“The Freedom Box is starting to roll, with a fundraising drive
that met its goals in a few short days, along with a newly formed
foundation to oversee its development. What started as an idea in a
talk given by Eben Moglen just over a year ago has more recently
gained a lot of momentum. What can we expect to see from this
“personal server running a free software operating system, with
free applications designed to create and preserve personal
privacy”, and when can we expect to see it?“The “when” question may have become somewhat clearer since the
“Push the FreedomBox Foundation from 0 to 60 in 30 days”
Kickstarter fundraising effort has clearly been a success. The
fundraising drive was set up on February 17, with the goal of
getting $60,000 in donations in 30 days, but it has exceeded
that—and quickly. As of this writing, there are more than 650
supporters who have donated over $64,000 in just five or six days.
Based on the Kickstarter appeal, reaching the goal (and quite
possibly far surpassing it) should result in a software release in
six months. With luck, that means we will see the first Freedom Box
release in August or so.“It should be noted that, perhaps a bit oddly, the project is
called “Freedom Box”, but the foundation is the “FreedomBox
Foundation”.”