Seven ways to celebrate Software Freedom Day

"Technologies that matter to our freedom are used in our voting systems, our leisure, our work, education, art and our communication," Waugh wrote in an article on the Software Freedom Day site. "What does this mean to you? It means that the basic human freedoms you take for granted are only as free as the technologies you use."

If you're in the market for a new piece of software for your business or home, today would be a great day to try out a free and open source contender. There are free alternatives to just about every proprietary package out there, and trying them out won't cost you anything. For inspiration, check out the article "101 Reasons to Use FOSS" on the Software Freedom Day site.

Saturday's event is just a single day, clearly. However given the ever-increasing reach of innovation in our lives and our businesses, it's important to stop and think about the impact of the choices we make. Choose free technologies and you cast your vote for a more free and open world.