Group:Free Javascript Action Team

Currently, web applications like Google Docs are transmitting programs written in Javascript and other languages to users, without unobfuscated source code and without any ability for users to modify them. This means that even in free software web browsers, users are running nonfree programs. Richard Stallman wrote about this in The JavaScript Trap.

The FSF is starting a campaign to free the Web's JavaScript. Learn more and take action!

We're putting pressure on webmasters to make their sites work without proprietary JavaScript. They can do this by switching to free JavaScript libraries, or by modifying their sites so they don't need JavaScript at all to run. Our tactic is to organize lots of people to contact the webmasters and request the change. The first target Web site is Regulations.gov, which the American government uses to take feedback on proposed regulatory changes.

Sample message to Regulations.gov

When editing this, keep in mind that the Regulations.gov submission form only accepts up to 2,000 characters.

Subject: Please free Regulations.gov's JavaScript

While I was visiting the Regulations.gov comment submission page for "Passenger Screening Using Advanced Imaging Technology" (http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=TSA-2013-0004-0034), I saw that many of the JavaScript files that are needed for the proper functioning of the site are not licensed as free software.

Free software is software that respects users' freedom (not software that is available free of charge). Via the license of a free softare program, users are granted the freedom to run, copy, study, and improve the software. Without these freedoms, as is the case with the non-free JavaScript on Regulations.gov, only the company who "owns" the software has these freedoms, and they can use that power to exert control over users. Requiring users to run nonfree JavaScript to access an important government Web site such as Regulations.gov puts the users and our democracy under the control of the particular companies who made the software.

You can read more about free software at https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.

I request that your replace Regulations.gov's proprietary JavaScript with free software or make the site work without JavaScript at all. I expect that it will be possible to make this change well before the commentary period for the Passenger Screening docket ends on June 24th. This would allow people sufficient time to submit comments on the docket without compromising their freedom as software users.

More details and background information on this critical issue can be found in Dr. Richard Stallman's article "The JavaScript Trap" (https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html). If you have questions or would like help making the site work without proprietary JavaScript, feel free to contact the Free Software Foundation at campaigns@fsf.org.

List of ideas for target websites

When adding sites to the list below, if you know how best we can reach the site's decision maker(s), please mention that also.

Sites sympathetic to software freedom

• identica
• diasporaproject.org
• github.com
• Wordpress.com

Popular websites

• Twitter
• Gmail
• Google Maps
• YouTube
• Google Docs

Already free software licensed packages

• jQuery
• Wordpress.org

Government and NGO's

• nasa.gov (public-inquiries@hq.nasa.gov)
• whitehouse.gov (http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments)
• un.org (http://www.un.org/en/contactus/)
• pbs.org
• hrw.org Human Rights Watch (HRW)
• greenpeace.org
• irs.gov
• data.gov (Open Government Data)
• EFF
• Internet Defence League
• savetheinternet.com
• openmedia.org

Other things you can do

Here is a basic outline for things that need to be done. Please edit and add your suggestions, and discuss ideas on the Talk page.

• Modify browsers to allow users to run their own modified Javascript programs for particular sites that they visit.
• Write browser extensions that notify users about nonfree Javascript.
• If you write Javascript, follow the suggestions in Stallman's article for clearly and freely licensing your code.
• Build community repositories of free Javascript programs useful for popular sites.
• Raise awareness of this issue by publicizing Stallman's article, writing about the problem yourself, and talking to friends and colleagues about it. Watch this wiki page and help organize the effort.
• If you see mention of JS freedom, add a link to the Promotion section of this page.

Promotion

List places where discussion about this issue is happening, and join in, calling for free JavaScript.

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/mar/25/cloud-free-software-stallman
• http://digg.com/software/Richard_Stallman_aims_to_free_cloud_based_applications

Resources

• Noscript - Filter javascript based on domain white/blacklists.
  • Script surrogates are designed to replace undesirable scripts with user-specified alternatives.
• Greasefire - Firefox-compatible addon to search userscripts.org and install userscripts, displays userscripts which can be used on the currently viewed page
• Greasemonkey - Firefox-compatible addon to execute user-supplied javascript on certain pages
• openJSAN.org - JavaScript Archive Network is a comprehensive resource for JavaScript libraries and software.

References

• The Javascript Trap by Richard Stallman. Richard announced the initial plan for addressing this problem at the LibrePlanet2009 conference.

"issue" is not in the list (interest, location, project, school) of allowed values for the "Organized around" property.