www/education how-i-fought-to-graduate-without-...

[Therese Godefroy]

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Therese Godefroy <th_g> 21/09/18 03:23:59

Modified files:
        education      : 
                         
how-i-fought-to-graduate-without-using-non-free-software.html 

Log message:
        Fix typos & match layout with philosophy articles (OK with Dora).

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/education/how-i-fought-to-graduate-without-using-non-free-software.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.6&r2=1.7

Patches:
Index: how-i-fought-to-graduate-without-using-non-free-software.html
===================================================================
RCS file: 
/webcvs/www/www/education/how-i-fought-to-graduate-without-using-non-free-software.html,v
retrieving revision 1.6
retrieving revision 1.7
diff -u -b -r1.6 -r1.7
--- how-i-fought-to-graduate-without-using-non-free-software.html       1 Jun 
2021 09:21:48 -0000       1.6
+++ how-i-fought-to-graduate-without-using-non-free-software.html       18 Sep 
2021 07:23:59 -0000      1.7
@@ -28,13 +28,12 @@
 <!--#include virtual="/server/top-addendum.html" -->
 
 <div style="clear: both"></div>
-<div id="last-div" class="reduced-width">
+<div id="last-div" class="article reduced-width">
 
 <h2>How I Fought To Graduate Without Using Nonfree Software</h2>
 
 <address class="byline">by Wojciech Kosior 
 <a href="#thanks" id="thanks-rev"><sup>[1]</sup></a></address>
-<hr class="thin" />
 
 <p>As a university student, I have struggled during the pandemic like
 everyone else. Many have experienced deaths in their families, or have
@@ -48,13 +47,13 @@
 
 <p>Software freedom is a huge but hidden issue in our time. Digital
 communications technologies such as videoconferencing have taken center
-stage in our lives, and for many the use of these has been a saviour.
+stage in our lives, and for many the use of these has been a savior.
 They do not notice the danger concealed in the way it works:
 whoever controls this technology controls our lives. Recently we have
 seen the power of Big Tech to subvert democracy, control speech,
 exclude groups, and invade our privacy.</p>
 
-<p>Software Freedom is a fight to return control to people. It is a 
+<p>Software freedom is a fight to return control to people. It is a 
 fight against &ldquo;nonfree&rdquo; software, also called 
 <em>proprietary software</em>, which imposes unjust and invasive harms 
 on its users. In pursuit of our liberating mission, advocates of 
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@
 studies. At the beginning of the sixth semester, the pandemic began. 
 Universities closed their physical facilities, so most students 
 returned home and professors started organizing remote classes. 
-Unsurprisingly, they all chose proprietary platforms. Cisco Webex, 
+Unsurprisingly, they all chose proprietary platforms. Cisco WebEx, 
 Microsoft Teams, ClickMeeting, and Skype were popular choices.  I could 
 not find a free software client for any of those. Also, not realizing 
 the problem of nonfree js, professors expected everyone to be able to 
@@ -171,7 +170,7 @@
 that required nonfree js. That professor did not respond to my email.</p>
 
 <p>One Distributed Systems homework was supposed to be submitted via
-Webex, but that professor agreed to let me use Jami instead.</p>
+WebEx, but that professor agreed to let me use Jami instead.</p>
 
 <h3>Uncertainty and doubt</h3>
 
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@
 <p>It is not necessarily the functional aspects of the software that
 creates friction around lack of software freedom. During the summer I 
 had to do an internship. I backed out of a paid offer after learning 
-that the employer would make make my code nonfree.  I eventually did 
+that the employer would make my code nonfree.  I eventually did 
 another, unpaid internship.</p>
 
 <p>So after all my struggles, I finally passed the summer semester and 
@@ -240,7 +239,7 @@
 
 <p>Before the winter semester, a list of allowed videoconferencing 
 platforms that comply with the data protection law was given to 
-professors.  It contained Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, ClickMeeting, 
+professors.  It contained Microsoft Teams, Cisco WebEx, ClickMeeting, 
 and Google Meet.  You will surely see the irony here!</p>
 
 <p>One professor agreed to use Jitsi Meet for all his classes and
@@ -250,7 +249,7 @@
 sidelined in favor of commercial nonfree solutions in what seems like 
 a case of corrupt corporate capture of an educational institution. The 
 libre software didn't get approved and the professor kept 
-communicating with other students via Webex.</p>
+communicating with other students via WebEx.</p>
 
 <h3>Misconceptions</h3>
 
@@ -289,7 +288,7 @@
 without using Teams wanted to fail me for my &ldquo;absences,&rdquo; 
 despite my uploading homework throughout the semester. After 
 a protracted argument, I was offered an option to meet online on 
-January 8th... on Teams! I politely refused again, and reiterated my 
+January 8th&hellip; on Teams! I politely refused again, and reiterated my 
 points. The professor eventually CC'd the Associate Dean in an email. 
 In the meantime, the deadline to upload my thesis for a January defense 
 expired. After many reminder emails, a response finally came, and 
@@ -301,7 +300,7 @@
 <p>Looking back, I'm proud of my actions. I took the risk of failing 
 my studies, and I would end up with lower final grade than if I had
 submitted to the use of unethical and insecure software products.
-But I am content with this.  I don't think surrendering to non-free
+But I am content with this.  I don't think surrendering to nonfree
 platforms would bring any long-term benefits&mdash;only more 
 compromises.</p>
 
@@ -394,7 +393,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2021/06/01 09:21:48 $
+$Date: 2021/09/18 07:23:59 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>