ASK-Solutions publishes articles to share practical knowledge, document our projects, and add context to topics that affect privacy, repair, and digital freedom. Some pieces are written because participants or clients asked us the same question more than once. Others exist because we believe certain developments deserve explanation beyond the headline.
To make browsing easier, we publish our work in three categories:
Articles about external developments in technology, policy, repair, and digital rights — with our context and practical implications. This includes opinion pieces and explainers that help communities and organizations make informed choices.
Updates from ASK-Solutions and our initiatives. This includes service notices, availability updates, workshop news, and other time-related messages.
Project notes and technical documentation around concrete work. Here we share smaller project-related articles, build logs, experiments, repairs, design notes and technical solutions that help others learn, replicate, repair and improve.
Below you’ll find our most recently published articles. New pieces appear here as they are added, ranging from short updates to longer technical write-ups and project notes.
The Trump administration's effort to obtain phone records of New York Times journalists and relatives in the Air Force One leak investigation shows why source protection is not a professional perk, but a First Amendment safeguard.
A practical guide to preserving lawful digital collections across films, series, e-books, games, music and software, with attention to DRM, metadata, backups, physical media and account dependence.
Streaming made film and television easier to access, but not easier to own. Right to Ownership means that a lawfully acquired movie or series should not depend entirely on a platform, account, licence window or corporate content strategy.
ASK-Solutions works on free software, documentation, hosting, web service support, repair, digital autonomy and the sharing of practical technical knowledge. Much of this work happens online, or is documented in a way that can also be useful beyond Haarlem and the Netherlands.
Starting in 2026, Google will require every Android developer to verify their identity and register through the Android Developer Console — even if they never publish apps on the Play Store. This move threatens to fundamentally change sideloading, F-Droid, and third-party APK installation, making Android look more like iOS than ever before.
Looking for a specific subject? Browse our topics and tags — such as 3D Printing & Fabrication, Automotive, CAD & Digital Design, Community & Operations, Consumer Rights, Digital Media, Electronics, Free Software & Open Knowledge, Hardware Design, Health & Safety, Materials & Chemistry, Nocterra, Ownership & Control, Preservation, Press Freedom, Privacy & Security, Repair Skills, Right to Repair, Software Development, Systems & Administration or Tools & Sourcing.