[Office-commits] r10010 - trunk/campaigns/windows7sins

[sysadmin]

Author: www-data
Date: Tue Oct  6 12:22:26 2009
New Revision: 10010

Log:
web commit by mattl

Modified:
   trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-ngo-email.mdwn

Modified: trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-ngo-email.mdwn
==============================================================================
--- trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-ngo-email.mdwn      Tue Oct  6 12:21:54 
2009        (r10009)
+++ trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-ngo-email.mdwn      Tue Oct  6 12:22:26 
2009        (r10010)
@@ -28,3 +28,92 @@
 
 --
 
+## 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 largest charities and nongovernmental organizations
+(NGOs), 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
+
+###