[GNU/FSF Press] Free Software Foundation launches public awareness campaign against Microsoft and proprietary software

[peterb]

    Windows 7 Sins: Free Software Foundation launches public awareness
    campaign against Microsoft and proprietary software

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 -- The Free
Software Foundation (FSF) today launched its "Windows 7 Sins" campaign
at http://windows7sins.org, making the case against Microsoft and
proprietary software. Preceding the upcoming release of Microsoft
Windows 7, the campaign's first public action will also be today -- a
freedom rally at 12:00pm on the historic Boston Common.

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 behavior, enforcing Digital
Restrictions Management (DRM), and threatening user security.

These points are outlined in the text of a letter the campaign mailed to
the leaders of the Fortune 500 companies, now published on its Web site.
The letter warns "Windows 7 decision makers" about the "lack of privacy,
freedom, and security" they will suffer should they adopt Windows 7, and
makes the case that they should instead adopt free software such as the
GNU/Linux operating system and the office productivity suite
OpenOffice.org.

FSF executive director Peter Brown said, "Free software is about
freedom, not price. Our growing dependence on computers and software
requires our society to reevaluate its obsession with proprietary
software that spies on citizens' activities and limits their freedom to
be in control of their computing. There is free software available right
now for any activity you or your business needs, and it is better in the
most important aspect -- it respects your freedom."

The FSF is asking concerned citizens to help get this message out by
nominating other organizational leaders who are also "Windows 7 decision
makers" to receive a version of the letter. Brown continued, "Many
people are frustrated by the organizations they interact with and their
support for a software industry that works against the freedom of
citizens. Our national and local governments, NGOs, and our universities
and schools that use proprietary software are undertaking bad public
policy, often through ignorance or misplaced values. We hope to alert
these decision makers to the positive contribution they can make to
society by switching their organizations to free software."

FSF campaigns manager Matt Lee added, "With |windows7sins.org|, we hope
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. With the release of Microsoft's updated operating
system, business leaders have the opportunity to escape to freedom and
join a growing list of leaders who understand that sinking money and
time into proprietary software is a dead-end inconsistent with their
best interests."

More information about the campaign, including the text of the Fortune
500 letter and a mailing list that will provide subscribers with
information updates and action alerts, is online at
http://windows7sins.org.


      About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute
computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as
in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its
GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free software. The FSF
also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of
freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org
and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux.
Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at
http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.


      About Free Software and Open Source

The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some,
especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open
source," which cites only practical goals such as making software
powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids
discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are different at
the deepest level. For more explanation, see
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html.


      Media Contacts

Matt Lee
Campaigns Manager
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942 x24
address@hidden <mailto:address@hidden>

Peter Brown
Executive Director
Free Software Foundation
+1 (617) 542 5942
address@hidden <mailto:address@hidden>