been funded via NGI Zero.
[1] https://nlnet.nl/project/LibreCastLiveStudio/interview.html
[2] https://onepict.com/20231103-5years.html
[3] https://onepict.com/20240409-sustain.html
[4] https://fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20240911-01.en.html
[5] https://www.librecast.net/ngi-lettre.html
[6] https://www.onepict.com/20240813-ecosystem.html
[7] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp