From 3875d740fb4ae5e1b7bbcc366bc94b748a4eedf7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Daniel=20Sch=C3=BCrmann?= Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:20:53 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 1/4] First Draft of the Ehrenamts news blog. --- content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md | 26 ++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md diff --git a/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6cacb0a52 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +title: "Petition, recognition of open-source work" +authors: Daniel Schürmann +tags: Ehrenamt +comments: yes +summary: We are calling on you to support the petition: Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany +state: draft + +We are proud to provide our outstanding DJ software, Mixxx, as free and open-source software. Behind the screens, there is and has been a lot of hard work done over the years. Mixxx has been built by hundreds of people who spend their free time coding, testing, fixing bugs, and helping each other. +Through Mixxx, our contributors promote art and culture as well as education and occupational training. This is the officially recognized purpose of our non-profit organization, Mixxx e.V., based in Germany. + +However, there is a problem: Developing Open Source software itself is not yet officially recognized as "volunteering" (Ehrenamt). + +In Germany, we call this "Ehrenamt", which literally translates to an "office of honor". It means more than just volunteering. It is an official role where you serve the public good, and the state honors that contribution with special rights and respect. If you coach a football team, for instance, your work is visible and recognized by society. The state ensures you are covered by insurance and allows you to receive a small tax-free volunteer allowance (Ehrenamtspauschale). +Currently, we cannot easily use these tools for our developers because "Open Source contribution" is not yet on the official list for these benefits. + +It is always a challenge to find and keep contributors. Official recognition would make it easier for people to justify the time they spend on Mixxx. It shows that writing code for the community is just as valuable as any other social work. As a registered non-profit, we want to support our developers with the same respect other volunteers receive. +The Petition: + +The petition "Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany" aims to change the law so that Open-Source contributors finally get the respect they deserve. + +The organizers have extended the petition until November 23, 2026. This gives us more time to reach the goal of 30,000 signatures. Let’s help make it happen! + +[Please sign the petition here](https://www.openpetition.de/petition/online/anerkennung-von-open-source-arbeit-als-ehrenamt-in-deutschland) +(Even if you are not from Germany, your support helps show the global impact of this issue!) + +Thank you for your support! From 98f88a841681619acd7224f9ed864d59f094a591 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Daniel=20Sch=C3=BCrmann?= Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:46:54 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 2/4] fix --- content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md | 11 ++++++----- 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md index 6cacb0a52..c571b6949 100644 --- a/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md +++ b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md @@ -1,20 +1,21 @@ -title: "Petition, recognition of open-source work" +title: Petition, recognition of open-source work authors: Daniel Schürmann tags: Ehrenamt +summary: We are calling on you to support the petition, Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany +status: draft comments: yes -summary: We are calling on you to support the petition: Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany -state: draft We are proud to provide our outstanding DJ software, Mixxx, as free and open-source software. Behind the screens, there is and has been a lot of hard work done over the years. Mixxx has been built by hundreds of people who spend their free time coding, testing, fixing bugs, and helping each other. Through Mixxx, our contributors promote art and culture as well as education and occupational training. This is the officially recognized purpose of our non-profit organization, Mixxx e.V., based in Germany. -However, there is a problem: Developing Open Source software itself is not yet officially recognized as "volunteering" (Ehrenamt). +However, there is a problem, Developing Open Source software itself is not yet officially recognized as "volunteering" (Ehrenamt). In Germany, we call this "Ehrenamt", which literally translates to an "office of honor". It means more than just volunteering. It is an official role where you serve the public good, and the state honors that contribution with special rights and respect. If you coach a football team, for instance, your work is visible and recognized by society. The state ensures you are covered by insurance and allows you to receive a small tax-free volunteer allowance (Ehrenamtspauschale). Currently, we cannot easily use these tools for our developers because "Open Source contribution" is not yet on the official list for these benefits. It is always a challenge to find and keep contributors. Official recognition would make it easier for people to justify the time they spend on Mixxx. It shows that writing code for the community is just as valuable as any other social work. As a registered non-profit, we want to support our developers with the same respect other volunteers receive. -The Petition: + +[The Petition:](https://www.ehrenamt-opensource.de/en/) The petition "Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany" aims to change the law so that Open-Source contributors finally get the respect they deserve. From b423fda3e1dc9132b0560e14e9f503baba11c06b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Daniel=20Sch=C3=BCrmann?= Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:32:54 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 3/4] Apply suggestion from @ywwg Remove repeated Ehrenamt Co-authored-by: Owen Williams --- content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md index c571b6949..62659965d 100644 --- a/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md +++ b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md @@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ comments: yes We are proud to provide our outstanding DJ software, Mixxx, as free and open-source software. Behind the screens, there is and has been a lot of hard work done over the years. Mixxx has been built by hundreds of people who spend their free time coding, testing, fixing bugs, and helping each other. Through Mixxx, our contributors promote art and culture as well as education and occupational training. This is the officially recognized purpose of our non-profit organization, Mixxx e.V., based in Germany. -However, there is a problem, Developing Open Source software itself is not yet officially recognized as "volunteering" (Ehrenamt). +However, there is a problem, Developing Open Source software itself is not yet officially recognized as "volunteering". In Germany, we call this "Ehrenamt", which literally translates to an "office of honor". It means more than just volunteering. It is an official role where you serve the public good, and the state honors that contribution with special rights and respect. If you coach a football team, for instance, your work is visible and recognized by society. The state ensures you are covered by insurance and allows you to receive a small tax-free volunteer allowance (Ehrenamtspauschale). Currently, we cannot easily use these tools for our developers because "Open Source contribution" is not yet on the official list for these benefits. From 51d19c76043f096302c437e5d5c098a8e87386a3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Daniel=20Sch=C3=BCrmann?= Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:33:58 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 4/4] Explaint the petition a bit more. Co-authored-by: Owen Williams --- content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md index 62659965d..1decf6c65 100644 --- a/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md +++ b/content/news/XXXX-XX-XX-petition-ehrenamt.md @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ It is always a challenge to find and keep contributors. Official recognition wou [The Petition:](https://www.ehrenamt-opensource.de/en/) -The petition "Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany" aims to change the law so that Open-Source contributors finally get the respect they deserve. +The petition "Recognition of Work on Open-Source as Volunteering in Germany" aims to change the law so that Open-Source contributors finally get the respect they deserve. We believe this petition sends an important message by urging the government to recognize the contribution of thousands of German open source developers, not just those working on Mixxx. The organizers have extended the petition until November 23, 2026. This gives us more time to reach the goal of 30,000 signatures. Let’s help make it happen!