Post #1443083

2025-11-03 12:49 UTC

Stepping down as Framework Linux Community AmbassadorsWe are Tommi and Fraxinas, Framework Linux Community Ambassadors since September 2024. We apprehensively followed the developments and the debate concerning Framework’s endorsement and support of Omarchy. We have no direct experience with this Linux distribution, its community, nor with the political environment around it. We did not speak up before now because learning about all of it and keeping up with all the commentary would have been a full-time job. Unfortunately we do not have the time to read every single comment on the dedicated forum thread. Despite our admittedly limited and superficial understanding of this matter, we believe we have witnessed and read enough to make an informed decision and take a clear position. The statements from Framework and from Nirav Patel (its CEO) made it very clear for us that Framework is not a company we feel represented by any more, and surely not a company that we want to represent as Ambassadors. To be frank, it is not even necessary to dive into the petty drama about the recent events in order to provide an explanation of our decision. We are deeply disappointed by a company that is self-proclaimed as the resistance of the tech industry, the good David that intends to stand against the big tech Goliaths that are devouring it. Framework’s behaviour brought to surface an embarrassing and absurd inability to take an explicitly political position, blinded by the Western patriarchal narrative that technology in itself is not political. By trying to keep everyone happy (or at least not to make anyone mad) inside a fictitious “big tent”, the company proved to be no better than any of its Silicon Valley peers, dismissing comments about DHH, and comments about fascism and racism as not strictly related to the main mission. We were proud to be ambassadors because we believed that Framework not only made products that empowered those who purchase them to fully own and repair their devices, but most importantly because we wrongly expected that this would imply changing the paradigm and the narrative about tech companies altogether. We were offered the possibility of having a 1:1 conversation with Nirav Patel. We did not take it, because it is self-evident that our opinions are in contrast with the statements that he already made. Too bad, Framework is going to lose much more business than it would have if it simply acknowledged a mistake, took a deep inward look, and questioned its own values and stance. In a world that is burning, thorn by conflict and greed, it is not enough to be “less evil”, to be radical only in some cases, and be moderate in others. We wanted to be ambassadors of a company that does not see fascism and proprietary software as two distant topics, but that recognised the entanglement of politics and technology, of capitalism and authoritarianism. It seems that this is not the case. Farewell, Framework. We will miss the shining brave idea we had of you. — @tommi and @fraxinas The following statement was cross-posted on Framework’s Community Forum. #Framework #politicalTechnology #SiliconValley #CalifornianIdeology

Replies (29)

@tommi@pan.rent 2025-11-03 13:03

To make this hard choice, I found it enlightening and decisive to read The Californian Ideology (1995) by Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron. (Open Access PDF)

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@lawik@hachyderm.io 2025-11-03 13:22

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social well stated

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@jcape@hachyderm.io 2025-11-03 13:39

@tommi@pan.rent @wingo@mastodon.social @fraxinas@chaos.social I appreciate the stand, but why turn down the opportunity to try and change the CEO's mind?

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@onepict@chaos.social 2025-11-03 13:43

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social it's not easy to take a stand so publicly, thank you for standing up for your values.

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@katzenberger@tldr.nettime.org 2025-11-03 13:49

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social Thank you for taking a stand, and for sending a clear message.

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@Darq@meow.social 2025-11-03 13:55

RE: https://pan.rent/@tommi/115485846413579206 @tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social It has been extremely disappointing watching Framework go down this path. And even more disappointing is the dogged refusal to even acknowledge the concerns people have over their support for DHH. And how their forums have let trolls and sealions have the run of the place.

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@jt_rebelo@ciberlandia.pt 2025-11-03 13:55

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social thank your for taking a stand, and for doing it in a clear manner, I can only imagine how hard it was. Hope you find sucess on all your endeavours, helping the world become a better place.

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@andypiper@macaw.social 2025-11-03 14:16

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social I'm equally saddened and disappointed by Framework's stance on these matters 💔 thank you for taking this stand. It reflects what I know of you.

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@codemonkeymike@fosstodon.org 2025-11-03 14:17

@tommi@pan.rent thanks for this very clear breakdown. It's the best one Ive seen so far. It is too bad, as they seemed like the best players in the space we had. Question remains for me then... Where to now? What hardware company embodies what framework did, without the dark side?

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@contrasocial@mastodon.social 2025-11-03 14:17

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social "We'll miss the idea we had of you." God damn

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@KoosPol@mastodon.nl 2025-11-03 14:20

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social This decision only deserves a ton of respect. Thank what you've doing all this time to serve the community!

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@sebastian@schottkydio.de 2025-11-03 14:30

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social Very well said. Taking such a clear position publicly will no doubt send a lot of bullshit and trolls your way. Thank you for doing it regardless. It was necessary and (at least from my point of view) the correct thing to do.

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@driedmushroom@pan.rent 2025-11-03 15:07

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social proud of yas

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@szakib@freeradical.zone 2025-11-03 15:33

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social I wish I were in a position to offer you both a job! (Alas, I'm not.)

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@loke@functional.cafe 2025-11-03 15:55

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social They literally lost at least one customer because of this. I was about to get one of their laptops in the next couple of months, but I will not do so now. Perhaps my business is not worth it to them. But at least I feel I'm doing the right thing by refusing to give them my business.

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@adric@atlbbs.com 2025-11-03 16:01

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social Greetings! I've found Professor Mickens critique of "Technological Manifest Destiny" a very convincing and funny way to explain that technology is a cultural expression and never separate from world view and other beliefs ( which any anthropology student hopefully knows ). It's in his wonderfully funny and also very serious Usenix Security 2018 keynote address: https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity18/presentation/mickens Thank you for the essay, the difficult decision, and your work on, for Framework. Onward 😺🖖🏽!

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@josch@floss.social 2025-11-03 16:11

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social This is a very well written post. I'm sorry that you are caught in these events. I'm sorry that you were so burnt by something that you put so much hope and enthusiasm into. This must really suck for you and I'm sorry things happened as they did. I sincerely hope that you find fun and enjoyment doing other things in the future. I don't know either of you but from what I'm reading in this post I think a lot of communities would benefit from having you in them. Take care!

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@rexo@st.transbus.social 2025-11-03 17:14

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social it's heartbreaking honestly. I thought we had a decent laptop company at last but evidently not! thank you for taking a stand 💜

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@spacehobo@teh.entar.net 2025-11-03 17:53

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social I want to thank you for making such a clear and heartfelt statement about this.

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@cold@gunbark.dev 2025-11-03 18:06

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social appreciate you posting this and bringing visibility to the issue

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@sb@metroholografix.ca 2025-11-03 18:10

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social Thank you for standing up and taking a position against fascism! We should all be so thoughtful.

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@Salmon@social.tchncs.de 2025-11-03 19:31

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social

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@pkprotoplasm@mastodon.social 2025-11-03 19:36

@tommi@pan.rent Thank you both. To combat what I’m sure will be a flood of terfs and “enlightened non-politicos” coming your way, I’ll hop on the pile of folks fully supporting you. Real shame that framework decided to double down on what should’ve really just been a one-time deficiency in corporate governance policies, and turned it into a philosophical conflict with much of their community.

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@gimulnautti@mastodon.green 2025-11-03 20:18

@tommi@pan.rent @tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social Respect your choice and support the cause! ”Middle ground” is the problem when you deal with an actor out to destroy the possibility of your position to begin with.

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@dottorblaster@fosstodon.org 2025-11-03 20:29

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social @vladimir_lu@hachyderm.io also because Omarchy is a distro that tends to fuck up your BIOS/UEFI pretty quickly. I have direct experience with that lol

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@lady_alys@hachyderm.io 2025-11-03 20:34

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social Thank you. Well done, well said.

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@ifixcoinops@retro.social 2025-11-03 21:06

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social I appreciate your bravery and I'm sad it's come to this.

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@reflex@retrogaming.social 2025-11-03 21:07

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social The decisions by Framework leadership have been deeply disheartening and further reinforced the idea that there really are no good guys in tech, no such thing as a 'good' tech company, just varying degrees of greed and evil. I remain on the hunt for my next laptop it seems.

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@shine@gts.churanova.eu 2025-11-03 21:27

@tommi@pan.rent @fraxinas@chaos.social I am really curious how much will they feel the impact of their actions. Because the people I've seen promote their mission and products the most were people who's reaction is the same as yours... Might be just my social bubble though.

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