FLOSSK Wiki - User contributions [en]

Main Page

2026-09-25T10:40:31Z

2026-09-25T10:28:08Z

Dinqja: Created page with "{{Project|MiniDebConf Prishtina|Prishtina Hackerspace|2017|October 7-8|}} Category:Conferences"

{{Project|MiniDebConf Prishtina|Prishtina Hackerspace|2017|October 7-8|}}
[[Category:Conferences]]

Category:Conferences

2026-09-25T10:25:16Z

Dinqja:

'''FLOSSK''' has a rich history of building and bridging communities by organizing and hosting major local, regional, and global technology conferences. These events serve as a key strategic bridge for local developers and enthusiasts, bringing the international open-source world directly to Southeastern Europe
[[Category:Projects]]

Main Page

2026-09-25T10:24:03Z

Dinqja: Categories of projectss

[[File:Logo-flossk-1.png|frameless|256x256px]]
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==Introduction==
Free Libre Open Source Software Kosova '''(FLOSSK)''' is a non-governmental organization based in Prishtina established in 2009 in order to support, promote and develop free and open source software. Besides, we also contribute to open and participatory knowledge, education in information technologies through open courseware, and open standards, culture and open society using free communication. Through our physical home at Prishtina Hackerspace, we provide an open, collaborative environment for developers, makers, and students to experiment with open hardware, digital fabrication, and free software tooling. We organize [[Software Freedom Kosova]] (SFK), the oldest and premier open-source conference in the region. Beyond events, our community actively develops civic tech infrastructure, from deploying decentralized environmental sensor networks and mapping local geography on OpenStreetMap to digitizing public-domain literature and building open language datasets.
*'''Founded:''' March 2009
*'''Headquarters:''' Prishtina, Kosovo
</div>
<div style="margin:0; padding:5px;border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em;margin-bottom:5px">
==FLOSSK Values==
FLOSSK's work and culture are guided by five core community values:
:'''Sharing:''' Fostering a collaborative commons where code, knowledge, and educational resources are freely distributed and developed collectively.
:'''Openness:''' Promoting transparency in governance, public data, standards, and licensing to ensure information remains accessible to everyone.
:'''Decentralization:''' Supporting distributed, peer-to-peer, and community-owned structures over centralized proprietary control.
:'''Free Access to Computers:''' Lowering economic and social barriers so that students, developers, and citizens have equal, unfettered access to computing resources and technology education.
:'''World Improvement:''' Advancing society through open technology, upholding democratic principles, and defending fundamental human and digital rights
</div>
<div style="margin:0; padding:5px;border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em;margin-bottom:5px">
==Notable Projects==
===Software Freedom Kosova===
The first edition of the Software Freedom Kosovo conference took place on August 29-30 2009, at FIEK (Faculty of Electrical Engineering), bringing together the Kosovo open source community for the first edition of what would become an annual gathering. Organized by FLOSSK since 2009, is the oldest and leading open-source conference in Southeastern Europe. Conceived to bridge the regional technology ecosystem with the global free software movement, the annual gathering unites developers, students, researchers, digital rights activists, and makers from across Kosovo and abroad. Throughout its history, the conference has brought foundational pioneers of the open-source movement directly to Prishtina, including Richard Stallman, Peter Salus, Bruce Perens, Rob Savoye, and Mikel Maron. You can find more information [[Software Freedom Kosova|here]].

=== Prishtina Hackerspace ===
Prishtina Hackerspace is a community-based coworking and open experimentation space established for technological, educational, cultural, and scientific purposes. This space has served as a working environment for students for many years now. The aim of the space is to:
* Provide workspace, equipment, and other resources for communal use by all members;
*Encourage continued and after-school learning through workshops, classes, seminars, and mentoring;
*Create a safe and open environment for experimentation in technology and art.

The Hackerspace is an open participation environment where people of all ages and from various disciplines learn hands-on in a collaborative, fun manner by making prototypes and tinkering with devices, participate in international competitions, or do ambitious projects from flying machines to biology hacking.
In parallel with individual projects, the space is open for member-independently organized workshops, lectures, and presentations, as well as just general gatherings that have to do with knowledge sharing, group tech projects for those that want to incubate in the hackerspace or those that just want to hang around at the hackerspace seeking help at some specific project that they might be working on.Prishtina Hackerspace was crowdfunded in 2015 whereas now it is funded by FLOSSK, membership fees, and donors.

'''Available at the space'''
*[[:Category:Hardware|Hardware]]
*[[:Category:Tools|Tools]]
</div>
<div style="margin:0; padding:5px; border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em">
== FLOSSK Community ==
FLOSSK is a member-driven open-source community that builds civic technology, maintains public digital commons, and fosters hacker culture across Kosovo.
*[[What it means to be a member]]
*[[Becoming a Member]]
*[[Weekly Meetups]]
*[[Monthly Meetups]]
</div>
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===General===
*[[About]]
*[[Code of Conduct]]
*[[Membership Rules]]
*[[Financial Statements]]
* [https://flossk.org/ FLOSSK Website]
* [https://sfk.flossk.org/ Software Freedom Kosova Site]
</div>
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=== What We Do ===
Some of our [[:Category:Projects|projects]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|Books]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|BootCamp]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|Catalog]]:
*[[:Category:Conferences|Conferences]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|Hackathons]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|Lectures]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|Meetups]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|OSM]]:
*[[:Category:Projects|TechCamps]]:
</div>
<div style="padding:5px;margin-top:5px; border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em">

=== Member Information ===
*[[:Category:Members|Members]]
*[[Board]]
*[[Statute]]
*[[Pillars]]
*[[Member Projects]]
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Main Page

2026-09-23T13:33:09Z

Dinqja: /* Software Freedom Kosova */

[[File:Logo-flossk-1.png|frameless|256x256px]]
{| style="width: 100%; border: none;"
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<div style="padding:5px;margin-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em">
==Introduction==
Free Libre Open Source Software Kosova '''(FLOSSK)''' is a non-governmental organization based in Prishtina established in 2009 in order to support, promote and develop free and open source software. Besides, we also contribute to open and participatory knowledge, education in information technologies through open courseware, and open standards, culture and open society using free communication. Through our physical home at Prishtina Hackerspace, we provide an open, collaborative environment for developers, makers, and students to experiment with open hardware, digital fabrication, and free software tooling. We organize [[Software Freedom Kosova]] (SFK), the oldest and premier open-source conference in the region. Beyond events, our community actively develops civic tech infrastructure, from deploying decentralized environmental sensor networks and mapping local geography on OpenStreetMap to digitizing public-domain literature and building open language datasets.
*'''Founded:''' March 2009
*'''Headquarters:''' Prishtina, Kosovo
</div>
<div style="margin:0; padding:5px;border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em;margin-bottom:5px">
==FLOSSK Values==
FLOSSK's work and culture are guided by five core community values:
:'''Sharing:''' Fostering a collaborative commons where code, knowledge, and educational resources are freely distributed and developed collectively.
:'''Openness:''' Promoting transparency in governance, public data, standards, and licensing to ensure information remains accessible to everyone.
:'''Decentralization:''' Supporting distributed, peer-to-peer, and community-owned structures over centralized proprietary control.
:'''Free Access to Computers:''' Lowering economic and social barriers so that students, developers, and citizens have equal, unfettered access to computing resources and technology education.
:'''World Improvement:''' Advancing society through open technology, upholding democratic principles, and defending fundamental human and digital rights
</div>
<div style="margin:0; padding:5px;border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em;margin-bottom:5px">
==Notable Projects==
===Software Freedom Kosova===
The first edition of the Software Freedom Kosovo conference took place on August 29-30 2009, at FIEK (Faculty of Electrical Engineering), bringing together the Kosovo open source community for the first edition of what would become an annual gathering. Organized by FLOSSK since 2009, is the oldest and leading open-source conference in Southeastern Europe. Conceived to bridge the regional technology ecosystem with the global free software movement, the annual gathering unites developers, students, researchers, digital rights activists, and makers from across Kosovo and abroad. Throughout its history, the conference has brought foundational pioneers of the open-source movement directly to Prishtina, including Richard Stallman, Peter Salus, Bruce Perens, Rob Savoye, and Mikel Maron. You can find more information [[Software Freedom Kosova|here]].

=== Prishtina Hackerspace ===
Prishtina Hackerspace is a community-based coworking and open experimentation space established for technological, educational, cultural, and scientific purposes. This space has served as a working environment for students for many years now. The aim of the space is to:
* Provide workspace, equipment, and other resources for communal use by all members;
*Encourage continued and after-school learning through workshops, classes, seminars, and mentoring;
*Create a safe and open environment for experimentation in technology and art.

The Hackerspace is an open participation environment where people of all ages and from various disciplines learn hands-on in a collaborative, fun manner by making prototypes and tinkering with devices, participate in international competitions, or do ambitious projects from flying machines to biology hacking.
In parallel with individual projects, the space is open for member-independently organized workshops, lectures, and presentations, as well as just general gatherings that have to do with knowledge sharing, group tech projects for those that want to incubate in the hackerspace or those that just want to hang around at the hackerspace seeking help at some specific project that they might be working on.Prishtina Hackerspace was crowdfunded in 2015 whereas now it is funded by FLOSSK, membership fees, and donors.

'''Available at the space'''
*[[:Category:Hardware|Hardware]]
*[[:Category:Tools|Tools]]
</div>
<div style="margin:0; padding:5px; border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em">
== FLOSSK Community ==
FLOSSK is a member-driven open-source community that builds civic technology, maintains public digital commons, and fosters hacker culture across Kosovo.
*[[What it means to be a member]]
*[[Becoming a Member]]
*[[Weekly Meetups]]
*[[Monthly Meetups]]
</div>
| style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top;" |
<div style="padding:5px; border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em">
===General===
*[[About]]
*[[Code of Conduct]]
*[[Membership Rules]]
*[[Financial Statements]]
* [https://flossk.org/ FLOSSK Website]
* [https://sfk.flossk.org/ Software Freedom Kosova Site]
</div>
<div style="padding:5px;margin-top:5px; border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em">

=== What We Do ===
Some of our [[:Category:Projects|projects]]:
*[[Spindown Game Jam]]
*[[Bsides Prishtina]]
</div>
<div style="padding:5px;margin-top:5px; border:1px solid #dfdfdf; background-color:#f8f8ff;padding:0em 1em 1em 1em">
=== Member Information ===
*[[:Category:Members|Members]]
*[[Board]]
*[[Statute]]
*[[Pillars]]
*[[Member Projects]]
</div>
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|}

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2026-09-04T20:18:56Z

Dinqja:

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2026-09-04T20:17:57Z

Dinqja:

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2026-09-01T13:51:06Z

Dinqja:

Bsides Prishtina

2026-09-01T13:39:02Z

Dinqja: Created page with "Category:Activities Category:Conferences"

[[Category:Activities]]
[[Category:Conferences]]

User:Samikciku

2026-09-01T13:35:25Z

Dinqja:

[[Category:Members]]

User:Samikciku

2026-09-01T13:34:37Z

Dinqja: Created page with "[Category:Members]"

[Category:Members]

Software Freedom Kosova

2026-08-29T16:21:22Z

Dinqja:

[[File:2009-SFK-5.jpg|256x256px|thumb|SFK 2009]]
Software Freedom Kosova <strong>(SFK)</strong> is the leading annual open source conference in Southeast Europe, bringing together developers, students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts to connect, learn, and collaborate around free/libre and open source software and hardware.
Over the years, SFK has welcomed renowned speakers including Bruce Perens, David Cuartielles, Philippe Saadé, Glynn Moody, Peter Salus, Mikel Maron, Rob Savoye, Leon Shiman, and Jo Hinchliffe, alongside hundreds of contributors from the global open source community. Through inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, and community-driven discussions.
{{Project|SFK 2009|FIEK|2009|Aug 29-30|The first annual Software Freedom Kosova conference was held at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Pristina. Organized by FLOSSK and the University of Pristina, the event aimed to promote Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in Kosovo through knowledge sharing and networking opportunities.}}

{{Project|SFK 2010|FIEK|2010|Sept 25-26|The theme of the 2011 conference will be “Doing Business with Free Software.” The conference will serve as a meeting point for a network of individuals and companies, aiming to sponsor and undertake projects that bring benefits to the citizens of Kosovo. The goal is to position Kosovo as one of Europe’s FLOSS hubs and, ultimately, generate commercial benefits for the country as well.}}

{{Project|SFK 2011|FIEK|2011|Nov 11-12|The theme of the 2011 conference will be “Doing Business with Free Software.” The conference will serve as a meeting point for a network of individuals and companies, aiming to sponsor and undertake projects that bring benefits to the citizens of Kosovo. The goal is to position Kosovo as one of Europe’s FLOSS hubs and, ultimately, generate commercial benefits for the country as well.}}

{{Project|SFK 2012|FIEK, ICK|2012|Sep 7-10|Experts in this specific field gathered for the fourth time in Pristina to demonstrate their skills in information technology, which gave the world the web, Android, Wikipedia, and many other technologies. Software Freedom Kosovo, organized by FLOSS Kosova, is the largest conference of its kind in the region.}}

{{Project|SFK 2013|Faculty of Education, ICK|2013|Sep 7-9|Software Freedom Kosova 2013 was a conference dedicated to promoting free and open-source software, fostering collaboration, and providing hands-on learning opportunities. The initiative aimed to advance knowledge and practical skills in open-source technologies through lectures and workshops, engaging participants from Kosovo and international experts.}}

{{Project|SFK 2014|Salla e Kuqe, Faculty of Philology|2014|Oct 24-26|Software Freedom Kosova 2014 was a three-day event focused on promoting free and open-source software through a series of lectures and practical workshops. The initiative aimed to enhance technical skills, foster collaboration, and demonstrate the application of open-source technologies to developers, system administrators, and tech enthusiasts in Kosovo.}}

{{Project|SFK 2016|ICK, [[Main Page#Prishtina Hackerspace|Prishtina Hackerspace]]|2016|Oct 21-23|Organized by FLOSSK, the seventh annual Software Freedom Kosova conference was a major technology event focusing on free and open-source software. SFK16 featured 43 speakers from 18 countries, offering 48 lectures and workshops over three days.
The event included a main presentation day and two additional days of hands-on workshops held at ICK and Prishtina Hackerspace. The conference provided a platform for participants to engage with influential tech figures, develop technical skills, and generate new ideas.}}

{{Project|SFK 2019|Kino Armata|2019|Apr 4-7|SFK 2019 marked both its 8th edition and the 10th anniversary of FLOSSK. Drawing over 350 participants, it brought together local tech enthusiasts, students, global speakers, and government leaders to discuss open-source product management, Wikidata, and FOSS business integration.}}

{{Project|SFK 2020|Online|2020|Sep 26-27|SFK 2020 was an online conference held on September 26-27, focusing on “Sensors for Good.” It provided a collaborative space for knowledge-sharing in open technology, featuring 22 sessions, including workshops, talks, and a discussion panel. The event highlighted sensor applications in technology while promoting open-source principles.

Due to the institutional regulations following the health and safety situation, this year FLOSSK is moving the conference online.}}
{{Project|SFK 2025|FIEK|2025|Oct 24-26|Software Freedom Kosova (SFK) 2025 was the 10th jubilee edition of Southeastern Europe's leading annual open-source conference, held from October 24 to 26, 2025, at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Prishtina, Kosovo. The event celebrated 17 years of community-driven impact in technology, education, and regional innovation. Under the theme "Open Hardware, AI & Machine Learning," the conference explored how open-source tools can spark accessible, ground-up innovation, spanning from public sensors to classroom IoT. The three-day gathering featured hands-on workshops and presentations from prominent global figures, including Arduino co-founder David Cuartielles, Philippe Saadé of Wikimedia Deutschland, and Jo Hinchliffe of the Libre Space Foundation}}
[[Category:Projects]]
[[Category:Conferences]]
[[Category:Activities]]

Category:Activities

2026-08-29T16:21:05Z

Dinqja: Created blank page

Monthly Meetups

2026-08-29T16:20:46Z

Dinqja:

The [[Main Page|FLOSSK]] Monthly Membership Meetup is a structured, 60-minute recurring meeting held on the last Wednesday of every month from 18:00 at the Prishtina Hackerspace. Dedicated to contributing members, the session serves as an open forum to review quarterly progress, discuss upcoming plans, and address operational challenges through strict, action-oriented protocols. The gathering also functions as a welcoming "bring a friend" event, inviting newcomers and collaborators to get to know the community and discover FLOSSK's ongoing open-source initiatives firsthand. To ensure productive outcomes, the meeting enforces clear etiquette: decisions take priority over prolonged debates, and every open issue leaves the room assigned to a designated owner.
[[Category:Activities]]

About

2026-08-29T14:53:38Z

Dinqja:

===1. Organizational Overview & Legal Identity===
Free Libre Open Source Software Kosova (FLOSSK) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization established in Prishtina, Kosovo. Founded in March 2009 at the initiative of James Michael DuPont alongside a dedicated cohort of local technology volunteers, FLOSSK was created eighteen months after Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The organization emerged to address the prohibitive costs of proprietary software licenses, overcome regional technological isolation, and build an open, collaborative ecosystem for computing and technology education. FLOSSK is registered as a non-profit association under Kosovo's Law on Freedom of Association in Non-Governmental Organizations. It operates strictly for public-interest educational, scientific, and cultural objectives, with all institutional property, income, and donations dedicated entirely to non-profit pursuits.
===2. Mission, Vision, and Institutional Pillars===
FLOSSK's core mission is to support, promote, and develop free and open-source software, open and participatory knowledge, information technology education through open courseware, open standards, and open culture through free communication. The organization’s foundational vision is to serve as one of the leading free and open-source software organizations in Southeast Europe. Its programmatic focus aligns with internationally recognized open principles:
;Free Software: Championing the four essential software freedoms as defined by the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
;Open Source Software: Advocating for community-driven peer production as articulated by the Open Source Initiative (OSI).
;Participatory Knowledge: Promoting open educational content and collaborative encyclopedic platforms supported by the Wikimedia Foundation.
;Open Standards & Public Commons: Advancing interoperable web standards (W3C) and permissive public licensing frameworks (Creative Commons).
===3. Core Community Values===
FLOSSK’s community culture and work are guided by five foundational values:
;Sharing: Fostering a collaborative commons where code, educational materials, and technical expertise are freely distributed and collectively enriched.
;Openness: Maintaining radical transparency in governance, data distribution, software architectures, and licensing.
;Decentralization: Supporting distributed, peer-to-peer systems and community ownership over centralized vendor dependency.
;Free Access to Computers: Eliminating socioeconomic barriers to ensure students, developers, and citizens have equitable access to computing infrastructure.
;World Improvement: Advancing society through open technology, democratic participation, and the defense of fundamental digital and civic rights.
===4. Physical Communal Spaces & Regional Expansion===

;Prishtina Hackerspace
On July 1, 2014, FLOSSK members established the Prishtina Hackerspace, formalized through an international crowdfunding campaign in 2015. Located at Rr. Ganimete Tërbeshi 61 in the Aktash neighborhood of Prishtina, the hackerspace functions under FLOSSK’s institutional umbrella as a cooperative workshop for technology, science, and digital art. The space features electronics and microelectronics workbenches, soldering gear, digital fabrication and 3D printing equipment, woodworking tools, and an event area known as [[The Pub]], where lightning talks take place and community craft beer is brewed. The hackerspace hosts [[Weekly Meetups|Open Wednesdays]] (weekly informal meetups at 17:30) and the structured [[Monthly Meetups|Monthly Membership Meetup]] (held the last Wednesday of each month from 17:30 to 18:30).
;Regional Municipal Chapters
In 2026, FLOSSK initiated a nationwide regional decentralization effort by launching its first municipal chapter, [[FLOSSK Ferizaj]], on March 21, 2026, at the Ndritare coworking space. The initiative organizes regular developer meetups and hardware workshops aimed at establishing the Innovation Center Ferizaj as a regional technology hub.
===5. Flagship Conferences & Global Gatherings===
;[[Software Freedom Kosova]] (SFK)
:Founded in August 2009 with an inaugural gathering of 170 participants at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering (FIEK), University of Prishtina, Software Freedom Kosova (SFK) is the oldest and leading open-source conference in Southeastern Europe. SFK bridges local technologists with the global movement, featuring a multidisciplinary program of technical keynotes, workshops, and digital rights panels. Over nearly two decades, SFK has hosted foundational figures of the free software movement, including Richard Stallman, Peter Salus, Bruce Perens, Rob Savoye, Mikel Maron, and David Cuartielles. Following its 10th jubilee edition in 2025 on open hardware and AI, the conference marks its 11th edition in October 2026 at FIEK under the theme "A Murder of Crows," exploring complex emergent systems and European open-source compliance standards.
;International Event Hosting
FLOSSK has placed Kosovo on the international technology map by organizing major global open-source gatherings:
:'''OSGeo'''
:'''FOSS4G 2023 (Prizren)'''
:'''DebConf22 (ITP Prizren):''' The 23rd annual Debian Developers Conference, uniting more than 300 international operating system contributors.
:'''[[BSides Prishtina]]:''' An annual community-driven information security conference bringing together regional cyber defense professionals.
===6. Civic Tech, Citizen Science & Open Cultural Commons===
FLOSSK develops and maintains civic technology and open data projects throughout the year:
;Digital Archiving & Cultural Commons (books.flossk.org): Addressing the scarcity of accessible regional literature, FLOSSK built an open-hardware book scanning pipeline using a [[Custom V-Shape DIY Book Scanner|custom V-shaped platen cradle scanner]], ScanTailor processing, and Tesseract OCR. Operating under Article 12A of Kosovo's copyright law governing orphan works, the platform provides free public access to historical literature and periodicals—such as the complete digital archives of the daily newspaper Bujku (1991–1998) and Rilindja—under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. These scans have also been transformed into machine-readable HuggingFace research corpora (Kushtrim/bujku and Kushtrim/bujku_vl_ocr) to support Vision-Language Model research for the Albanian language
;Open Mapping & Geodata: FLOSSK serves as the official OpenStreetMap (OSM) Foundation Chapter and OSGeo Local Chapter for Kosovo, hosting regular mapathons and maintaining geographical datasets that originated with the historic mapping of Brod town with UN-HABITAT in 2009.
;OpenCatalog (catalog.flossk.org): A community-curated directory designed to help public institutions, developers, and local businesses evaluate, test, and deploy verified open-source alternatives to proprietary enterprise software.
;Civic Repositories: Practical open-source software packages maintained on [https://github.com/flosskosova GitHub], including [[trash]] (waste management mapping for Prishtina), [[folsh.ai-tts-api]] (Albanian text-to-speech API), and [[iot-albanian-commands]].
===7. Governance and Community Structure===
FLOSSK is governed through a democratic, member-driven framework:
;The Assembly of Members (Kuvendi i Anëtarëve): The supreme decision-making body, composed of Full (Voting) Members, which approves organizational statutes, reviews annual financial reports, and elects executive leadership.
;The Executive Board (Bordi Ekzekutiv): A governing body that oversees strategic management, financial integrity, and program implementation.
;Membership Model: Structured into Associate (Contributing) Members (who propose projects, participate in working groups, and use hackerspace resources) and Full (Voting) Members (who take direct ownership of governance and statutory elections).
To learn more about [[Main Page|FLOSSK]]'s navigate [[Main Page#FLOSSK Community|here]].

About

2026-08-29T14:49:26Z

Dinqja: Created page with "===1. Organizational Overview & Legal Identity=== Free Libre Open Source Software Kosova (FLOSSK) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization established in Prishtina, Kosovo. Founded in March 2009 at the initiative of James Michael DuPont alongside a dedicated cohort of local technology volunteers, FLOSSK was created eighteen months after Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The organization emerged to address the prohibitive costs of proprietary software licenses..."

===1. Organizational Overview & Legal Identity===
Free Libre Open Source Software Kosova (FLOSSK) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization established in Prishtina, Kosovo. Founded in March 2009 at the initiative of James Michael DuPont alongside a dedicated cohort of local technology volunteers, FLOSSK was created eighteen months after Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The organization emerged to address the prohibitive costs of proprietary software licenses, overcome regional technological isolation, and build an open, collaborative ecosystem for computing and technology education. FLOSSK is registered as a non-profit association under Kosovo's Law on Freedom of Association in Non-Governmental Organizations. It operates strictly for public-interest educational, scientific, and cultural objectives, with all institutional property, income, and donations dedicated entirely to non-profit pursuits.
===2. Mission, Vision, and Institutional Pillars===
FLOSSK's core mission is to support, promote, and develop free and open-source software, open and participatory knowledge, information technology education through open courseware, open standards, and open culture through free communication. The organization’s foundational vision is to serve as one of the leading free and open-source software organizations in Southeast Europe. Its programmatic focus aligns with internationally recognized open principles:
;Free Software: Championing the four essential software freedoms as defined by the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
;Open Source Software: Advocating for community-driven peer production as articulated by the Open Source Initiative (OSI).
;Participatory Knowledge: Promoting open educational content and collaborative encyclopedic platforms supported by the Wikimedia Foundation.
;Open Standards & Public Commons: Advancing interoperable web standards (W3C) and permissive public licensing frameworks (Creative Commons).
===3. Core Community Values===
FLOSSK’s community culture and work are guided by five foundational values:
;Sharing: Fostering a collaborative commons where code, educational materials, and technical expertise are freely distributed and collectively enriched.
;Openness: Maintaining radical transparency in governance, data distribution, software architectures, and licensing.
;Decentralization: Supporting distributed, peer-to-peer systems and community ownership over centralized vendor dependency.
;Free Access to Computers: Eliminating socioeconomic barriers to ensure students, developers, and citizens have equitable access to computing infrastructure.
;World Improvement: Advancing society through open technology, democratic participation, and the defense of fundamental digital and civic rights.
===4. Physical Communal Spaces & Regional Expansion===

;Prishtina Hackerspace
On July 1, 2014, FLOSSK members established the Prishtina Hackerspace, formalized through an international crowdfunding campaign in 2015. Located at Rr. Ganimete Tërbeshi 61 in the Aktash neighborhood of Prishtina, the hackerspace functions under FLOSSK’s institutional umbrella as a cooperative workshop for technology, science, and digital art. The space features electronics and microelectronics workbenches, soldering gear, digital fabrication and 3D printing equipment, woodworking tools, and an event area known as [[The Pub]], where lightning talks take place and community craft beer is brewed. The hackerspace hosts [[Weekly Meetups|Open Wednesdays]] (weekly informal meetups at 17:30) and the structured [[Monthly Meetups|Monthly Membership Meetup]] (held the last Wednesday of each month from 17:30 to 18:30).
;Regional Municipal Chapters
In 2026, FLOSSK initiated a nationwide regional decentralization effort by launching its first municipal chapter, [[FLOSSK Ferizaj]], on March 21, 2026, at the Ndritare coworking space. The initiative organizes regular developer meetups and hardware workshops aimed at establishing the Innovation Center Ferizaj as a regional technology hub.
===5. Flagship Conferences & Global Gatherings===
;[[Software Freedom Kosova]] (SFK)
:Founded in August 2009 with an inaugural gathering of 170 participants at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering (FIEK), University of Prishtina, Software Freedom Kosova (SFK) is the oldest and leading open-source conference in Southeastern Europe. SFK bridges local technologists with the global movement, featuring a multidisciplinary program of technical keynotes, workshops, and digital rights panels. Over nearly two decades, SFK has hosted foundational figures of the free software movement, including Richard Stallman, Peter Salus, Bruce Perens, Rob Savoye, Mikel Maron, and David Cuartielles. Following its 10th jubilee edition in 2025 on open hardware and AI, the conference marks its 11th edition in October 2026 at FIEK under the theme "A Murder of Crows," exploring complex emergent systems and European open-source compliance standards.
;International Event Hosting
FLOSSK has placed Kosovo on the international technology map by organizing major global open-source gatherings:
:'''OSGeo'''
:'''FOSS4G 2023 (Prizren)'''
:'''DebConf22 (ITP Prizren):''' The 23rd annual Debian Developers Conference, uniting more than 300 international operating system contributors.
:'''[[BSides Prishtina]]:''' An annual community-driven information security conference bringing together regional cyber defense professionals.
===6. Civic Tech, Citizen Science & Open Cultural Commons===
FLOSSK develops and maintains civic technology and open data projects throughout the year:
Digital Archiving & Cultural Commons (books.flossk.org): Addressing the scarcity of accessible regional literature, FLOSSK built an open-hardware book scanning pipeline using a custom V-shaped platen cradle scanner, ScanTailor processing, and Tesseract OCR
. Operating under Article 12A of Kosovo's copyright law governing orphan works, the platform provides free public access to historical literature and periodicals—such as the complete digital archives of the daily newspaper Bujku (1991–1998) and Rilindja—under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license
. These scans have also been transformed into machine-readable HuggingFace research corpora (Kushtrim/bujku and Kushtrim/bujku_vl_ocr) to support Vision-Language Model research for the Albanian language
.
Environmental Citizen Science (sensors.flossk.org): A network of open-source DIY environmental sensing stations deployed across regional public high schools (including Prishtina, Prizren, Lipjan, and Vushtrri) to gather and publish open air-quality and climate data
.
Open Mapping & Geodata: FLOSSK serves as the official OpenStreetMap (OSM) Foundation Chapter and OSGeo Local Chapter for Kosovo, hosting regular mapathons and maintaining geographical datasets that originated with the historic mapping of Brod town with UN-HABITAT in 2009
.
OpenCatalog (catalog.flossk.org): A community-curated directory designed to help public institutions, developers, and local businesses evaluate, test, and deploy verified open-source alternatives to proprietary enterprise software
.
Civic Repositories: Practical open-source software packages maintained on GitHub (flosskosova), including trash (waste management mapping for Prishtina), folsh.ai-tts-api (Albanian text-to-speech API), and iot-albanian-commands
.
===7. Governance and Community Structure===
FLOSSK is governed through a democratic, member-driven framework:
;The Assembly of Members (Kuvendi i Anëtarëve): The supreme decision-making body, composed of Full (Voting) Members, which approves organizational statutes, reviews annual financial reports, and elects executive leadership.
;The Executive Board (Bordi Ekzekutiv): A governing body that oversees strategic management, financial integrity, and program implementation.
;Membership Model: Structured into Associate (Contributing) Members (who propose projects, participate in working groups, and use hackerspace resources) and Full (Voting) Members (who take direct ownership of governance and statutory elections).
To learn more about [[Main Page|FLOSSK]]'s navigate [[Main Page#FLOSSK Community|here]].

2026-08-28T15:39:32Z

Dinqja:

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Custom V-Shape DIY Book Scanner

2026-08-28T15:38:06Z

Dinqja:

[[File:skaneri.jpg|256x256px|center]]
{{Tool
| Name = Custom V-Shape DIY Book Scanner
| Champion = Shkumbin Brestovci
| Status = Working
| Safety = Yellow
| Location = Digitalization Archiving Lab
| SafetyRules = Keep platen glass clean. Do not drop heavy bindings on the V-shaped platen. Turn off cameras and studio lighting when not in use.
| Manual = [[DIY Scanner Setup]]
|Constructed in partnership with the Open Hardware Cooperative, this custom-designed scanner digitizes public domain books and historical documents for books.flossk.org.
|Connects to local ScanTailor post-processing and the Tesseract OCR batch pipeline.
}}
[[Category:Tools]]

File:Skaneri.jpg

2026-08-28T15:36:19Z

Dinqja:

Custom V-Shape DIY Book Scanner

2026-08-28T15:35:33Z

Dinqja: Created page with "{{Tool | Name = Custom V-Shape DIY Book Scanner | Champion = Shkumbin Brestovci | Status = Working | Safety = Yellow | Location = Digitalization Archiving Lab | SafetyRules = Keep platen glass clean. Do not drop heavy bindings on the V-shaped platen. Turn off cameras and studio lighting when not in use. | Manual = DIY Scanner Setup |Constructed in partnership with the Open Hardware Cooperative, this custom-designed scanner digitizes public domain books and historical..."

{{Tool
| Name = Custom V-Shape DIY Book Scanner
| Champion = Shkumbin Brestovci
| Status = Working
| Safety = Yellow
| Location = Digitalization Archiving Lab
| SafetyRules = Keep platen glass clean. Do not drop heavy bindings on the V-shaped platen. Turn off cameras and studio lighting when not in use.
| Manual = [[DIY Scanner Setup]]
|Constructed in partnership with the Open Hardware Cooperative, this custom-designed scanner digitizes public domain books and historical documents for books.flossk.org.
|Connects to local ScanTailor post-processing and the Tesseract OCR batch pipeline.
}}

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2026-08-28T15:34:30Z

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