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How we celebrate "I Love Free Software Day" in Poznań, Poland
How we celebrate "I Love Free Software Day" in Poznań, Poland
Not so long ago, the Free Software community celebrated the "I Love Free Software Day". A day in which the FSFE, our volunteers and many other organisations and individuals thank all contributors for their commitment to use, study, share and improve Free Software. Without them there is no software freedom!
For the "I Love Free Software Day" in 2026, 22 events were organised across 12 European countries. Several of them were organised by the FSFE's local groups. At these celebrations people came together to share their knowledge and stories about Free Software, discuss and inspire others to study, use, improve and share the software we all love. Each of these celebrations is unique and showcases the commitment of our community, from local gatherings with pizza and fun Free Software games to larger events addressing new people with talks and networking.
The biggest "I Love Free Software" event in our 2026 celebrations took place in Poznań (Poland) with around 80 participants. The event was organised by the local FSFE group with the collaboration of their local university. Here, they were allowed to use a lecture hall for presentations and they also had some time to network afterwards.
"I Love Free Software Day" celebrations in Poznań, 2026.One of the main organisers of the event was Paweł Wiczyński, also known as ‘pomidor’. Paweł, is a founding member of Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace, and he has been a Free Software enthusiast for a very long time. The first time he got in touch with Free Software was when he was very young, just about 10 years old. At that age he heard about GNU/Linux, a Free Software alternative to Windows, and tried it out on his computer. From there onwards he has been hooked and learned more and more about the FLOSS ecosystem.
FSFE: Hello Paweł, thank you so much for finding time to do this interview. Let's start by getting back to the roots, why do you believe Free Software is important?
Paweł, one of the FSFE Poznań coordinators: I think that Free Software is important because it allows people to keep control over the technology they use. Today, our lives are increasingly dependent on various types of software. We use it every day on many different devices. If we do not ensure that this software is free, we allow entities, such governments, companies or corporations, to control us. This is why I believe that Free Software should be promoted and used wherever possible.
FSFE: How did you first hear of the “I Love Free Software Day”? And what were your thoughts about this initiative?
Paweł: My colleague Damian, who is the FSFE coordinator in Poland, told me about the "I Love Free Software Day" initiative. I had not heard of this day before. I really liked it and thought it would be great to join in. As a member of Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace, I enjoy organizing events for the community. And this was a great idea to do something new that fits in with our mission.
I very like that the event is organized in many places across numerous cities in Europe. I believe that such initiatives are truly needed, because they make it possible to reach a much wider audience. By acting together on an international scale, we can amplify the message and show that the Free Software community is strong, connected, and active beyond local borders.
FSFE:Why did you decide to organise an “I Love Free Software Day” event in 2026?
Paweł: We were inspired to organise this year's “I Love Free Software Day” by the success of last year's edition and the enthusiasm of the community. We had enough willing organisers to hold a large meetup for the community.
Moreover, we have very good connections with the academic community in Poznań. We wanted to use it to reach not only students, but also IT professionals, enthusiasts, and regular users interested in Free Software. Our goal was simply to bring these groups together in one place and give them an opportunity to learn something new, network, and get involved in Free Software initiatives.
"I Love Free Software Day" celebrations in Poznań, 2026.FSFE: This was the second time you organised the local celebration in Poznań. How was the event in 2026 compared to the event in 2025?
Paweł: That’s right. We organised “I Love Free Software Day” for the first time last year, and we had no idea how many participants to expect. The reality exceeded our expectations – there were about 50 people, and they almost did not fit in the room.
This year, the event was even bigger – there was more pizza, more speakers, and more participants. Around 80 people attended, and this time we made sure to book a larger room. We also carefully planned the schedule to avoid delays, including an extra break for networking and socialising. Additionally, we organised a campaign to write cards to Free Software creators and maintainers.
FSFE: And in general, how was the 2026 celebration of the “I Love Free Software Day”?
Paweł: We organised the in the form of a meetup at Poznań University of Technology – short 15-minute talks with additional Q & A from participants. A total of six speakers talked about various FLOSS projects and how they use it in their daily work. After that, there was time for networking and refreshments with pizza and drinks. Overall, the event was very successful – we received positive feedback from the community, made new contacts and exchanged knowledge.
FSFE: How did you start the cooperation with the University?
Paweł: As Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace, we already had the opportunity to organise events in cooperation with scientific clubs at Poznań University of Technology. For “I Love Free Software Day,” we leveraged these connections and invited them to collaborate.
Last year, our main co-organiser was PUTrequest_ team, while this year it was Linux Academic Group. They handled all the formalities, secured the venue, and arranged support from the university authorities. We really appreciate working with the academic community and look forward to building even more joint initiatives in the future.
FSFE: Did you use any of the materials the FSFE provides for organising a local celebration?
Paweł: We had a lot of materials from last year – stickers, posters, cards, and leaflets. We also printed some of the stickers ourselves. Presentation templates used during the opening and closing of the event were very helpful. It would surely be easier if package arrived, but this year we managed without it.
FSFE: What would you recommend to others when they want to organise an “I Love Free Software Day” celebrations and what are pitfalls you would say should be avoided?
Paweł: First and foremost, do not hesitate, just do it! All you need is a venue and motivation. If possible, collaborate with local groups, students, and academic circles, as they can help you attract participants. Take care of promotion – use social media, event aggregators, chats, and online groups to advertise your event. Tell your friends to tell their friends. You can also create a dedicated website and put up posters in the neighbourhood.
As for pitfalls, if you are organising an event at a university, be prepared for delays with formalities and permits – handling these can take much more time than expected. Also, make sure to order promotional materials well in advance; in our case, one month was not enough. Planning these details early will save a lot of headaches and help the event run smoothly.
FSFE: Thank you for sharing your very hands-on advice! Just a quick follow-up here, how many people are involved in organising the event?
Paweł: There were about 20 people who took part in the organisational meetings.
"I Love Free Software Day" celebrations in Poznań, 2026.FSFE: Do you also organise additional events throughout the year and what would be the next meeting where others can join you?
Paweł: Yes. We organise many different events, but our biggest one is P.I.W.O. – Poznań Free Software Fest". It is a free conference that we organise in cooperation with the academic community in Poznań. It has over 20 years of tradition, but it was inactive for over 7 years. The Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace reactivated it last year – and it was a great success. Almost 200 participants, 2 tracks, free pizza, LAN Party and lightning talks. This year, we are planning another edition on an even larger scale. This year, it will be on 30 May 2026 at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, AMU in Poznań (English website and social media).
FSFE: Is there a Free Software project, which you would like to highlight and say ‘Thank you’ to?
Paweł: There are many Free Software projects that I use and would like to thank. But if I had to choose one, it would be Thunderbird. It is my favourite email client. I have been using it for years. And recently, it has been developing very dynamically. I really appreciate the Thunderbird team and wish them continued success and growth with the project.
FSFE: Paweł, thank you very much for your time! I hope there will be many more “I Love Free Software Day” celebrations in Poznań.
