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FSF Launches "BadVista" Campaign

FrankNFurter writes to note the launch yesterday of the FSF's BadVista campaign against Microsoft's new operating system. BadVista's aim is to inform users about the alleged harms inflicted by Vista on the user and about free software alternatives. Quoting program administrator John Sullivan: "Vista is an upsell masquerading as an upgrade. It is an overall regression when you look at the most important aspect of owning and using a computer: your control over what it does. Obviously MS Windows is already proprietary and very restrictive, and well worth rejecting. But the new 'features' in Vista are a Trojan Horse to smuggle in even more restrictions. We'll be focusing attention on detailing how they work, how to resist them, and why people should care."

5 of 607 comments (clear)

  1. Would've been nice if... by thre5her · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...they included some of these shortcomings. I was expecting a good read, which RMS is usually keen to offer.

  2. FUD??!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wouldn't this campaign fall under the definition of Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt??!! After all, the FSF already hates Microsoft with a passion, and this is just another axe to grind here. I doubt they actually have even seen Vista or used it to know what exactly it is.

    Slashdot and its minions seems to hate Microsoft FUD, but shouldn't you people have a problem with FUD on the other side? This site has gone full throttle on the anti-Vista campaign already and it isn't even on store shelves yet. Sheesh.

  3. Bad Vista, starring Billy Bob Thornton? by hattig · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hate negative marketing.

    All the effort should be spent on advocating your advantages in a positive manner - and then you can compare yourself to the competition, you have a solution to the problem, you're not merely pointing out the bad stuff.

    Negative marketing has been shown time and time again to annoy the people that catch the brunt of it - political campaigns through to Apple adverts. Maybe it will stop a few people upgrading, but it won't make them think of switching another solution unless you present that alternative solution in a wondrous halo of wonder fixing all of their issues.

    How about a GoodLinux or something campaign as well?

    (I didn't read the article)

  4. Re:Speculations and guesswork by Fred_A · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And not a word on all the DRM goodness. :-/
    Most of the shortcomings picked are fairly irrelevant. The few that could be are not very well addressed. Very lacking paper and poor reporting IMO.

    --

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    Made from the freshest electrons.
  5. Re:Speculations and guesswork by jweller · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Hardly relevant, any hard drive sold within the last few years will allow > 100GB.

    ample resources are no excuse to waste them.