[Sosfbay-discuss] Vi$ta = More Micro$oft's Bull$hit; a human rights issue; BadVista; Forced software upgrades can add up for Vista users

[Larry Cafiero]

Palm Haven Handyman wrote:
> Does everyone out there know that they can stop using Microsoft 
> products, and get FREE, world-class software? 
This is probably Cameron's cue, but I'll jump in anyway.

First, I want to thank Cameron Spitzer for enlightening me to the Free 
Software/Open Source Software movement during my campaign for Insurance 
Commissioner last year. My campaign published all its materials and 
built the Web site using Free/Open Software, and there's no reason why 
the state party can't do the same.

It can be done, and without a lot of pain and heartache. The learning 
curve may vary from person to person, but I don't think any of the 
software available is unmanageable. Hate Word? Use OpenOffice. Don't 
like Photoshop? Use GIMP. Want to make up a Web page? Use SeaMonkey. 
Want to publish something in print and don't want to use 
Pagemaker/Quark? Use Scribus.
> I have been using Ubuntu for some time and I love it.
Glad to hear it. Without getting into a "mine-is-better-than-yours" 
argument (and sounding like the state CC), GNU/Linux users all have 
their favorite distributions, or "distros," and there's about 300 of 
them out there. I have mine, it's not Ubuntu (although it's certainly a 
good one), and .

After attending a speech by Richard Stallman (FSF founder) in Berkeley 
two Fridays ago, he mentioned three GNU/Linux distros that are 
completely free (as in, free of having any proprietary software 
included) -- one was gNewSense, the second was BLAG and . . . I can't 
remember the third (do you remember, Cameron?).

If anyone needs clarification on why this isn't "just" a computer geek 
issue, you should visit one (or both) of the sites Roy included below.

Larry Cafiero
>
> Some links:
> the Free Software Foundation
> http://www.fsf.org/
>
> The GNU project
> http://www.gnu.org/
>