[Bradford] [Fwd: [FSF] Your chance to get involved on the new campaign against Windows 7]

[David Carpenter]

Anyone feeling creative?

This may not be something everyone agrees with, but I offer it as an
opportunity for those that might!

Cheers
David

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Matt Lee <campaigns at fsf.org>
To: info-member at gnu.org
Subject: [FSF] Your chance to get involved on the new campaign against
Windows 7
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:24:38 -0400

# Windows 7 Sins!

Many of you have written to us asking what we are going to do about
the impending nightmare that will be Windows 7.

We wanted to let you know that we are starting work on our campaign
against Windows 7 adoption -- but we need your help to develop the
narrative to the campaign.

Windows 7 represents something we're calling "Windows' 7 sins", which
plays on the Seven Deadly Sins.

       1. Lust
       2. Gluttony
       3. Greed
       4. Sloth
       5. Wrath
       6. Envy
       7. Pride

We are looking for something different from our BadVista campaign. We
are unlikely to be blessed with as many mistakes as Microsoft
committed with Vista. Already, the narrative in the media for Windows
7 is, "It's better than Vista" -- so we need to focus on the bigger
picture of why society should avoid Microsoft and switch to free
software.

  The campaign needs to explain, with clear historical examples, the
  harm Microsoft has inflicted through the use of its proprietary
  operating system, in seven distinct ways. Almost all of Microsoft's
  past bad behavior links back to the fact that they use proprietary
  software to keep people subjugated. We want to remind everyone why
  avoiding Microsoft is in their self-interest, but also to explain
  why they should switch to freedom. Each narrative should also make
  clear the benefit that can be directly attributed to using free
  software, and why continuing to use Windows XP or moving to Mac OS X
  isn't sufficient.

You can help by sending us a written submission that describes one
harm that Microsoft has inflicted. Think of each submission as being a
page on the windows7sins.org website. Each submission we end up using
will win its author a plush GNU as thanks!

Here are some examples you might like to write about:

1. Microsoft corrupted the computer standards organization ISO to push
   through encumbered standards like Office OpenXML.

2. Microsoft is using software patents to try and tax the use of
   GNU/Linux, first by corrupting Novell and more recently by suing
   TomTom over its implementation of the FAT file system.

3. Microsoft attacked the OLPC and lobbied and bribed governments to
   ask for Windows machines, to the detriment of the freedom of
   children.

And many more...

## Get involved!

Send your submission to <campaigns at fsf.org> by April 30. Subsequently,
we will post each winning submission to the LibrePlanet.org wiki and
ask the wider community to work on improving each one.

If you'd like to discuss the campaign and other ideas about how to
oppose Windows 7, you can use the fsf.org associate member forum, or
join the new FSF associate members discussion mailing list we've created.

  * <http://www.fsf.org/associate/forum/>
  * <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/fsf-members>

If you're on IRC, you can drop by the FSF members channel,
#fsf-members on irc.gnu.org (Freenode).





-- 
David Carpenter
substance.
3rd Floor
Fourways House
57 Hilton Street
Manchester
M1 2EJ

Tel: +44 (0) 161 244 5418
Web: www.substance.coop