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Libre as in Liberty -- Free as in Freedom

Key Documents: The Libre Services Concept Libre Services Manifesto
Resources: Directory of Libre Services Software Distribution Centers
Participate: Forums Libre Projects Donate

What is Free Software?

"Free software” is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”. Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. For a formal definition refer to "Free software”.

What are Libre Services?


Libre Services are an extension of the principles of free software into the domain of Internet services. Free software allows complete freedom of action: it may be copied and reused without restriction. Libre Services provide equivalent freedom of action: they are Internet services that may be reproduced and redistributed without restriction.

Libre Services are implemented entirely in free software, based entirely on patent-free protocols, and reproducible as a complete service by anyone. Any company, organization or individual can reproduce and host any Libre Service, and deliver the service to others. Or any group of individuals can host the service for themselves, thus acting as their own service provider.

The Libre Services model exists in relationship to the proprietary Internet services model of AOL, MSN and Yahoo, in an analogous way to how GNU/Linux exists in relation to Microsoft Windows.

For a complete description of Libre Services see the Libre Services Manifesto. This overarching document, organized as a series of independent articles, describes every aspect of the Libre Services model. The following two articles provide a good introduction:

  • Libre Services: Concept and Bootstrapping
    This article provides a general description of the Libre Services concept, and the strategy for bootstrapping it into reality.
  • Libre Services: Projects for Bootstrapping
     A key component of the Libre Services bootstrapping strategy is a project-based model for collaborative participation. This article defines a set of independent, self-contained projects required to move this initiative forward.

About LibreServices.org

LibreServices.org is the central information and resource center for the Libre Services initiative. It provides a framework for collaborative development of Libre Services, and various other resources to assist organizations and individuals who wish to participate. These include:

  • Software repository and distribution center. A central repository and distribution point for Libre Services software. The repository includes automated mechanisms to allow developers to access and retrieve software components in both source and binary form, and return modified software back into the repository.
  • Policies and procedures. A definition of the policies and procedures to be followed to ensure effective and orderly collaborative development.
  • Mailing lists. Automated mailing lists, public discussion forums, and other facilities for communication. These provide a means for organizations and individuals to announce their participation in Libre Services projects, seek out partners, and coordinate cooperative effort.
  • Libre Service providers. A list of providers of Libre Services.
(Note: LibreServices.org is a work in progress, and most of the above facilities have not yet been implemented. Please stay tuned...)

LibreServices.org is provided and maintained as a public service by the Free Protocols Foundation.

About the Free Protocols Foundation

The Libre Services movement is an initiative of the Free Protocols Foundation.

The Free Protocols Foundation is an independent public forum dedicated to the promotion and support of patent-free protocols, software, and services. For more information visit the FPF website at:
http://www.FreeProtocols.org

The Free Protocols Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You can support the Libre Services initiative by making a tax-deductible donation.

Starting-point Libre Services

We have done the initial development work to create a set of starting-point, reference Libre Services software components. These include:

  • Libre Services Integration Platform. We have completed initial development of LSIP, the Libre Services Integration Platform. LSIP is the basis for efficient services development, and a key component of the Libre Services model. It consists of a uniform set of tools, policies and conventions for integration of software into services.
  • Libre Service Engines. We have created an initial set of starting-point Libre Service Engines. The Libre Service Engine is a key technological component of the Libre Services model. It is a complete, fully integrated package of service features and capabilities, ready for deployment and delivery by a service provider. It is part of the definition of a Libre Service that such an engine exist, ready for deployment without requiring any further software integration work.
These software components are immediately available for examination and evaluation, and as the basis for continued engineering development. They are available at the software repository.

The starting-point service engines have been deployed as an initial set of working Libre Services. The first of these is the ByName service. ByName provides a basic set of Internet services for the individual user, including a personal domain, personal website, e-mail, mobile messaging, integrated support for mobility, and a few other capabilities. To learn more, visit:
http://www.ByName.com
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