LinuxTag 2014 Patron: Heiko Maas, Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection
Free code, free mind, free speech
With the slogan Free code, free mind, free speech, LinuxTag 2014 emphasizes the sovereignty of the user over his or her data. Privacy of data in the Internet can only be guaranteed on the foundation of verifiable digital communication systems. Free and Open Source Software is that foundation. It exposes all processes, allowing everyone control, participation, use, and fully independent scrutiny of the software. Relying on someone saying a given software system is secure is one thing; being able to look and verify it is secure is something else, and in the end, much more valuable. Knowing that one's data is securely moving from point A to point B, is being securely processed, and is being securely stored when it gets there is only possible with software that is open sourced, making Open Source Software indispensable in regaining confidence in the security of digital information in the wake of the recent NSA scandal.
The Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection, Heiko Maas, has assumed the patronage of LinuxTag 2014 and makes reference in his welcome letter to the importance of Free and Open Source Software for a free society. The LinuxTag Conference, now for the 20th time, disseminates knowledge and expertise in Free Open Source Software and was founded for just that purpose.
prior Patronage
The patronage for the LinuxTag changed over the years, underscoring that free software is important for many areas of the society.
The patronage for the LinuxTag 2000 and 2001, took over the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology Mr. Werner Müller. The Ministry of Economy promotes Free Software since 1999.
LinuxTag 2003 was opened by the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour Mr. Rezzo Schlauch.
The LinuxTag 2004 and 2005 were under the patronage of the Federal Minister of the Interior Mr. Otto Schily.
The patronage for the LinuxTag 2007 had the Federal Minister for the Interior Mr. Wolfgang Schäuble.
Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs in Germany, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, patronised LinuxTag 2009.
Since 2010 Cornelia Rogall-Grothe, Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology is patron of Europe's leading event for Linux and open source.
A short welcoming speech to the patron of Mrs. Rogall-Grothe on LinuxTag 2012:
Free software, open standards and their importance for the administration, the German IT industry and for small-and medium-sized enterprises are to me a major concern. The federal government has raised the theme early and continues with his relevant instruments for the improved interoperability, not only in Germany but also at EU level. Thus, the openness of the standards is in the end of last year adopted SAGA 5 for the federal administration, the central criterion for selection.
From the point of our cyber security efforts I see the development of free software a valuable contributions to the information security. It is essential for this context that users retain sole authority over their systems and their data. Just the way to ensure confidentiality and integrity of the permanent objectives. At the same time we achieve investment protection, high security for the future as well as software diversity and flexibility - that is why I support the LinuxTag in 2012.