Rare Photos: Gnu Crashing a Windows 8 Launch Event

New submitter Atticus Rex writes "Reporters and security guards at the Windows 8 launch 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 Free Software Foundation 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."

Comments

Crashing, huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

When I read the headline I was expecting something involving forcing their way into the event. This, however, turns out to be the kind of positive thing we want to present the community with. Also, that is a sweet head!

It was funny in 1995

[Joe U]

It was funny in 1995 when the "protesters" were in front of CompUSA on 35th street in Manhattan. It was cute when they were outside PC Expo in 1996. Started to get kinda sad at the Windows 98 launch and went downhill after that.

Now they're just a sideshow attraction.

Re:It was funny in 1995

[fm6]

but the FSF isn't about being practical, they are focused on software freedom.

Please don't use "software freedom" without scare quotes. If you leave them out, you imply that FSF actually matters.

Anyway, I'm glad this is about the Gospel According to Stallman and not about some weird geopolitical agenda. Had me worried.

Re:It was funny in 1995

[TraumaHound]

the FSF's approved list of completely free distributions. It's basically Ubuntu with a free kernel and without the option of installing Flash.

There goes my irony quota for the day.

Re:It was funny in 1995

[VortexCortex]

the FSF's approved list of completely free distributions. It's basically Ubuntu with a free kernel and without the option of installing Flash.

There goes my irony quota for the day.

"without the option" wasn't exactly correct. Of course you can install whatever software from whatever repository you want once it's installed, or even compile the sources-- Oh, Flash, well, no source for proprietary stuff like that, but you can still install it. Windows XP comes "without the option" of installing Flash. Last I checked you get Flash from Adobe's website after installing Windows. Some Linux distros make it easy to stay up to date by putting Adobe's Flash in their repository. However, now that Adobe will no longer release updates for Flash on Linux I can't blame some folks for not including the buggy product in their distros...

I wonder if you'll be able to add 3rd party markets to Windows 8's app store, like on most Android and Linux distributions, or if it'll actually be "without the option" like Apple's app store?

Re:It was funny in 1995

[icebraining]

My paycheck from developing AGPL licensed code must be an illusion, then.

RMS' ideology just eliminates jobs that depending on rewriting the wheel. New code still has to be written, and there's plenty of work and money to those who are willing to write it.

So it wasn't a real, live Gnu...

[BrownLeopard]

...but someone in a Gnu suit? Kind of misleading, yeah? I do have to agree with the other posters though. It does seem like trolling an event. If Microsoft came into a Gnu event it would be bashed as them crashing a party. Same kind of thing here.

Re:So it wasn't a real, live Gnu...

[icebraining]

normal computer users will go "Well that was rude!" and "What is Linux?"

Getting people to ask the latter question is already a goal achieved.

Re:So it wasn't a real, live Gnu...

[artor3]

Not if the answer they come to is "a fringe OS pushed by weirdos dressed as wildebeests".

Re:Sounds like a plan

[jhoegl]

Although their points are kind of redundant to techies, they do make some good ones.
Unlike the MS points about Linux and how it is the Hackers utility and is insecure due to code being open to the public...

Windows 8 downgrades security?

[Wrath0fb0b]

Citation needed.

Now, it's quite possible that Windows 7 is not secure enough for your needs and 8 doesn't improve upon that significantly, but I'm skeptical that 8 is a step backwards in security.

only Windows 8?

[mschaffer]

Really? Only Windows 8? OSX/iOS steals users' freedom, security and privacy quite a bit.

Re:Worthless

[larry bagina]

Look, she can't help it if she's not pretty. Or if she's too poor to afford nice clothes.

FREE software is like people -- what's on the inside matters more than the external appearance.

Re:Real live gnu? Seriously?

[PPH]

I don't know about that. A new UI on top of Windows 7 seems to have fooled them.

Why this distro?

[mwvdlee]

They're fighting the Windows 8 downgrade by offering a fringe GNU-downgraded Linux distro.
I'm sure all those journalists will be convinced after they have learned to manually install the required hardware drivers.

Marketing isn't about promoting the things you personally like, it's about promoting the things your potential users like.
Windows and Apple users don't care about privacy, freedom, security or ownership. Either convince them of the importance of those issues before pushing Linux or promote the Linux features they do care about (i.e. "Linux is free and has the best tools for downloading the latest movies").

Re:Why this distro?

[sunderland56]

And, why do they hate Linus so much? From the Tresquel web page:

"Linus Torvalds did not write a whole operating system, he only wrote the last missing piece, a kernel"

Yeah, sure, completely gloss over the fact that the kernel is by far the most important piece.

Re:Worthless

[Anonymous Coward]

Except they are not selling to morons who think with their dicks, moron.

Re:Worthless

[VortexCortex]

You fail to control for those who are easily offended by over sexualized displays.