Taking F-Droid to IndiaFOSS

This was the first time F-Droid had an official presence at IndiaFOSS, and I honestly did not know what to expect.

We actually had quite a lot of people coming by. Most were students, and many had never heard of F-Droid before. That made it a different experience.

A lot of the conversations started with the basics. What is F-Droid? Why would someone use it? How does it work? Can I put my app on it? Are there any subscription charges like apps on Play store?

Some people stayed and talked for a while. Some came back later with friends. Quite a few came up just to say that they were glad F-Droid was there. That last part was probably the nicest surprise.

People were also asking how they could help. We need that. F-Droid needs developers, but we also need testers and people willing to spend time using things, finding problems and reporting them properly.

There was a lot of discussion about AI too: People were tired of AI being pushed into every app and every product. There was quite a bit of frustration about AI-generated code and what everyone calls “AI slop”. Some people asked whether F-Droid would have an AI policy and how applications or contributions that make heavy use of AI should be handled. Those are not simple questions. There is a difference between using AI as a tool and simply generating something that nobody has properly understood, tested or taken responsibility for.

It was interesting to hear people asking these questions already. There seems to be a desire to get back to something a little more normal: build something, read the code, test it, fix it, talk to people and ship it.

The Android conversations were interesting too: People asked about Google’s Android Developer Verification system, certified devices and what these changes could mean for developers distributing outside Google Play. We talked about LineageOS, GrapheneOS and /e/OS, and the different choices people are making around Android.

Along came the Digital Markets Act. People wanted to know what the DMA and the European Commission’s work around Android might mean for alternative app stores, and whether all of these changes would make it harder for developers to distribute software independently.

These were not really abstract policy discussions. People wanted to know what would happen to their apps, their devices and their ability to distribute software.

F-Droid 2.0 was a regular topic. Several people came with issues and the missing download button on website, sometimes simply showing us what was happening on their phones.

We also met a lot of people from other projects. Our booth was next to the XMPP folks, with Badri, Divya, Perry and the rest of the group. It was really nice being alongside them for the two days.

I already knew quite a few people at IndiaFOSS, so the booth also became a place for old conversations to continue and new ones to start.

There was a recurring reaction from people who discovered us: “Wow, F-Droid is here!”

We even got invited to UbuntuCon to give a talk and several people told us that we should set up at MumbaiFOSS in October.

There was also quite a bit of interest in F-Droid’s presence in India and Asia. Many people were happy to hear that someone from India is on the F-Droid Board, and that there are possibilities for F-Droid to do more in this part of the world.

That was particularly nice for me. F-Droid is a global project, but there is a lot happening in India and across Asia that we can connect with.

The first floor was probably the one thing that worked against us. Plenty of people simply did not come upstairs, so I am sure we missed a lot of potential visitors.

The venue itself was big, but it was also hot. We were near one of the dome-like areas, and after standing there for two days, the heat certainly added to the tiredness.

Bengaluru was another story. The food nearby was good, but the hotel room was very small and the local transport was not quite as friendly to our wallets. Some of the auto drivers seemed to realise very quickly that we were from another city, and the prices almost always reflected that.

For my spouse, though, the whole experience seemed to be quite fun.

She went to IndiaFOSS knowing little about F-Droid and ended up spending two days talking about it to complete strangers. She found the whole thing interesting, full of enthusiasm and fun. She even sold more merchandise than I did. 😀

She also watched me being interviewed by some college students. Apparently, I was quite good and honest in the interview.

Her other observation was rather amusing. She said that my side of the FOSS and FLOSS world, if it were recorded properly and shown to our family members, would probably amaze them. It is apparently a very different world from the one they normally see.

She also called me a “mini celebrity”. Very mini, I should point out.

We came back tired, with fewer stickers, less merchandise and a lot more conversations.

And apparently, my spouse is now better at running an F-Droid booth than I am. I suppose I will have to remember that for the next one. 😉