Share free software with your friends and colleagues

I had a quick look at the first part of the FSF Article "Share free software with your friends and colleagues * Step 1 - Awaken interest", it looks good. Here is my thaught after a discussion with some other free software developers.

> Use free software in front of them. Leading by example is always a great way to get people interested:

I use a RYF certified Talos II as my main computer, on which I develop VR games, middleware and even hardware products. I maintain games originally written for the GPL violating Meta Quest and add new feature, including FBT. As I already mentioned, I plan to build RYF hardware using the same libre FPGA toolchain that Raptor uses. Since the non-free games do not run my Talos II it is easy for me to avoid those games. By contrast a Meta Quest offers mainly non-free games and most users do not know how to sideload libre ones.

> Wear some of our awesome merchandise and put stickers on your computer:

I have GPLv3, SlimeVR and Bitcraze stickers on my old laptop and I showed it in public when I did my V-Sekai workshop last month. It runs proprietary software, including Steam. Here I quote from gnu.org: "But there is one special case where using some nonfree software, and even urging others to use it, can be a positive thing. That's when the use of the nonfree software aims directly at putting an end to the use of that very same nonfree software". I want to put an end on using SteamVR, so I maintain a libre licenced clone. Both the SlimeVR and Bitcraze software stacks respect user freedom and can be used without Steam. My LP talk is here:
https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/gaming-on-a-talos-ii-how-i-avoid-using-steam/

> Talk about what you do in your free time and why you like learning about or tinkering with free software, meeting with other [devs], or volunteering for the FSF and GNU:

I often tell people about GNUchess. I had that many years ago on 16bit Windows. Today I no longer use Windows, I have switched to GNU/Linux and contribute to the Guix System. Guix because it is both ethical and practically better than other distros. But it is still incomplete and needs to be improved. I mentioned that I use the Guix System, after I read that someone else in my community uses NixOS. Last week I was packaging a program that I need to use when working on libre hardware designs with KiCad. Recently I also got GNU Emacs (incuding the built-in Tetris game) and Guix on my Android phone.

> If your friend is complaining about their phone or a program they're using, ask them if they ever considered using a free software app or program instead:

I often had complaints about anti-cheat software in VRChat, that is my motivation to work on a free software replacment. My impression is that many people share that motivation. Adding support for the Meta Quest (known to come with too much malware) and VRChat on the Meta Quest in SlimeVR clearly made SlimeVR more popular. And it enabled me to use the interfaces used by VRChat with the Godot Engine and CNLohr's Spreadgine. There are libre implementations of the OpenXR API, but using the VRChat interface is easier. Today I got urged to run VRChat: that shows the need for a free replacement.

> Use the overlap with other kinds of activism. Whether your friend is concerned about [privacy and freedom], frustrated with [software] obsolescence, ...:

When I read "The Future of VR is Open Source" I say "The Future of VR must respect the users freedom". The article mentions Monado, the free OpenXR runtime that I use.
https://www.crowdsupply.com/slimevr/slimevr-full-body-tracker/updates/more-slimes-and-the-future-of-vr

That motivates me to build my own hardware, as shown in the attachment. On Friday I solved a hardware problem, now I am able to talk to the FPGA bootloader.