Challenge C: Substantive Post #1

One open educational resource I find especially meaningful is Privacy Guides. I first discovered it a few years ago, and it has become even more relevant since the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. When people began to recognize the growing risks of online surveillance and information control.

Privacy Guides is a community-run website that helps people learn how to protect their digital privacy. It introduces open-source tools, secure hardware, and privacy-focused practices. The project operates under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License, which means anyone can freely use, adapt, and share its content. Users can also suggest changes, vote on new software, and help maintain the site collaboratively. This model reflects an open approach, where learning happens through collective contribution and peer exchange.

Interestingly, a few years ago, the project split into two: Privacy Guides and PrivacyTools.io. PrivacyTools.io now accepts paid promotions and limits editing to site administrators, while Privacy Guides remains volunteer-driven and fully open. This clearly shows how openness affects educational credibility and trust.

The site is completely free, requires no registration, and even offers community translations. It helps users to understand and control their digital footprint, which is an essential part of digital literacy today.