[sclug] Bad Vista: Free Software Foundation launches campaign against Microsoft Vista

[John Barron]

hmmm...
http://badvista.fsf.org/

Negative campaigning, I see, could be a risky and counter-productive game to 
be playing, rather than sticking to the usual "GNU/Linux = good/better/best" 
route, even if there's good reason and truth behind what's being said.

On the other hand, shouting from the rooftops about digital freedom in 
software, and condemning digital restrictions and wrong doing is what the 
Free Software Foundation is *for*, just as they do to other vendors who 
market crippled technology, with amongst others Apple and iPod/iTunes 
naturally a particular target:
http://www.defectivebydesign.org

Personally if I was going to buy closed/proprietary software at all, then the 
most I'd be willing to suffer would be a license check at installation time, 
which would have to be possible without going online or telephoning anyone. 
At least with software like that, if the original license code, media, and 
subsequent service packs are backed up and safe then it's always possible to 
reinstall the bought and paid for software, even if the original computer has 
been upgraded/repaired/replaced, or if the original vendor has gone 
bankrupt/been bought out/simply discontinued the product.

Given that, Activation as introduced in XP and Office was enough by itself to 
stop me ever voluntarily wanting to use anything later than Windows 2000. 
Vista looks much worse, with Genuine "Advantage", now there's Orwellian 
Newspeak for you :-), and worse.

Having thankfully left all that behind, it will feel very strange and quite 
bemusing to see people accepting and using software which essentially comes 
with vendor-preinstalled spyware, rootkit, ransomware, and digital media 
restrictions, all targetted against the hapless computer user - no wonder the 
public are called "consumers" rather than "customers" when you look at what 
is to be digested by them.

--
John