I was checking in on xForms advanced c++ GUI for programming, it is now no longer proprietary and follows the Less GPL policy for
free software. The package must be manual built as there are no RPMS or DEB’s just tar.gz and instruction to build.
In the course of checking on the package I found this link as the reason they now make it available to Linux under the GPL.
Check out this link for the full story
Windows 7 Sins — The case against Microsoft and proprietary software
Brief:
Windows 7 Sins
With Windows 7, Microsoft is asserting legal control over your computer and is using this power to abuse computer users.
* Education
* DRM
* Security
* Monopoly
* Standards
* Lock In
* Privacy
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Link to the ‘Privacy’ sin
Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is Microsoft’s system for remotely checking your computer. WGA scans various parts of your hard drive to reassure Microsoft that you are running an “approved” version of Windows. WGA is mandatory monitoring system and if Microsoft decides you are not “approved” they can disable your computer’s functionality. Currently Microsoft confirms that WGA checks:
* Computer make and model
* BIOS
* MAC address
* A unique number assigned to your computer - Globally Unique Identifier or GUID
* Hard drive serial number
* Region and language settings of the operating system
* Operating system version
* PC BIOS information (make, version, date)
* PC manufacturer
* User locale setting
* Validation and installation results.
* Windows or Office product key
* Windows XP product ID
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You could not run free applications on such a system. If you did figure out how, and told someone, that could be a crime.
Stay informed — join our Windows 7 Sins mailing list
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What if there were a worldwide group of talented ethical programmers voluntarily committed to the idea of writing and sharing software with each other and with anyone else who agreed to share alike? What if anyone could be a part of and benefit from this community even without being a computer expert or knowing anything about programming? We wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught copying a useful program for our friends—because we wouldn’t be doing anything wrong.
In fact, such a movement exists, and you can be part of it.
Learn more about the free software movement.
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The fact that Windows 7 is proprietary means that Microsoft asserts legal control over its users through a combination of copyrights, contracts, and patents. Microsoft uses this power to abuse computer users. At windows7sins.org, the Free Software Foundation lists seven examples of abuse committed by Microsoft.
We’ve mailed a letter to 499 of the Fortune 500 companies (we didn’t think Microsoft would listen), but that’s just the start…
We’ve also mailed another letter to 500 non-profit groups around the world.
We’d love to send more letters to the Windows 7 decision makers that people have identified within their own organization or community, and with your help we can.
If you donate $25 dollars, we’ll send 50 more letters, donate $100 we’ll send 200 letters and so on.
Send us your suggestions for organizations who would benefit from our letter.
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Poisoning education: Today, most children whose education involves computers are being taught to use one company’s product: Microsoft’s. Microsoft spends large sums on lobbyists and marketing to corrupt educational departments. An education using the power of computers should be a means to freedom and empowerment, not an avenue for one corporation to instill its monopoly.
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Invading privacy: Microsoft uses software with backward names like Windows Genuine Advantage to inspect the contents of users’ hard drives. The licensing agreement users are required to accept before using Windows warns that Microsoft claims the right to do this without warning.
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Monopoly behavior: Nearly every computer purchased has Windows pre-installed – but not by choice. Microsoft dictates requirements to hardware vendors, who will not offer PCs without Windows installed on them, despite many people asking for them. Even computers available with other operating systems like GNU/Linux pre-installed often had Windows on them first.
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Lock-in: Microsoft regularly attempts to force updates on its users, by removing support for older versions of Windows and Office, and by inflating hardware requirements. For many people, this means having to throw away working computers just because they don’t meet the unnecessary requirements for the new Windows versions.
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Abusing standards: Microsoft has attempted to block free standardization of document formats, because standards like OpenDocument Format would threaten the control they have now over users via proprietary Word formats. They have engaged in underhanded behavior, including bribing officials, in an attempt to stop such efforts.
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Enforcing Digital Restrictions Management (DRM): With Windows Media Player, Microsoft works in collusion with the big media companies to build restrictions on copying and playing media into their operating system. For example, at the request of NBC, Microsoft was able to prevent Windows users from recording television shows that they have the legal right to record.
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Threatening user security: Windows has a long history of security vulnerabilities, enabling the spread of viruses and allowing remote users to take over people’s computers for use in spam-sending botnets. Because the software is secret, all users are dependent on Microsoft to fix these problems – but Microsoft has its own security interests at heart, not those of its users.
You can help!
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People click ‘Ok’ until they realise the limitations that affect their world directly. Then often its too late…