Examples of free software elevator pitches

Please add below the elevator pitch you use to explain to people what free software is all about. This is meant as an inspiration and resource for others to copy and use themselves.

Elevator pitches for a general audience

Miriam's favorite elevator pitch: "I use libre software because I want to control the technology that surrounds me instead of the technology controlling me and I want to run software anywhere and how I like, adjust it to my needs, and share it with friends. It comforts me tremendously to know that a whole community of free software enthusiasts checked the source code of the software I use and made sure it does what it's supposed to do and nothing else. I think a free society needs free software!"

Elevator pitches for students and teachers

We can only learn in freedom if the software we use is free. Free software protects the learner's freedom and let's them study the source code and learn how the software works. By choosing to use free software, schools and universities gain independence from any commercial interests and it avoids vendor lock-in. Free software licenses grant users the rights not only to use the software as they wish, to copy it and distribute it, but also to modify it in order to meet their own needs. Therefore, if institutions eventually wish to implement a particular function in a piece of software, they can engage the services of any developer to accomplish the task, independently from the original vendor.