Rare photos: gnu crashes Windows 8 launch [LWN.net]

From:		"Zak Rogoff" <info-AT-fsf.org>
To:		<lwn-AT-lwn.net>
Subject:		Rare photos: gnu crashes Windows 8 launch
Date:		Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:48:29 -0400
Message-ID:		<E1TRvVl-0008BQ-OW@eggs.gnu.org>
Archive-link:		Article, Thread

Happy (almost) Halloween, everybody,

You've probably been noticing Microsoft's ads for their new operating
system -- after all, they've spent more money on them than any other
software launch campaign in history. In fact, everything about the
campaign has been meticulously planned and optimized, so you can
imagine journalists' surprise when an unexpected guest showed up at an
invite-only launch event on Thursday.

Our volunteer, Tristan Chambers, was there and caught the whole thing
on camera! Pictures here:
<http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/gnus-trick-or-treat-at...>.

Reporters and security guards at the event weren't sure how to react
when they were greeted by a real, live gnu. The gnu -- which, on
closer inspection, was an activist in a gnu suit -- had come for some
early trick-or-treating. But instead of candy, she had free software
for the eager journalists. The gnu and the FSF campaigns team handed
out dozens of copies of Trisquel, a fully free GNU/Linux distribution,
along with press releases and stickers. Once they got over their
confusion, the reporters were happy to see us and hear our message --
that Windows 8 is a downgrade, not an upgrade, because it steals
users' freedom, security and privacy.

Free software operating systems are the real upgrade, and they don't
need a zillion-dollar launch event to prove it. To show Microsoft that
their ads won't change our minds, we're starting an upgrade pledge:
switch to a free OS, or if you're already using one, help a friend
switch. We can pay Microsoft a chunk of change for their new,
proprietary OS, or we can stand up for our freedom. The choice isn't
as hard as Microsoft wants you to think.

Sign the pledge now! -- <http://www.fsf.org/windows8/pledge>.

Thanks for making a commitment to free software.

PS - If you'd like more details about the action, you can check out
our press release here:
<http://www.fsf.org/news/activists-trick-or-treat-for-free...>.

-Zak Rogoff  
Campaigns Manager  
--
Follow us on identi.ca at http://identi.ca/fsf | Subscribe to our blogs via RSS at
http://fsf.org/blogs/RSS
Join us as an associate member at http://www.fsf.org/jf


Sent from the Free Software Foundation,

51 Franklin Street
Fifth Floor
Boston, MA 02110-1335
United States

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Rare photos: gnu crashes Windows 8 launch

Posted Nov 1, 2012 15:52 UTC (Thu) by dps (subscriber, #5725) [Link]

Given what I have seen of the interface windows 8 is a major downgrade because it looks the same of desktops as phones and tablets. I might actually want everything all or most of my screen on a small device, I definitely do *not* want the new interface hat on my 1920x1200 desktop.

I thought windows, which implements all my pet hates, was as bad as it would get. I now know the developers were cooking up something even worse. Fortunately spending $$$$$$ is insufficient: active X controls bombed because their were not legitimate uses for them.

As far phoning home goes any windows 8 device I buy is likely to discover my firewall has decided it can't.