Activists trick-or-treat for free software at Windows 8 launch event

[sffvba[e0rt]

New York, New York, USA -- Thursday, October 25th, 2012 -- Today visitors to the primary Windows 8 launch event were greeted by an unexpected and uninvited visitor -- a gnu. Activists, one dressed as the free software movement's buffalo-like mascot, converged on Microsoft's event to distribute pamphlets about the hidden dangers of Microsoft's latest proprietary creation. The Halloween-themed action included plastic pumpkin buckets full of DVDs loaded with Trisquel, a free software distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system.


Source (http://www.fsf.org/news/activists-trick-or-treat-for-free-software-at-windows-8-launch-event-1)

Made me smile.


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[Lightstar]

That is awesome!

[zombifier25]

No one is going to take those activists seriously, and I seriously doubt people are going to use those DVDs for anything other than pizza cutters or Frisbees.

It's a Windows 8 launching event. People come for Windows 8, not this "GNU/Linux" thing.

[Mikeb85]

While I'm all for free software (as in speech, not beer), this just makes open source look like a joke.

[Erik1984]

No one is going to take those activists seriously, and I seriously doubt people are going to use those DVDs for anything other than pizza cutters or Frisbees.


Plus that for new users coming straight from Windows w/o previous GNU/Linux experience (and unaware of the ethical dimension of software) Trisquel is probably the worst distro to give. Of course it's the best Ubuntu based distro in FSF' sense of free but almost nothing Windows users are used to will work OOTB.

[Paddy Landau]

While I'm all for free software (as in speech, not beer), this just makes open source look like a joke.
I agree. Spreading FUD makes the Linux activists look childish, silly and aggravating.

Instead of telling people how bad Windows 8 is, rather give the CD's as a "complementary" (not "alternative") operating system. A great way in would be to give CD's with, say, Lubuntu, "for your older computers that cannot run Windows any more", along with a link to Ubuntu's forums.

[3rdalbum]

I like to hope that the people lining up for Windows 8 were totally unaware that Win 8 is a train wreck, and will soon ditch it in favour of this CD they were given.

However, word gets around and I think enough people know to avoid Windows 8.

[Paddy Landau]

I like to hope that the people lining up for Windows 8 were totally unaware that Win 8 is a train wreck, and will soon ditch it in favour of this CD they were given.
That won't happen. From what I've heard, the word on the street (from the typical user, that is) is that Windows 8 is quite nice on tablets, a little frustrating on the desktop but not too much, and with the addition of the Pokki start menu (https://www.pokki.com/), people will be happy with it.

Besides, no one gets fired for installing Windows in the business place, no matter how costly its installation and subsequent maintenance.

[Paqman]

"Activists"?!? It's not a cause, it's just software. These people need to get some perspective if they call themselves that.

[sffvba[e0rt]

"Activists"?!? It's not a cause, it's just software. These people need to get some perspective if they call themselves that.

Clearly you don't know the FSF (http://www.fsf.org/) and Richard Stallman's (http://stallman.org/) views on software then...


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[DuckHook]

A great way in would be to give CD's with, say, Lubuntu, "for your older computers that cannot run Windows any more", along with a link to Ubuntu's forums.

Great comment. But fanaticism won't be going away. Much too easy to react rather than reflect in our society.

[Mikeb85]

Windows 8 is a great system. It really is. It's fast, responsive, and the metro interface reminds me of Flipboard (which I love).

There may be an adjustment period for some people, but they'll adjust quicker to a new interface than they will to not being able to use all their programs in say, Ubuntu or OSX.

I plan on buying a copy of Windows 8 to at least use in a VM. It's cheap to upgrade, and I've got a Vista license that I won't use otherwise...

[Gone fishing]

Wasn't there, depends on how it was done - a holier-than-thou is likely to do far more harm than good. However, if this was good natured perhaps it was a good thing.

There are lots of issues right now - walled gardens, restricted boot, the abuse of patents, sopra etc etc some of these are a direct threat to opensource and liberty in personal computing and need to get beyond the geek community and properly into the public domain

[3rdalbum]

Windows 8 is a great system. It really is. It's fast, responsive...

I'll grant that. It's incredibly fast to boot, and a cheap upgrade compared to earlier versions of Windows. It's even quick to switch between Metro and classic desktop.

Hey, I'm not averse to new things. I like Unity. I even don't see what all the Vista-hate was about. But there's just so much wrong with Windows 8 I don't even know where to start. And this is on top of all the things that bug me about Windows 7 that aren't present in Ubuntu.

I think Windows 8 killed my internal wireless. Before Windows 8, the wireless worked on Ubuntu. I installed Win 8 and it never was able to use the wireless, and suddenly I can't pick up any wireless on Ubuntu either. Most of the time when I try to plug in any USB peripherals into my computer, Windows will claim that "the device malfunctioned", so I guess this could be a cause of my wifi's destruction.

[vibaviattigala]

actually i kind of like the work of them its just like a promotion isn't it ?.anyway sorry if i am wrong i am just new to the linux world that's my op

[Paqman]

Clearly you don't know the FSF (http://www.fsf.org/) and Richard Stallman's (http://stallman.org/) views on software then...


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Oh, I'm familiar with them. I just think they need to get out more.

[Bart_D]

I like to hope that the people lining up for Windows 8 were totally unaware that Win 8 is a train wreck, and will soon ditch it in favour of this CD they were given.

However, word gets around and I think enough people know to avoid Windows 8.

Windows 8 looks like a toy interface that will suck in home users, students and satisfy the mobile computing needs of home users and students.

The people who will avoid it are businesses. Productivity = no fun. Windows 8 is only for fun. So the enough people you are referring to will ONLY be business users, the majority of which would probably NOT have attended the event referred to in the first post of this thread.

Windows 7 will be the new Windows XP.

[szymon_g]

Windows 8 is only for fun.

BS.
i bet that win8 has got a bigger market share on desktops (even not only the new one, with which it came preinstalled, but also installed by users) than linux.

[Bart_D]

i bet that win8 has got a bigger market share on desktops (even not only the new one, with which it came preinstalled, but also installed by users) than linux.

That's obviously true. Even Win 2000 probably has a bigger market share than Linux. But will Windows 8 come close to Windows 7? No.

In time, it will be perfectly clear that 7 is blowing 8 out of the water.

[HansKisaragi]

I like to hope that the people lining up for Windows 8 were totally unaware that Win 8 is a train wreck, and will soon ditch it in favour of this CD they were given.

However, word gets around and I think enough people know to avoid Windows 8.

Please explain how Win8 is a train wreck.

[ugm6hr]

Amusing.
Even letting people know there is an alternative (to Windows), however it is done, is a worthwhile endeavour.
If I was confronted with such an animal 10 years ago, it would at least have prompted me to go on Google (or maybe Yahoo back then) to find out what the fuss was about.
So - good on them.

[KiwiNZ]

If they want to show Linux and Open source is viable alternative do it in a professional manner not this embarrassingly childish manner.

[ugm6hr]

If they want to show Linux and Open source is viable alternative do it in a professional manner not this embarrassingly childish manner.

Agree - but it does depend on their target audience.
I'm not sure if the launch is an IT specialist event, or a general public one.

I personally think a significant minority (perhaps even a majority, given most businesses appear to be sticking to W7) of W8 users will in fact be children. Hence, childish is not necessarily embarrassing.

In any case, there was a professional presence too:

Standing with the gnu, Libby Reinish, FSF campaigns manager, explained why it was necessary to make Windows 8's restrictions on freedom a big part of the conversation around the operating system...

[jockyburns]

My missus has a computer system that's about 20 times better than Windows 8. It's called Windows 7. :):):):):)