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7 sins of 7?

twocows

The not-so-black cat of ill omen
  • 4,307
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    I'm a huge fan of the FSF (read: I donate to the FSF). So when I see that the FSF has a new campaign against Windows 7, I naturally decide to go check it out.

    Turns out that it's a bunch of sensationalist nonsense, some of which is blatantly untrue. Their "Windows 7 Sins" site is loaded with the sort of crazed, gimmicky stuff I'd expect from a Microsoft ad about Apple. I'm rather disappointed with the FSF here; I've always been a supporter of more freedom in software, and it saddens me to see this sort of thing being done by an organization I respect.

    Though I will admit, the Microsoft Monopoly image is pretty funny.
     
    Wouldn't be surprised if Apple is involved with that, as they are the ones most in danger of the possible next Windows XP ending there rapid growth on all fronts. Vista was there best friends...Windows 7 might be there worst enemy in a decade.
     
    Surprisingly, Apple isn't involved. The Free Software Foundation is RMS' baby. I've always thought he was a bit radical, but I donate to the FSF nonetheless because they do some good work. This, though, I'm a bit disappointed with.
     
    Going from left to right on the website (their little scrolling thing).

    Education: Apple computers are used for education purposes too. We have one at the school. :( The reason most schools use Windows, is that they have lots of applications, and that most people know what windows is. (I'm not saying anything against Linux/Apple)

    DRM: Well, Microsoft doesn't want you tampering with their product. That, is perfectly understandable. And not that many people try to do things that Windows doesn't like. (I know there are probably thousands, but compare that number to over 6 billion. You see what I mean.)

    Security: If the average computer is unsecure, then that's why you make the OS more secure. Hence why Microsoft, is doing just that.

    Monopoly: I can see where they're coming from on this, but Microsoft made 7 (WHICH IS WHAT THE WEBSITE IS ABOUT, NOT VISTA!!! "OMG LEIK NO WAI!!") able to run well with less-than-Vista-level hardware.

    Standards: THAT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE TO ME. Ok, standards are important, but...seriously. I don't even know if this is even about Microsoft..

    Lock-in: Explain. Please. Proof. Please.

    Privacy: How does the OS not wanting you to tamper with it related to privacy? I mean, sure, it sends data to microsoft, but you don't have to install Genuine Advantage...
     
    Even when I'm a supporter of Free Software, and I develop myself, and I also support Free Culture and Net Neutrality, I think the new FSF campaign is almost borderline ridiculous. There are only three points that are "allright", all the others are essentially RMS's version of FUD.

    Education: one of the good points, but twhat RMS has to understand is that this is not M$'s fault! They provide their products for education in the same way everyone else does, only, have to say, with some backhand paycheck maneuvers like what happened in Nigeria and Guatemala. But it's not their problem if the average person in this planet is so stupid that because they have been working with "Office", they are completely incapable of using another application, and when presented with a choice they cower in fear and start complaining about everything. They're humans. I concur, however, that if M$ is going to try and blatantly drive people to their products at such young age as 8, governments should take adequate measure. People should be taught "Ofimatic Systems", not "Microsoft Office", in the same way they should be taught "Graphic Design", not "Photoshop". Most people "know what Windows is" because they are taught from childhood henceforth generating social dependance upon the company's products.

    DRM: There is a (really big) ethical difference between wanting to "tamper" with a product and wanting to "make use" of a product. See: the Kindle erasure controversy, Google Books controversy. Although I do think the focus is pretty misguided here: When compared to other companies, Microsoft's DRM is soft, easily crackeable and not exactly counterproductive, so the ones to be called out on this should be companies like Sony, Amazon and Apple. The issue is, you buy a computer device (be it a PC or a Kindle) to make use of data (a spreadsheet or book), so once you have acquired the data, you shouldn't be prevented from using the device to do what it is intended to do by principle. Even more when you have acquired the content legally, yet you are forcefully restricted.
    See also: "Steal This Comic" (or "how to acquire a listenable music collection").

    Security: This one should be more a talk about corporate interest that it is about security. Granted other OSes are more secure by design, but they're still vulnerable to the same procedure of attack. The issue is far from under M$'s control (or fault). I agree with previous posters here. It would be interesting to see an actual attack battery against the three new version of the OSes (Win7, Linux 2.6.30, OSX "Snow Leopard").

    Monopoly: Again, this is simply talking about corporate interest. Nothing new here. IMHO this point was completely wasted. 非常に高いレベル, the HW requirements are only the easiest vendor lock-in to apply, but there are other hidden strategies (that, again, were misguidedly pondered here). See also: Chilean Citizen Records Granted to Microsoft controversy.

    Standards: Another very correct point, but, just like DRM, essentially misguided. It is true that M$ has an history of bribing their way to victory, but that can be expected of any big company, even Google, and when compared to other "standard pushes", MSOXML hasn't been much of a problem. The real problem lies in closed standards that have been pushed in the same way as Flash was, that is: limiting the means to generate content.

    Lock-in: (quote by 非常に高いレベル)Explain. Please. Proof. Please.(End quote) Let's talk about M$'s so called "***X" formats (docx, pptx, etcx) which force update or piracy on the users who are made to unwillingly receive such new documents. Not only they were pushed to be incompatible with other, XML-valid document formats (see Standards) but were also made incompatible with its natural predecessor by design. Extend: Let's offer a new format for document storage, comparing its abilities to a preexistent similar model to show ours as "compatible", so that everyone will want. Embrace: let's push this standard as a defacto utility for content generation, but hide key points in usability and data access to our own delight. Extinguish: make use of design backdoors to deny usability to anyone else who tries to implement the standard and preemptively enforce our control over the standard. See also: .NET Framework dependance, Mono patents controversy, Internet Explorer and "quirks mode" engine, ActiveX. You seriously need to learn look for sources.

    Privacy: The other Good Point. Don't cmistake "want to tamper" with "want to report". You say users "don't have to" install WGA, failing to reconsider what has been stated in the "Lock In" section. Users won't know. A system that will take commands from a central agency about how to obey the user eminently threatens user privacy and security because it implies that both the central agency and the content distributor have to be implicitly trusted with whatever process by which they want to extract the information. Under M$'s model, there is no guarantee that the encrypted e-mail you have stored in "your" machine has not been pre-processed by Microsoft or any of their partner agencies. See also: the history of DES and the FBI, Google Mail Security, the old (pre-2005) MSN/Hotmail EULA.

    All in all, the idea is good, but requires far more work. And some anti-fanatic checks.
     
    Let's talk about M$'s so called "***X" formats (docx, pptx, etcx) which force update or piracy on the users who are made to unwillingly receive such new documents. Not only they were pushed to be incompatible with other, XML-valid document formats (see Standards) but were also made incompatible with its natural predecessor by design.

    Excuse me if I'm wrong, but I do believe the programs aren't an integral part of the operating system - which this article appears to be about.

    You're free to use OpenOffice or whatever on a Windows machine, even if the ***X thing makes a point about Microsoft as a whole, it doesn't make a point about the operating system. And besides, it's still possible to save stuff as a .doc in word '07

    And my school has exclusively Macs =3 Even my old school had about half and half Macs and Windows. Thusly the education point equals fail.
     
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