Preceding the upcoming release of Microsoft Windows 7, FSF is spearheading a campaign highlighting the 7 sins being committed by Microsoft in monopolizing the OS market. The campaign outlines seven major areas where proprietary software in general and Microsoft Windows in particular hurt all computer users:
- Invading privacy
- Poisoning education,
- Locking users in,
- Abusing standards
- Leveraging monopolistic behaviour
- Enforcing Digital Restrictions Management (DRM), and
- Threatening user security.
FSF has rolled out a new website called
Windows7sins.org which explains the preceding 7 sins in more detail. The aim of this campaign is to alert decision makers in various government institutions, NGOs, schools and colleges about the hazards of opting a proprietary solution and in turn encourage them to embrace an equivalent Free solution instead.
Even though the website is named Windows 7 sins, this campaign also hopes to make businesses and computer users aware of the growing dangers of proprietary software from both Microsoft and other companies such as Apple and Adobe.
Read the
FSF press release.
Two years back, FSF had started a
similar campaign named Bad Vista to caution people from embracing Microsoft Vista. Of course, Vista has since been known as an OS in transition, but one which was marketed by Microsoft as the best thing that could happen to computer users since sliced bread.
