cultural-freedom-policy/TOOLS.md

Tools

We provide a list of suggestions of software tools which should be used to create freedom-respecting and edit-friendly culture. We also define some 'anti-suggestions' of tools which are not suitable for the creation of such works.

Criteria for inclusion

In order to be included, any software tool must meet the following criteria:

• Be under an open-source license
• Able to edit and save documents in an open format, or whose format is documented sufficiently to provide a 'bug-for-bug' replacement
• Not embed any sort of DRM into works it creates
• Can be used offline (does not require 'cloud' access or a subscription for its use)

Ideally, the software tool must also be cross-platform (that is, able to run on multiple operating systems).

Tools for presentation slides

• LaTeX, using beamer or powerdot
• LibreOffice Impress

Tools for drawing

• Inkscape
• Krita

Anti-suggestions

Anything made by Microsoft

Microsoft tools of all sorts come from a known patent aggressor, use incoherent and incompatible formats, and are generally against everything that freedom-respecting culture stands for.

Anything made by Adobe

Adobe are much like Microsoft, but arguably are even worse: they have draconian DRM policies, as well as the need to have a 'cloud' subscription in order to make use of their tools.