Recently saw this discussion on the IndiaFOSS planning thread and thought I’d add a bit to it. I’m sure a lot of people in the community have interesting ideas about this.
My take
So, how do we engage average citizens to care about this?
Cultural penetration. Meeting people where they already are, speaking in formats they already consume.
Maybe borrow from what already works. Political parties, social movements, and consumer brands have all cracked this code. They don’t lecture. They infiltrate culture. FOSS could use the same playbook.
We could organize a nationwide awareness campaign where we partner with FOSS communities and companies, creators and influencers, and just start making stuff. Short videos, memes, documentaries, ads on buses and metro stations, content all over social media. Be real about what Big Tech is doing (the tracking, the lock-ins, all of it) and show people that FOSS is more than piracy, more than a way for corporates to cut costs, more than something only techies know about. It is for everyone. It is for us, the users, not just for corporates to take advantage of. It is about owning your stuff: your data, your digital life. A movement anyone can be part of.
Because playing it cool in 2026 is not going to get us anywhere except preaching to the same people who are already in the room. If we really want to grow the community and the ecosystem, this is how you do it ig. Focus on getting people in as users first, and they will find their way to becoming contributors.
Anyway, just throwing the idea out there. I haven’t really seen anyone thinking in this direction