SeaGL speaker Q&A: Donald Robertson

Donald gives his talk titled, “Free Software Foundation: Volunteer Empire” on Saturday afternoon.

Q: Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?

A: I am the Copyright & Licensing Associate for the Free Software Foundation. I have worked on the licensing team for the FSF for over 8 years. I joined the FSF straight out of law school but was an advocate for software freedom long before then.

Q: Without tipping your hand on the actual talk, can you give us an idea of what we might expect?

A: The FSF is a very small organization in terms of staff. All the work that we do is made possible by thousands of volunteers all around the globe. In my talk I want to highlight their work while also giving the audience some helpful ideas on how to magnify the work of volunteers in their own communities.

Q: Is this your first visit to SeaGL? If so, what are your expectations? If not, can you give us your impressions of the event?

A: I’ve been coming to SeaGL for years now. It’s one of my favorite conferences. The talks are wonderful but the community that comes out for this event is what makes it so great. The people at SeaGL are dedicated free software activists and users.

Q: How can someone become more involved in FSF’s work?

A: There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer, and we’re also hiring for several positions at the moment.