Hamakor

Hamakor, formally the Israeli Society for Free and Open Source Software, is an Israeli nonprofit organization established in January 2003 to represent, promote, and support the country's free and open-source software community. Its name is based on the Hebrew word for "source," while also containing a secondary reference to a bird's beak and Tux, the Linux mascot. The organization was created by members of Israel's open-source community who believed that a legally recognized body could advocate more effectively than a loose network of individuals when dealing with journalists, legislators, public institutions, and other organizations. The immediate catalyst for Hamakor's formation was the 2002 screening of the documentary Revolution OS. Gilad Ben-Yossef arranged for a cinema screening in Israel after discovering that the film could only be shown by renting a theater and paying its distributor. The event was opened to the public under the name August Penguin and generated a surplus of approximately 2,000 Israeli new shekels after expenses. Ben-Yossef pledged the proceeds toward creating a formal organization. The event also influenced Hamakor's charter, which gave the organization the ability to receive and manage money for community events and related activities. Hamakor was designed to balance broad community representation with protection against organizational capture by commercial interests. Its membership structure distinguishes between full members and friends. Both categories can participate in the organization's activities and receive its general benefits, but only full members can vote on charter changes or elect the board. Full membership has generally required evidence of activity supporting free or open-source software, although the practical standard has varied over time. Membership is limited to individuals rather than companies, reflecting the founders' concern that commercial entities might otherwise dominate the organization. The organization's best-known activity is August Penguin, an annual conference that developed from the original 2002 film screening. The conference is usually held in August and includes talks and presentations related to free software, open-source development, technology, and community activity. It has accepted sponsorship and has received recurring support from the Israeli Internet Association. Hamakor also supports the Israeli Welcome to Linux tradition, a series of introductory talks and Linux installation events associated with local Linux clubs in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. In addition, it awards an annual Hamakor prize recognizing significant contributions to free software in Israel. The prize has at times included separate categories for individuals, groups or institutions, and contributions to education. Hamakor has also acted as a public-policy and legal advocate. According to accounts of its work, the organization participated in efforts to oppose proposed Israeli laws modeled on restrictive United States digital-copyright provisions. Working with the Israeli chapter of the Internet Society, it contributed to discussions surrounding Israel's revised copyright framework, including opposition to broad anti-circumvention language, preservation of user-oriented provisions, and expansion of the stated reverse-engineering exception to include security auditing. These activities helped give the Israeli free-software community an identifiable institutional voice in legislative debates. The organization operates largely through volunteers and maintains a balanced budget. This model has enabled it to continue community events and advocacy without becoming a commercial software provider, but it has also limited the scale and consistency of longer-term initiatives. One example was an effort to establish Linux-based classrooms in schools. Hamakor helped participating schools obtain donated or purchased equipment, but the program slowed substantially when sufficient local volunteers were unavailable. More broadly, Hamakor's history reflects the tension between the decentralized character of open-source communities and the centralized administration required of a registered nonprofit. It remains primarily an advocacy, networking, education, and community-support organization rather than a producer or seller of proprietary products.

Hamakor emerged from Israel's growing free-software community in the early 2000s. Community members including Gilad Ben-Yossef and Doron Ofek believed that the movement needed a recognized legal entity capable of speaking with journalists, addressing lawmakers, organizing events, and handling funds. Individuals could participate in open-source development and advocacy, but they often lacked the institutional standing expected by media organizations and government bodies. The concept of a formal society developed over time and became concrete after a 2002 public screening of Revolution OS. The screening was organized as August Penguin after Ben-Yossef discovered that showing the film required renting a cinema and paying the distributor. The event was opened to the public and charged a modest admission fee. After expenses, it produced a surplus of about 2,000 Israeli shekels, which Ben-Yossef committed to the creation of a permanent organization. The event also led to charter provisions allowing Hamakor to receive and administer money for community activities. Hamakor was formally founded in January 2003. Its name, proposed by Ira Abramov, was intended to refer broadly to source and open-source software rather than only to Linux. The Hebrew word "makor" means source, while a secondary meaning evokes a beak and therefore a bird-related allusion to Tux. The nonprofit registrar rejected the inclusion of the definite article in the proposed English name, resulting in the organization's recognized form, Hamakor – Israeli Society for Free and Open Source Software. The founders created a two-tier membership arrangement to preserve community representation while limiting the possibility that commercial companies could take control. Only individuals may join. Friends receive the general benefits of participation but cannot vote on charter amendments or board elections. Full members have those voting rights and ordinarily qualify by demonstrating activity that promotes free or open-source software. The precise interpretation of qualifying activity has changed, ranging from substantial code contributions to practical assistance such as helping another person install Linux. August Penguin became Hamakor's principal annual event. The conference traditionally takes place on the first Friday of August, although it moved to a Thursday in 2005 in an effort to attract a more professional audience and returned to Friday in 2006, when scheduling shifted it to the second Friday. Over time, it evolved from a film-centered gathering into a conference featuring talks from members of the technical and open-source community. Sponsorship has been accepted, with the Israeli Internet Association described as a consistent supporter. Hamakor also supported Welcome to Linux events, a recurring program of introductory presentations and Linux installation sessions. The initiative began with the Haifa Linux Club and later involved Linux clubs in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Another continuing activity is the Hamakor prize, awarded annually to an Israeli contributor who has made an important contribution to free software. In 2010, the award used categories covering individual contributions, group or institutional contributions, and contributions to education; award announcements were typically associated with August Penguin. Public advocacy became another important part of Hamakor's work. The organization participated in opposition to several Israeli proposals modeled on restrictive digital-copyright legislation. Together with the Israeli Internet Society chapter, it influenced discussions around Israel's renewed copyright framework. Its reported objectives included preventing broad anti-circumvention provisions, retaining user-oriented language, and ensuring that the reverse-engineering exception expressly covered security audits as a legitimate purpose. These efforts helped fulfill the original ambition of giving the local open-source community a credible public-policy representative. Hamakor has operated with a balanced budget and a largely volunteer workforce. That structure supports independence but constrains the organization's ability to run sustained projects. An initiative to establish Linux-based classrooms illustrates the difficulty: schools participated and equipment was donated or purchased, but the project largely stalled where local volunteer capacity was insufficient. The organization's experience therefore reflects a continuing tension between the decentralized nature of open-source communities and the administrative demands of a formal nonprofit. Hamakor remains focused on advocacy, education, community events, recognition, and coordination rather than commercial software production.

• 2010

  Hamakor prize expands into categories

  [1]Hamakoren.wikipedia.org

  The annual recognition program included categories for individuals, groups or institutions, and education-related contributions.

• 2006

  August Penguin returns to Friday

  [1]Hamakoren.wikipedia.org

  The conference returned to Friday, although scheduling placed it on the second Friday of August.

• 2005

  August Penguin experiments with a professional format

  [1]Hamakoren.wikipedia.org

  The annual conference moved from Friday to Thursday in an attempt to make it more attractive to professional attendees.

• 2003

  Hamakor founded

  [1]Hamakoren.wikipedia.org

  The Israeli Society for Free and Open Source Software was formally established in January.

• 2002

  First August Penguin event

  [1]Hamakoren.wikipedia.org

  A public Israeli screening of Revolution OS generated a surplus that was pledged toward establishing Hamakor.

A volunteer-led national advocate and community institution for free and open-source software in Israel.

• Conference · 2002

  August Penguin

  Hamakor's annual free-software and open-source conference in Israel. It began as a public film screening in 2002 and later developed into a lecture- and presentation-based gathering covering technical, community, educational, and advocacy topics. The event is generally held in August and may receive sponsorship from organizations supporting Israel's Internet and open-source communities.

• Education and community program

  Welcome to Linux

  A recurring series of introductory talks and Linux installation events intended to help beginners learn about Linux and free software. The program originated with the Haifa Linux Club and has also been conducted by Linux communities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with Hamakor providing organizational support and community affiliation.

• Award

  Hamakor prize

  An annual award recognizing an Israeli person, group, institution, or educational contributor for important work in free software. Hamakor members and friends participate in selecting recipients, who are commonly announced during August Penguin.

• 2002August Penguin founding event

  Israel

  A public screening of Revolution OS created both a community gathering and the initial financial basis for forming Hamakor.

  Outcome. The event helped lead to Hamakor's formal establishment in January 2003 and became the basis of its annual conference.

  Source
• Welcome to Linux

  Israel

  Hamakor supported presentations and Linux installation events designed to introduce beginners to Linux and free software through local Linux clubs.

  Outcome. The activity expanded beyond Haifa to include communities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

  Source
• Israeli copyright and anti-circumvention advocacy

  Israel

  Hamakor participated in efforts opposing restrictive copyright proposals modeled on DMCA-style rules and worked with the Israeli Internet Society chapter on copyright-law discussions.

  Outcome. The organization reported helping keep broad anti-circumvention language out of the revised framework and supporting explicit protection for security-related reverse engineering.

  Source

• 2005

  Temporarily move August Penguin to ThursdayStrategy

  Background

  Hamakor sought to make its annual conference more suitable for a professional audience.

  Action taken

  The 2005 conference was moved from Friday to Thursday.

  Aftermath

  The conference returned to Friday in 2006, indicating that the weekday experiment was not retained.

  Source

• 2003

  Adopt a two-level individual membership structureStrategy

  Background

  The founders wanted Hamakor to represent the wider community while reducing the risk that commercial companies could control a nonprofit advocacy organization.

  Action taken

  The charter distinguished between full members with voting rights and friends who could participate but could not vote on elections or charter changes. Membership was limited to individuals.

  Aftermath

  The structure became a defining governance mechanism for balancing openness and protection from commercial capture.

  Source

• Support Linux-based classroomsStrategy

  Background

  Hamakor attempted to extend its educational mission into schools by encouraging the use of Linux-based classroom systems.

  Action taken

  The organization helped schools obtain equipment through donations or purchases and sought local volunteer support.

  Aftermath

  The initiative slowed considerably because participating locations lacked enough local volunteers to sustain it.

  Source

1. 1Hamakoren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hamakor official websitehamakor.org.il