---
title: Open Discussion Day - 19 May 2011
date: 2011-05-07
author: bear
categories: ["Miscellaneous"]
---

A reminder from Ludovic Bocquet that May 19th, 2011 is [*Open Discussion Day*](http://opendiscussionday.org/). From their wiki page:

> Since 2006, on May 19^th^, we celebrate the Open Discussion Day, a day 
> to promote open communication systems and protocols. Imagine an 
> internet where it is only possible to send emails to people who used 
> the same email provider as you, or only view websites that are hosted 
> on your internet provider's servers. Naturally, these barriers go 
> against the principles of the internet, and thankfully those days are 
> long gone. Well… nearly. 
> 
> Many people still rely on instant messaging and other networks which
> lock them in, and prevent them from chatting with their friends on 
> other networks (except where certain "business deals" are made). This 
> is against the spirit of freedom of choice, and works in favor of the 
> network providers, not you, the user. 
> 
> So imagine an IM network where you are able to choose where you want 
> your account, and who your contacts are. You are in control, and you 
> can even run your own server if you want to!

Something I think everyone in the XSF folks can get behind ;)
