Phasing out my volunteer work

January 01, 2025 14:06 -0500

Figure 1. A flock of Red-winged Blackbirds (*Agelaius phoeniceus*) flying into the sunset. Taken by *Jerry Segraves* at the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Kansas (unknown date). This photo was released to the public domain by the author, according to WikiMedia.

I've been working as a volunteer for 15 years in libre software and libre cultural works, in different areas and phases of the life cycle of digital artifacts, mainly software, graphics, translation catalogs, and documentation.

Similarly to other kinds of volunteer work, this one has been supported by using resources external to the practice itself, and only a few times by direct donations and financial support for specific work done. It has never been a sustainable activity.

Last year I decided to start phasing out my volunteer work, starting in 2025, to focus on other activities. It will be hard because it means not doing something I like doing and because my digital world depends on libre technology. Additionally, my mind has a hard time adapting to environments where money is the main/only reward.

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