November 7, 2025
Traffic cone takes the crown
VLC's Jean-Baptiste Kempf Receives the European SFS Award 2025
VLC’s cone king crowned; fans gush, one hater vows ‘no VLC ever’
TLDR: VLC leader Jean‑Baptiste Kempf won Europe’s SFS Award at SFSCON for steering the beloved free media player. Comments split between adoring praise, a lone “never install VLC” grudge, and buzz about a rumored ultra‑low‑latency gaming project called Kyber—highlighting VLC’s cult status and why open tools matter.
The internet’s favorite traffic cone just got a crown. Jean‑Baptiste Kempf, the longtime captain of the free, plays‑anything VLC media player, won the European SFS Award at SFSCON—an open‑source conference—thanks to decades of keeping video weirdness watchable and free. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and local group LUGBZ handed over the honor, and insiders cheered the story of a student project turned global staple. The crowd’s vibe? Mostly “finally, someone who didn’t sell out” and “remember life before VLC?”—with nostalgia pouring in and cone memes everywhere. Read the official nod here: FSFE news.
But the comments were pure popcorn. One voice claimed meeting Kempf at a Google Summer of Code (GSoC) mentor summit “inspired” them—out of spite—to never install VLC, instantly becoming the thread’s cartoon villain. Fans clapped back with “my cone eats everything” energy and tales of VLC rescuing them from codec chaos. Rumor‑hunters stirred the pot with talk of Kempf’s ultra‑low‑latency gaming project “Kyber,” demanding updates like it’s a secret boss level. Between hero worship, spicy grudges, and the eternal meme that VLC “just works,” this award turned into a community victory lap with one loud boo just making the cheers louder.
Key Points
- •FSFE and LUGBZ awarded Jean‑Baptiste Kempf the European SFS Award 2025 at SFSCON.
- •Kempf was recognized for long-term contributions to the Free Software movement and the VLC project.
- •VLC began in 1996 as a student project and evolved from a network streaming client into a universal media player.
- •Kempf helped sustain and transform VLC, later serving as VideoLAN president, VLC lead developer, and founding VideoLabs.
- •FSFE’s Matthias Kirschner and LUGBZ’s Raphael Barbieri highlighted VLC’s impact and capabilities during the ceremony.