Aug 3, 2026, 9:33 PMAs an Open Source person I am apparently expected to keep doing things for free so I get invited to participate in EU policy events in Brussels, with not even an attempt to offer me compensation for travel, lodging or time.
So I decline.
@bagder As a musician I keep getting asked to 'Play for food?' I equally decline.
@FreakyFwoof @bagder Had that with my band. Once we stopped accepting gigs that paid in beer and pie and actually started charging money, it turned out most folks were quite willing to pay it.
@bagder well done!
Aug 3, 2026, 9:39 PM
@bagder When you pay peanuts, all you will get is monkeys. 🙊
@bagder I think people inviting people just assume everyone has an employer that covers your salary during those days and you can reimburse travel costs :')
Aug 4, 2026, 12:19 AM
@bagder this is, by far, the biggest gap in a lot of these summits. We who do the work are not always sponsored by big tech money to attend such events.
@bagder the issue being is they'll get only voices of people backed by money; so certain corporations with certain interests.
That's not an issue for you to solve but I wonder if the organisers have thought of it?
> I wonder if the organisers have thought of it?
In such a case, my first thought is "how much were they paid not to think about it?" EU institutions pretending to invite pluralistic participation without reimbursements is far too systemic in nature not to be the result of a planned operation.
Aug 4, 2026, 4:55 AM@smallsees @bagder I have repeatedly pointed it out to them, if it's the event I'm thinking of.
Aug 3, 2026, 9:50 PM@bagder I've been invited to EU events, to UN events, and to meetings of standards bodies, most times without compensation for travel and lodging. That is standard practice and it means that, in real life, only those with spare time and money or a large company backing their expenses can influence the outcome of such meetings.
@bagder I usually ask for the details on travel and accommodation instead of outright refusing, and I was surprised to get it covered several times!
Aug 4, 2026, 2:50 AMAug 4, 2026, 5:58 AM
@bagder Bravo! Cheers, Daniel 🍷
@bagder 👏 👏 👏
@bagder "happy to attend virtually" is a reasonable response if it sounds like something worth contributing to.
In a ideal world there would be some orgs willing to fund good people to turn up even if the government it self wont pay.
Unpaid work is a big thing in too many industries
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/us/elon-musk-company-unpaid-liens-invs
https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2026/07/31/spacexai-liens-construction-colossus-darana.html
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork
Unpaid content
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/449690-talk-show-host-david-pakman-analyzes-youtube-demonetization/
Unpaid content moderation
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/30/reddit-moderator-protest-communities-social-media
Unpaid overtime
https://medium.com/career-programming/why-swes-must-work-unpaid-overtime-4b4ce9571185
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job
Unpaid invoices
https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/nearly-half-of-creative-freelancers-regularly-work-unpaid-hours-report
https://www.ibtimes.com.au/spacexai-570-million-claim-ihra-financial-turmoil-1873420
Unpaid marketing
https://www.businessinsider.com/cision-faces-collective-action-lawsuit-alleging-unpaid-overtime-2021-5
Wage theft
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/15/wage-theft-us-workers-employees
@Npars01 @bagder Someone really needs to sue him.
In #Germany, those who have substantial overdue payments may even apply for "Creditor Insolvency" as the non-payment is a clear indicator of insolvency (Why wouldn't a honest merchant pay?).
- It's also a felony to commit to a contract knowing one cannot fulfill financial obligations of it at time of signature… (Contractual Entrance Fraud)…
@bagder
That's a reasonable stance. Considering the importance of cURL, the EU leadership should make an effort to involve you and make it as easy for you as possible.
@bagder +1
If they can charge for tickets they can pay speakers or at least arrange travel, food & accomondation for free…
At least that's my take, espechally on commercialized events.
@bagder You have to understand, the EU has to give so many billions as subsidies to fossil companies, it has nothing left for volunteers.
@bagder same. I can't do everything for free
@bagder Brussel bureaucrats sabotaging Open Source from day one.
It's corruption.
@bagder this is the model for 50%+ academic people. Peer review, research, write papers, attend conferences, but mostly get no or very little financial support. This is very common.
@bagder I was always under the impression that if a company or organization invites you, that they cover at least the travel and lodging.
@bagder Quite right...but I'd like to say some perspectives to see what you think of them (none is unkind):
So "Yes but...", but I'm trying to see a few ways of looking at it / perhaps long-term Open Source priority.
Could let me know what you think to:
1/ "Yes but..." our aim together IS to bypass / unsurp the majority of money / bank / ring of bad power-people thing...
So 'in theory' IF those Brussels events were 100% good and if you were rich then we should try for free as much as poss?
Aug 4, 2026, 6:50 AM@collective_truth I am "rich" enough to do this if I really wanted to. I still don't want to feel taken advantaged of, exploited. It's a question of fairness and equality. Why should I *pay* to attend when all the others present are paid to be there?
@bagder Ok this is the interesting #nuance or #meaning I was trying to find:
So without pressure / in theory:
- Can you see that using #Money and #Banks themselves are the #bad #managers in life & they devalue all money by re-re-#lending it out ?
(+ MANY bad things as *the* #1 root of all problems / fund wars as their main #business etc.)
So while I accept #Banks seem to grow things infinitely, #Banks provides a false method expecting infinite growth (% debt) as the bad foundation of life?
@bagder I mostly agree 'the others are being paid so why not me?':
The post before is a kind of bigger perspective to consider since all money as quite bad or becomes bad though bad lenders and re-lending process quite a mathematically broken / false / imaginary.
So on a virtue-signal level just for this conversation we'd give people a pass for paying some and not others (assuming all are quite rich and it's the overall cause we're trying to score high in while not paying banks to get bigger).
Aug 4, 2026, 6:37 AM@bagder yep. I am starting to consider we need to start a lobbying foundation just to pay for travel and accommodation for FOSS maintainers to go to Brussels.
But then I remember it means spending my days begging for money and just... I left freelancing for a reason.
Aug 4, 2026, 6:39 AM@Di4na yeah, that begging part always makes me uncomfortable.
Aug 4, 2026, 6:44 AM@bagder oh I am not uncomfortable about it. I use it for good, people knows what they get into, i am transparent. I am ok with that.
My problem is that it is tiring and I am bad at it. It is simply not a good fit for my way to think and my skills.
But ofc, the other way is to pay someone to do it, which quickly degenerate into what we see with Foundations these days. People with the skills, knowledge and inclination to do it seems to be incapable of understanding the context and goals of FOSS hobbyists maintainers.
So I am trapped in this conundrum.
I am also not in a stable situation regarding income. So stress eats at my free time.
Otherwise I would honestly already be launching it and trying. It would probably fail but it is not like anyone else tried...
@Di4na @bagder the lobbying entities do exist (@openforumeurope and @fsfe ), the bit about travel and lodging for FOSS maintainers could be put forward for consideration to them, maybe?
Aug 4, 2026, 7:48 AM@whvholst @bagder @openforumeurope @fsfe they are not focused on the same problems we do.
Ofe is clearly targeted at end users commercial software.
The fsfe is strongly linked to free software activism and digital freedom.
These two causes are great, but are also highly distinct from what someone like Daniel or me talk about.
I really need to sit down and write a blog post about it.
Long story short, their mandate do not cover Hobbyists Maintainers.
Aug 4, 2026, 6:38 AM@bagder I'd publish a rider on your website. That makes some clear statements on what you expect to be offered before deciding on an invitation. I wouldn't go as far as demanding all brown m&m's to be removed from the green room, but why not throw in the demand of at least one cool Orval with the correct glass in the fridge :)
Aug 4, 2026, 6:43 AM@jwildeboer I, in fact, already do. It has very little effect...
Aug 4, 2026, 6:44 AM@bagder @jwildeboer yeah, this would need people to read stuff. They don't
I had a client who offered me an AKC German Shepherd puppy for sitting at his desk for a week, while he went to Hawaii.
Next year, he took us to Maui with him, heh.
Everything I write as a retired person will be Open Source.
But when it comes to events, I make it clear, from the outset, I will expect compensation. It's mostly managing expectations.
@bagder It is very unusual to get even travel and lodging offered by any EU institution (notable exception used to be the European Commission, but that is also a thing of the past). It is not just Open Source people that get this treatment... (which does not make it better, I know)
@bert_hubert @whvholst @bagder was this for a conference or big meeting? Generally they reimburse those, but not individual meetings.
Aug 4, 2026, 7:33 AM@bert_hubert @Gina @whvholst I should get a hat. 🤠
@bagder agree. Maybe organisations like @apell or @lfeurope or @openforumeurope could offer support, as a visit like yours should be considered lobbying for the open source ecosystem.
Ideally EU orgs would reimburse travel costs and lodging of course.
@bagder "lobbying" is how we say "corruption" in the 21st century
Aug 4, 2026, 7:25 AM@bagder That is one thing I wish more people get their head straight when it comes to open source/free software. There is this "gratis" mentality in many people's heads.
Aug 4, 2026, 7:54 AM@bagder This is not by accident.
That way they can make sure they only talk to "proper professionals" payed by Microsoft and other companies.
God forbids they get someone who knows what he is talking about...