September 2024

Hello FOSS Enthusiast!
Welcome to our monthly newsletter from FOSS United! Your journey into the vibrant world of Free and Open Source Software begins here!
We're excited to bring you the freshest updates, news, exciting projects, policy tweaks, and the buzz around our ongoing initiatives.

Highlights from FOSS United:

Wondering what's happening in FOSS United? Here are a few updates from our side:

• The biggest FOSS conference of the year IndiaFOSS 2024 is just around the corner, happening on the 7th and 8th of September 2024. Tickets are currently sold out, but if you’re still interested in attending, you can check for any last-minute cancellations or transfers by reaching out to our Telegram community.

• IndiaFOSS 2024 will feature a rich lineup of talks and workshops, along with Birds of a Feather (BOFs) sessions and project showcases. It’s a great opportunity to connect with FOSS enthusiasts, discuss FOSS topics, and engage with the community. Check out the schedule and details.

• We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our Sponsors, Community Partners, and Diversity Sponsors who have made this event possible. Your support is invaluable in promoting the spirit of FOSS and ensuring a diverse and inclusive environment for everyone.

  • Sponsors: Frappe, Multiwoven, Project Tech4Dev, JusPay, Samagata Foundation, Mecha Systems, OpenSSF, Requestly, Entri, The Commit Company.

  • Diversity Sponsors: Nikhil Kothari, Shree Kumar

  • Community Partners: Code for GovTech, Open Data Kerala, Wikimedians of Kerala, Janastu, Reap Benefit, Software Freedom Law Center, India, Internet Freedom Foundation, MUKTI, CHAOSS Asia, TinkerHub, OpenStreetMap India, FOSSMEC, PythonPune, Rust India, MumPy, Hyderabad Python User Group, AboutCode.

• FOSS Hack 2024 winners: The results are out! A big congratulations to all the winners of FOSS Hack 2024. Your creativity and contributions were truly inspiring. For a full list of winners and their projects, click here.

From the Telegram Corner:

• Given all of the uncertainty around Telegram in India and around the world, we are looking into the possibility of using and maybe moving to a messaging application that uses the Matrix open network. We would recommend that people check out Matrix, create a User Account, and join the public FOSS United Matrix Rooms. See matrix.to/#/#fossunited:matrix.org for more information.

Note that messages can be bridged between Telegram and Matrix.

Projects

• Multiwoven: An open source alternative to Hightouch, Census, and RudderStack – offering Reverse ETL & Customer Data Platform (CDP) capabilities.
• Tech4Dev Projects: Focused on building technological solutions for social good, Tech4Dev is actively working on projects like Dalgo, which aims to provide accessible, affordable internet services.
• Juspay Projects: Juspay is developing innovative tools like Superposition, which simplifies managing complex user flows in web apps.
• OpenSSF Projects: A collection of tools and resources focused on securing the open source software supply chain, including GUAC and other initiatives.
• Requestly: HTTP Interceptor for browsers.
• BuildSafe: A platform for ensuring the safety and security of open source software.
• FreePBX and Asterisk: Two powerful tools for managing and deploying communication systems, widely used in businesses around the world.
• Varadhi by Flipkart: An open source messaging middleware designed to simplify building messaging systems at scale.
• Samaaja: A project by Reap Benefit to create a collaborative platform for social impact initiatives.
• YDB Platform: A high-performance, scalable database management system designed for the cloud.
• SafeDep Vet: An open source tool designed to analyze and secure your software dependencies.

News

• Why Open Source?: Explore the motivations behind embracing open source in this insightful article by Frappe.
• Software Freedom Day Conference: Join us in Chennai on 21st September 2024 for a day dedicated to celebrating software freedom, with talks, workshops, and networking opportunities.
• The Frappeverse 2024 is set for 3rd-4th October in Mumbai, featuring two days of sessions, hands-on workshops, and meetups for developers, enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs. It’s a great place to connect with the Frappe community, share your ideas, and explore new opportunities.
• Check out how the Open Source Design community is working to make software more user-friendly and visually appealing.

We hope you found this month's updates insightful and exciting. Your active participation and feedback are what make our community thrive. If you have any questions, suggestions, or need further information, feel free to reach out to us at foundation@fossunited.org.

We invite you to join our Telegram group. It's a fantastic way to stay connected with the FOSS United community and be the first to know about our latest initiatives.

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey. Let's keep fostering innovation and collaboration in the FOSS world.

"May the FOSS be with you"