FSF Launches Windows7sins tomorrow
// August 25th, 2009 // Free Software, Project Mayhem
Tomorrow the Free Software Foundation plans to launch the windows7sins campaign, similiar to the BadVista campaign that ran for Windows Vista. From the info-fsf list:
This Wednesday, August 26 at 11am, the Free Software Foundation will be launching its Windows7sins.org public awareness campaign, drawing attention to the threats posed by the adoption of Microsoft's proprietary operating system. We have a launch event here in Boston on the Boston Commons from noon until 3pm, and we need everyone in the area to come along and help out and join in the ceremony as we conduct a ceremonial trashing of proprietary software. **We'll be launching our Windows 7 campaign with pomp and fanfare, with a giant 12 foot trashcan being filled with boxes of proprietary software.** The event promises to be lots of fun, and with thousands of people passing through the Boston Commons every day we hope you will help us connect with the public by handing out information and explaining the benefits of free software. There will be camera crews and photographers capturing the event and we will be getting these images up online as soon as possible on the day. Let us know you're coming and bring along your friends and work colleagues - mail [email protected] if you have time to help us set up, or just turn up at the Boston Commons near the entrance to the Public Gardens from noon. If you're not in the Boston area, there will be plenty for you to do to help us launch the campaign and get the message out. Stay tuned for upcoming instructions...
Personally I don’t believe much in these campaigns. In my opinion the Free Software Foundation could use their resources much better spreading awareness on Free Software rather than focussing on a proprietary product. I like campaigns like Defective by Design much more, which encourages users to think about things like DRM before purchasing a device and content. A campaign for just saying “boo-hoo, there’s a proprietary product and it’s bad” just seems a bit petty. I think it would be better to focus on less campaigns with higher priority and do them decently, rather than having too many campaigns that don’t do much.
20 Responses to “FSF Launches Windows7sins tomorrow”
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I agree … people need to be warned about some things, but publicity stunts like this don’t do anyone any good. And instead of being seen as nice, devoted people who make cool toys that everyone can use for free, we’re going to be associated with “those crazies who throw PC software boxes in the trash.”
I agree, these efforts are futile. If ANYTHING it’s time to focus on the numerous changes in the FOSS community that will make transition to Open Source software and operating systems much smoother. That would be a campaign I’d support.
This will do the exact opposite of what they are trying to accomplish… Focusing on the negative does not work. In marketing, you either move people TOWARD pleasure or AWAY from pain. “Take this pill to feel better” = away from pain. “This car has curves and handles the road like a dream” = towards pleasure.
We need to show the POSITIVE side of GNU/Linux – never even mentioning the negative side of Windows. Simply show what GNU/Linux CAN do. Maximize the positive, minimize the negative.
Once again, the GNU/Linux communit gets sent back 4 steps and people will not only think we’re a bunch of dorks living in our parent’s basements, but that we’re angry at “The Man”.
Way to go.
I mirror your thoughts exactly.
Hey, I hate to this this but windows is way better than Linux.
you might think, Windows has lots of vendor lock-ins. But hey Linux encourages you to use only free software, which is ridiculous. Sorry but the GNU is pure garbage written by someone with long beard…man he looks dirty. I wonder if he takes a bath? Free software is just a bad written piece of code. written at home which is not a real environment to work. Linux has very low market share and I am glad that MS tries to kill Linux, since Linux doesn’t even know or want to compete.
@Nick
Sorry to rain on your parade, but there are numerous examples of free software of extremely high quality that is lightyears ahead of any proprietary software (*cough* apache *cough*). The fact that free software is as close to (or better than!) the quality of proprietary software as often as it is should cause people to think about why exactly the proprietary software model is necessary.
Can’t people just understand that Microsoft is a company and aren’t doing anything wrong? Hell, why not go after Apple, who rejects applications that people put their effort into? Clothing companies that use child labor?
Linux is not ready for consumer use on desktops yet, there are poorly written drivers, limited software and very limited support.
Nick,
I wrote an article on exactly why you cannot compare Windows to GNU/Linux – and it’s not for the reasons you’d probably thing. Rather than repeat the article here, email me if you are interested in it and I will send it to you.
My e-mail address is: ron [at] roadie [dot] net
If anyone else wants a copy, hit me up as well.
Remember, software and minds have two things in common: they are both more functional when open.
FSF is going SF… yeah, do you peoples dont have anything else better to do? Show something in OSS to can count somehow… but right now, Linux isnt in books…
Currently, I have loaded OSX on my main pc replacing Ubuntu as default O/S. I run XP, Ubuntu & OpenSUSE VM’s using Virtualbox.
My most productive programming environment is a tossup between openSUSE & XP, with OSX coming in third.
As a host OS, OSX feels subjectively faster than running either Ubuntu or openSUSE and multitasking. Using XP as a host is not an option.
Oh and regarding DRM, I use Songbird for music management and iTunes for podcast management only.
I had based most of my criticisms on proprietary software on my experience with Windows and developing for that platform. Working on OSX has exceeded my expectations and I see it as a viable platform if you have the cash. Sadly I don’t, but I am able to run kde4 apps (krusader, marble, etc), firefox, virtualbox, songbird, picasa, etc, which gives it a solid bunch of applications that I can rely on.
well, am just expressing my opinion.
The FSF limits your computer enjoyment (it forces you to use open source software only) They also brainwash people to hate companies and other people who dont agree with them.
Linux is not ready for the desktop and it never be, if Linux is so dependent to the GPL and the command line, because the average user does not care about all this. They just want their computer to work.
Linux lacks market share, because the devs dont even create a software that counts all the users. People are very scared about their privacy and that makes me wonder, are they gonna collect your adress, your phone number and your credit card pin? NO! This type of behavior is ridiculous! ALl these GNU fanboys behaive like children! If someone could improve Linux market share and make Linux easier it would great, but am confident no one will do it because everyone is CLOSED MINDED!
btw I found out that when you donate your money to FSF, your money never reaches thet developers. Your money goes diectly to Richard stallman and his lawyers. I think the FSF is a dirty business. btw here is the link:
http://z505.com/gng/cult.htm
I forgot to mention this: FSF is all about politics and nothing else. They dont care about the average user at all.
@Nick:
So you’re from the BSD camp …. it figures
Btw, BSD-ish software is like a prostitute … even worse actually — at least you got to pay the prostitute!
All the code that MS and Apple are using to terrorize the users are based on BSD code. Shame on you and your clan.
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I am not a BSD user. I use ubuntu and fedora.
I was expecting you to act more maturely.
Linux will more combined resources poured into it than Microsoft will be able to afford on Windows.
The good thing about open-source software is to benefit from the combined efforts from many highly profitable companies (e.g., Red Hat, Novelle, Sun, Oracle, IBM, Google, etc.), plus volunteer enthusiasts.
It’s easy to think Windows is better than Linux if you have never used Linux extensively. Mark my words, however, Microsoft Windows business model is on its last leg. Over the next decade, Microsoft will have 2 choices regarding their Windows product, 1) perish (like Encarta), or 2) open-source it.
http://blogs.computerworld.com/14576/who_writes_linux_big_business
There are probably hundreds of companies contribute to write codes on Linux. Red Hat alone spends $100 million per year to improve Linux, and they are a Fortune 500 company profiting off open-source software.
With an army of developers like that, how will Microsoft alone compete in the future?
seeing too many crappy clones of the same software is a shame.
I think forking should be prohibited , unless the project is dead.
Steve Ballmer said 2 years ago that Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches.
It turns out, Baller will be proven right. Linux is dealing Microsoft a painful and slow death. Microsoft will not be able to compete with open-source software in the future unless they open-source their own software to take advantage of the nature of open-source code writing.
Encarta is already dead.
IE is under siege from Firefox, Chrome, etc.
Linux is kicking Microsoft left and right on server OS, and Linux has now finally gained a foothold in the desktop market.
Windows’ days are numbered. Microsoft is now milking as much cash they can from Windows before it’s killed off.