279 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
279 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
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title: Digital Independence Day - Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
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---
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# Digital Independence Day
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## Reclaiming Our Digital Autonomy
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**Michał Czechowski**
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University Lecturer & Open Source Enthusiast
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Stuttgart, Germany
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*Science in the City Malta • September 17, 2025*
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---
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# About Me
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**Michał Czechowski**
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- University Lecturer at DHBW Stuttgart & LFH Hannover
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- 20+ years software engineering experience
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- FOSS transformation specialist
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- Polish-German background: generational experience with authoritarian control
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- Passionate about empowering digital independence through democratic technology
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*"From surviving authoritarianism to building digital freedom"*
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---
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# What is Digital Independence?
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---
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# Digital Independence
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## Democratic Control Over Information Systems
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**Digital Autonomy**: The capacity for individuals and societies to make informed, voluntary decisions about their digital tools and data
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- **Individual Level**: You control what software runs on your devices
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- **Societal Level**: Communities govern their digital infrastructure
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- **Democratic Level**: Transparent, accountable technology governance
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*Democracy enhanced by autonomy leads to better societal outcomes*
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<!-- Original thought: democracy minus (some) freedom - but we mean democratic control over technology, not corporate freedom -->
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---
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# Why Does Digital Autonomy Matter?
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---
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# The Fourth Revolution: Living in the Infosphere
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**Luciano Floridi's Core Thesis**: We now inhabit a "hyper-historical" world where the distinction between online and offline life has collapsed.
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The **infosphere** - our combined digital and physical reality - means:
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- Information systems ARE the infrastructure of modern society
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- Digital dependencies create systemic vulnerabilities
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- Control over information systems equals control over society itself
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*We are no longer users of digital tools - we are inhabitants of digital reality*
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<!-- Floridi, "The Fourth Revolution: How the Infosphere is Reshaping Human Reality" - this is the foundational argument for why digital autonomy matters existentially -->
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---
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# Critical Infrastructure Dependencies
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**When information systems control:**
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- **Healthcare**: Electronic records, diagnostic systems, life support
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- **Logistics**: Supply chains, transportation networks, food distribution
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- **Finance**: Payment systems, banking infrastructure, economic stability
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- **Democracy**: Media platforms, electoral systems, public discourse
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- **Education**: Learning platforms, research access, knowledge distribution
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**Single point of failure = societal breakdown**
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---
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# When Digital Systems Fail, Society Fails
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**Recent Systemic Failures:**
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- Hospital ransomware attacks → patients die from delayed care
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- Social media manipulation → electoral interference, democratic erosion
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- Supply chain attacks → economic disruption, infrastructure breakdown
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- Platform censorship → suppression of legitimate discourse
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- Algorithmic bias → systemic discrimination at scale
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*Digital dependence without democratic control = societal vulnerability*
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---
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# Who Opposes Digital Autonomy?
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---
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# The Opposition Alliance
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**Surveillance Capitalism Model:**
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- Extract behavioral data at unprecedented scale
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- Manipulate user behavior through algorithmic control
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- Create dependencies to maintain market dominance
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**Authoritarian State Interests:**
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- Monitor and control population behavior
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- Suppress dissent through platform manipulation
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- Weaponize civilian technology infrastructure
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**Shared Goal: Centralized control over information systems**
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---
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# Real-World Digital Attacks
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**Cambridge Analytica (2018)**: 87 million Facebook profiles harvested for election manipulation
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**Meta's Teen Depression Experiments (2021)**: Deliberately harmful algorithms tested on adolescents
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**Israel-Lebanon Pager Attack (2024)**: Consumer communication devices remotely weaponized
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**Palantir Surveillance Infrastructure**: Military-grade population monitoring sold to corporations and governments
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**TikTok Algorithmic Influence**: Foreign state influence over domestic youth culture and political discourse
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<!-- Additional examples: NSA PRISM program, Chinese social credit system, Russian election interference, facial recognition deployment -->
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---
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# Who's Fighting Back?
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---
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# Digital Independence Success Stories
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**🇩🇪 Schleswig-Holstein**: Complete state migration to Linux and LibreOffice, ending Microsoft dependency
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**🇫🇷 Lyon**: 17,000 government computers migrated to Ubuntu, saving €2M annually in licensing costs
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**🇪🇸 Extremadura**: 200,000 students educated on Linux-based systems, creating digital literacy without vendor lock-in
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**🇮🇹 South Tyrol**: Government-wide OpenOffice deployment, demonstrating scalable alternatives
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**🇧🇷 Brazil**: Constitutional requirement for open standards in government systems
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<!-- Additional: Barcelona's decidim platform, Estonia's X-Road infrastructure, Taiwan's vTaiwan digital democracy -->
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---
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# FOSS vs. "Open Source" vs. Proprietary
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---
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# Software Models Compared
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**Proprietary Software:**
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- Black box code, vendor control, only licenses
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- Surveillance capabilities built-in
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**"Open Source" (Silicon Valley):**
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- Source visible but corporate-controlled
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- "Open washing" marketing tactics
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**Free & Open Source Software (FOSS):**
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- Community governance, transparent code
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- Privacy by default, no surveillance by design
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---
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# How to Gain Digital Autonomy
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---
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# Your Liberation Toolkit
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<!-- Note: This will be a scrollable table in Marp -->
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<style scoped>
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table {
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font-size: 14px;
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}
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</style>
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| Category | Proprietary Tool | Primary Risk | FOSS Alternative | Implementation Notes |
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|----------|------------------|--------------|------------------|----------------------|
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| **Communication** | WhatsApp | Meta surveillance | Signal | End-to-end encrypted, normie-friendly |
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| | WhatsApp | Meta surveillance | Element (Matrix) | Decentralized protocol, tech-savvy users |
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| | Twitter/X | Manipulation, censorship | Mastodon | ActivityPub federation, choose instance wisely |
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| | Discord | Gaming surveillance | Element/Matrix | Bridges available for Discord migration |
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| **Web Browsing** | Chrome | Complete web tracking | Firefox | Mozilla Foundation, privacy-focused |
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| | Chrome | Complete web tracking | LibreWolf | Firefox without telemetry, hardened |
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| **Productivity** | Microsoft Office | Subscription bondage | LibreOffice | Full office suite, document compatibility |
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| | Notion | Productivity surveillance | Logseq | Local-first knowledge graphs |
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| | Slack | Workplace monitoring | Mattermost | Self-hosted team communication |
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---
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# Your Liberation Toolkit (continued)
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<style scoped>
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table {
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font-size: 14px;
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}
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</style>
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| Category | Proprietary Tool | Primary Risk | FOSS Alternative | Implementation Notes |
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|----------|------------------|--------------|------------------|----------------------|
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| **Cloud & Storage** | Google Drive | Document surveillance | Nextcloud | Complete cloud replacement |
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| | Google Photos | Face recognition mining | Immich | Self-hosted photo management |
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| | Dropbox | File access tracking | Syncthing | P2P file synchronization |
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| **Media** | YouTube | Algorithm addiction | PeerTube | Federated video hosting |
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| | YouTube | Algorithm addiction | Invidious | Privacy-focused YouTube frontend |
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| **Email** | Gmail | Email content scanning | Proton Mail | Swiss privacy laws protection |
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| **Mobile OS** | Android (Google) | Life surveillance | GrapheneOS | Pixel devices only, maximum security |
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| | iOS | Apple ecosystem lock-in | LineageOS | Wider device support |
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<!-- Full table available in presentation notes with password managers, maps, video conferencing, etc. -->
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---
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# Implementation Strategy
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**Phase 1 - Low Risk:**
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Browser, Search, Email migration
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**Phase 2 - Productivity:**
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Office suite, Cloud storage, Communication tools
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**Phase 3 - Infrastructure:**
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Operating system, Self-hosting, Complete sovereignty
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*Detailed migration paths available in workshop materials*
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---
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# Workshop Implementation Guide
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**Today's Focus:**
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- GNU/Linux hands-on exploration
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- Installing essential FOSS alternatives
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- Building your personal migration roadmap
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**Take Home:**
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- Bootable Linux USB drive
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- Curated software recommendations
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- Community connection for ongoing support
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*Each participant leaves with practical next steps*
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---
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# Call to Action
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**Digital Independence is Democratic Necessity**
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In Floridi's infosphere, our digital choices are political choices.
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**Today's Workshop**: Hands-on GNU/Linux exploration
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**Your Mission**: Begin your liberation journey
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**Our Goal**: Build digitally sovereign communities
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*The future of democracy depends on who controls our information systems*
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---
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# Questions & Discussion
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**Resources:**
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- Event: malta-digital-independence.org
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- FOSS Alternatives: ossmalta.eu
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- Contact: michal@czechowski.de
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*"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."*
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*- Chinese Proverb*
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