[GNU/FSF Press] Breaking the dependency on proprietary software: A call to nonprofits to refuse Microsoft Windows 7

[Matt Lee]

## Breaking the dependency on proprietary software: A call to nonprofits 
to refuse Microsoft Windows 7

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 -- The Free
Software Foundation (FSF) today launched the next stage of its
"Windows 7 Sins" campaign at <http://windows7sins.org>, making the
case against Microsoft and proprietary software by writing to 500
leaders of the most influential nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) worldwide, asking them to make the switch to freedom-respecting 
free software, and to help foster awareness of the ethical importance of
computer user freedom.

The letter warns these "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 by outlining seven major areas where proprietary software
like Windows is hurting society: invading privacy, poisoning
education, locking users in, abusing standards, leveraging
monopolistic behavior, enforcing Digital Restrictions Management
(DRM), and threatening user security.

FSF executive director Peter Brown said, "The dependency of
organizations working for social change and improvement on software
owned and exclusively controlled by Microsoft is leading society into
an era of digital restrictions, threatening and limiting our freedoms.
Free software on the other hand, is about freedom, not price, and it
is designed to give you the ability to study and improve the software
for your own needs. Today, we're asking leaders in the nonprofit
sector to switch to the free software GNU/Linux operating system for
all their desktop and computer infrastructure needs."

The GNU/Linux operating system is readily available, easy-to-use, and
supported by numerous vendors and a worldwide community. GNU/Linux
distributions come with thousands of freely licensed software
applications, including complete accounting and fundraising solutions
suitable for charities.

FSF campaigns manager Matt Lee added, "Charities, NGOs, and other
nonprofit organizations that choose proprietary software are
undertaking bad public policy, often through misinformation or a
failure to see their technology choices as connected to their social
missions. We hope to alert these decision makers to the positive
contribution they can make to society by switching their organizations
to free software. I hope these groups will make a public policy
commitment to freedom and join a growing list of organizations who
understand that sinking money and time into proprietary software is
inconsistent with the core values of freedom and progress."

More information about the campaign, including the text of the letter
and a mailing list that will provide subscribers with information
updates and action alerts, is online at <http://en.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
Cell: +1 (617) 500.3284
address@hidden

Peter Brown
Executive Director
Free Software Foundation
Cell: +1 (617) 319.5832
address@hidden

###