# Digital-Gap Published articles for Digital-Gap. This is one page of public article previews, not the complete archive. Follow Next page to continue. Summaries are not the original full articles. ## PINE64 Seeks a U.S. Nonprofit Partner for 100+ Pinebook Donations DevFeed: [PINE64 Seeks a U.S. Nonprofit Partner for 100+ Pinebook Donations]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2021-04-03T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Community blog on PINE64]() Topics: [Open Source](), [Linux](), [Mobile](), [Development](), [Software](), [Web](), [Command-line interface]() Tags: [community](), [digital-gap](), [laptop](), [linux](), [mobile](), [nonprofit](), [open-source](), [open-source-software](), [pinebook](), [terminal](), [web]() ### AI overview PINE64 says it has 100+ Pinebooks to donate and is seeking a U.S. IRS-recognized nonprofit organization with logistical capabilities to distribute them to people who would benefit most. ### Source excerpt During a community meetup in 2019, before the entire world got turned upside down by the COVID19 pandemic, we announced our commitment to financially support Linux and open source development as well as to promote open source software whilst contributing to closing the digital gap. I believe we've done good on the first portion of this commitment - over the past 12 months we made donations to 5 mobile Linux projects, financially supported a number of FOSS initiatives (most recently the upcoming Linux App Summit) and helped individual contributors in their endeavours. As a side-note, I'd like you to know that this is just the beginning - we have extensive plans pertaining to community support in the near future. Stay tuned. We did, however, have to set aside our scheme to give back to society due to the chaos that the pandemic stirred up. For the past 18 months the key focus of PINE64 and the Pine Store was to keep production going while actively facilitating development. This effectively left very little space for any other activities. Now, whilst the manufacturing situation isn't exactly great, we at least have a good idea where we stand. As a result, we also feel that there is a little more wiggle-room for extracurricular activities; it is time to do good on the second portion of our commitment made in 2019. We have 100+ original 11.6" Pinebooks which we wish to donate to a worthy cause. The Pinebooks are running an excellent mainline OS image by Manjaro, featuring an accelerated KDE Plasma desktop. While the Pinebook is no speed demon by any stretch of the imagination, this tailored build makes it rather snappy and perfectly viable for light workloads, such as: running educational software, browsing the web, using the LibreOffice suite, terminal work, etc,. It is also a sturdy laptop, one which you wouldn't worry about handing to a child, with a long battery life and all the necessary connectivity for completing aforementioned tasks. We're now turning to you for ## Why Financial Support Is Important for Sustainable Open-Source Software DevFeed: [Why Financial Support Is Important for Sustainable Open-Source Software]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2019-08-19T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Community blog on PINE64]() Topics: [Open Source](), [foss](), [Maintainers](), [Linux]() Tags: [community](), [contribute](), [digital-gap](), [financial](), [foss](), [giving](), [linux](), [maintainers](), [open-source-software](), [sustainable-foss]() ### AI overview PINE64 discusses why open-source software projects need financial support to sustain development and keep free software accessible. The article encourages users and organizations to contribute to the projects they rely on. ### Source excerpt PINE64's commitment to giving back to the community, partner projects and the society has been outlined by TL Lim during our community meetup in Hyde Park, London on 18 August, 2018. No one has ever become poor by giving ~ Anne Frank Free as in a bird, not as a beer. Libre and not gratis. We all understand this concept while simultaneously appreciating that open source software is, for the most part, also free of charge to regular end-users. By relying on donations and sponsorships to make revenue and keep the light on, most projects maintain a low barrier to entry for new and prospectus users. Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can readily use just about any Linux or *BSD operating system, as well as any open software these OS' run. Not to mention that anyone is welcome to study, contribute to and alter the said software. I know that I am preaching to the choir but FOSS is amazing. That said, these are hardly the only reasons for using open source software. For a sizable number of people, the payment-free model also means access to good and viable alternatives to proprietary software, which may be financially out of reach. I myself, as an undergrad student in the early 2000's, resorted to using OpenOffice - not for ideological reasons, but rather because I couldn't afford the MS Office Suite. That said, projects need money to sustain the development process and, ultimately, the software they deliver free of charge to end-users. Much has already been written on the subject of sustainability of FOSS projects by people more knowledgeable than myself, so if you're interested in the subject matter then search for FOSS financial sustainability. In a nutshell, keeping a FOSS project financially sustainable is very difficult; In the words of Andre Staltz, data shows "(...) that open source creators and maintainers are receiving low income" and "[t]his is not the first time [in history] hard-working honest people are giving their all, for unfair compensation".