website/www/static/docs/2023-02-02_Sandler-Karen_KU-Leuven_Honorary-Doctorate.en.txt
Ben Sturmfels 531a97a3c9
Eliminate "conservancy" and "apps" subdirectories
The directory nesting is unnecessary here and confusing to navigate. I've moved
all apps to the project subdirectory, currently called "www", but soon to be
renamed "conservancy".

I've also moved manage.py to the top-level directory.
2023-10-25 12:36:39 +11:00

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WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en
00:00:01.560 --> 00:00:03.720
Karen Sandler is a lawyer
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and Executive Director
of the Software Freedom Conservancy,
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a non-profit organisation
devoted to ethical technology
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and free and open source software.
00:00:14.840 --> 00:00:20.480
Karen Sandler is an adjunct lecturer
at Colombia Law School, where she studied,
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and is a visiting professor
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at the University of California,
Santa Cruz.
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In addition to her law degree, she holds
a Bachelor of Science in Engineering
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from the Cooper Union
for the Advancement of Science and Art.
00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:45.400
Karen Sandler is an American lawyer
and software expert
00:00:45.400 --> 00:00:49.800
who promotes
free and open source software.
00:00:49.800 --> 00:00:53.760
That's software whose source code
is freely available to consult,
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adapt and disseminate.
00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.160
If the coronavirus crisis
made one thing clear,
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its that software is fundamental
to our society.
00:01:06.440 --> 00:01:11.120
We really need it,
certainly in the past few years.
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That goes even more for medical software,
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which gives people the opportunity
to lead a normal life,
00:01:18.240 --> 00:01:21.640
even if they have a certain illness
or condition.
00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:24.240
For example, Karen Sandler's pacemaker.
00:01:24.240 --> 00:01:26.880
If she didnt have one,
shed be at greater risk,
00:01:26.880 --> 00:01:30.640
and she would never have been able
to do what she's doing now.
00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.600
And she's certainly not alone.
00:01:32.600 --> 00:01:37.040
There are others in similar situations.
00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:39.840
She had a pacemaker put in,
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and when she wanted to find out
if it was safe and secure,
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she also wanted to see its source code.
00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:49.320
Unfortunately, that wasnt possible,
00:01:49.320 --> 00:01:58.400
which demonstrates the importance
of free and open source software.
00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:03.440
If the source code for software
is in the hands of one company,
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then we're all dependent
on that company's goodwill.
00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:10.800
They can say of their own accord:
we'll solve this, not that.
00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.680
We have the means to do this,
but not that.
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A company can always go bankrupt,
the source code then disappears,
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and society can no longer use it.
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Thats what open and free software is all about.
00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:27.440
Anyone can access the source code,
and everyone can disseminate it.
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And that's what Karen Sandler stands for.
00:02:33.640 --> 00:02:40.560
Karen Sandler also fights discrimination
in the world of technology
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and pushes for more inclusivity
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through the programme Outreachy,
amongst other efforts.
00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:51.600
Outreachy organises internships
for minorities or women,
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to help them get more involved in the world
of technology and software.
00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:01.120
Karen Sandler inspires us, as students,
because she is ambitious
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and fights passionately for her cause.
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Her personal story about the pacemaker
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actually serves as a metaphor
for all the technology and software
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we rely on in modern society.
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Its safety is of major importance.
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Its essential for software
to be free and open source,
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so we can check whether it's safe
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and see whether there is
any room for improvement.
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For all of these reasons, Rector,
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on behalf of the Academic Council,
we request
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that you grant Karen Sandler
the KU Leuven honorary doctorate.