The Wikimedia movement should not use, guide, encourage or even support non-free software

The contradiction

“We create open content… but use closed tools.”

Tools shape culture

If our tools aren’t open, our culture isn’t fully open either.

Exclusion is real

“Some people simply can’t participate.”

Technical access

Not all tools are available on all platforms.

Geopolitics

E.g. Organic maps blocked on GitHub.

Regimes and data

Contributors and users may not afford to pay with their data.

Platform dependency

“Closed platforms = vendor lock-in.”

Easy to be drawn in by deals for open projects or non-profits.

Can be a single point of failure.

Enshittification

Pay more to keep same services etc.

Whims

One-sided Terms of Services.

Changing Terms of Service/Use

(But, Open Terms Archive.)

Sunsetting

(End of 10.)

Lost opportunity

“We’re feeding Big Tech.”

Feeding the system

Metrics, usage data and actual data.

Money?

Clout.

"But proprietary tools are better!"

Convenience Catch 22

Difficult to break free.

Contribute to open ecosystems

We don’t have to settle for bad tools.
We can help improve the open tools by using and contributing to them.

"But everyone already uses ThePlatform™!"

“Network effects are not bound to last forever.”

It's not all or nothing

“Start small. Move forward.”

We can use the Commons

With love and care.

Replace tools

Lists of tools

Change is possible

We don’t have to fix everything at once.
Pick one tool. Make one change.
Then another. Radiate intent.

Change is possible and contagious.

Summary

Let our tools reflect our values.

More than content

Sharing is more than licenses.

It’s culture. It’s community. It’s freedom.

We shouldn’t try to build freedom on a foundation we don’t control.

Q&A

aina.li/wikimania2026

Contact

aina.li/wikimania2026

Acknowledgments

Proudly done in text using reveal.js, org-reveal, org-mode and gedit.

aina.li/wikimania2026