[Office-commits] r10033 - trunk/campaigns/windows7sins

[sysadmin]

Author: johns
Date: Tue Oct  6 17:32:13 2009
New Revision: 10033

Log:
Edits

Modified:
   trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-piece.mdwn

Modified: trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-piece.mdwn
==============================================================================
--- trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-piece.mdwn  Tue Oct  6 17:05:25 2009        
(r10032)
+++ trunk/campaigns/windows7sins/pr-piece.mdwn  Tue Oct  6 17:32:13 2009        
(r10033)
@@ -1,17 +1,19 @@
 ## Breaking the dependency on proprietary software: A call to nonprofits to 
refuse Microsoft Windows 7
 
 The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to
-promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and
+promoting computer users' rights 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.
 
-Last month, The FSF launched its "Windows 7 Sins" campaign, making the
-case against Microsoft and proprietary software by writing to the
-Fortune 500, asking them to avoid Windows 7, consider the value to
-their customers and shareholders of avoiding proprietary software.
+Last month, The FSF launched its "Windows 7 Sins" campaign
+(http://windows7sins.org), making the case against Microsoft and
+proprietary software by writing to the Fortune 500, asking them to
+avoid Windows 7 and consider the value to their customers and
+shareholders of the freedom that comes from avoiding proprietary
+software.
 
 Today, we are asking the leaders of the most influential
 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide to make
@@ -19,60 +21,51 @@
 awareness of the ethical importance of computer user freedom.
 
 For many years, charities and nonprofit organizations have relied on
-Microsoft and the Windows operating system. Microsoft threatens to
-stop supporting older versions of Windows in the long-term, and
-because the Windows operating system is proprietary software,
-organizations are dependent on Microsoft (and only Microsoft) to
-provide regular security updates and fixes.
-
-By threatening to withdraw their support, we feel Microsoft is abusing
-its monopoly position to strong-arm organizations into adopting new
-versions of their software, even when the new "features" are unwanted
-and even when updating negatively affects the of nonprofits ability to
-operate
-
-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. Microsoft Windows was engineered from the
-ground up as a Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) and Treacherous
-Computing (TC) platform. Microsoft hides these defects under more
-benign-sounding names like "Digital Rights Management" and "Trusted
-Computing" -- the fact is that Windows is designed to limit what
-people can do with documents and digital media files.
-
-The alternative, free software, is designed to give you the ability to
-study and improve the software for your own needs. Free software such
-as the GNU/Linux operating system is readily available, easy-to-use,
-and supported by numerous vendors and a worldwide community. GNU/Linux
-systems come with thousands of installable freely licensed software
-applications, including complete accounting and fundraising solutions
-suitable for charities, as well as communications and typical office
-software.
+Microsoft and the Windows operating system. 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.
+Microsoft Windows was engineered from the ground up as a Digital
+Restrictions Management and Treacherous Computing platform. Microsoft
+hides these defects under more benign-sounding names like "Digital
+Rights Management" and "Trusted Computing" -- but the fact is that
+Windows is designed to limit what people can do with documents and
+digital media files.
+
+Additionally, Microsoft threatens to stop supporting older versions of
+Windows in the long term, and because the Windows operating system is
+proprietary software, organizations are dependent on Microsoft (and
+only Microsoft) to provide regular security updates and fixes. By
+threatening to withdraw its support, Microsoft is abusing its monopoly
+position to strong-arm organizations into adopting new versions of its
+software, even when the new "features" are unwanted and even when
+updating negatively affects the nonprofit's ability to operate.
+
+The alternative, free software, is designed to give users the ability
+to study and improve the software for their own needs. Free software
+such as the GNU/Linux operating system is readily available,
+easy-to-use, and supported by numerous vendors and a worldwide
+community. GNU/Linux systems come with thousands of installable freely
+licensed software applications, including complete accounting and
+fundraising solutions suitable for charities, as well as
+communications and typical office software.
 
 As with Windows Vista, Windows 7 represents Microsoft's continued
-attacks against our security, privacy and freedom, and are no mistake. 
Microsoft has a history of
-manipulating computer manufacturers into installing its products onto
-the computers we all purchase.
-
-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.
-
-Free software, such as GNU/Linux is about freedom, and not price. 
-
-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.
-
-Replacing all your desktop systems with GNU/Linux will give you
-independence from Microsoft, access to thousands of free software
-applications, and help break the social ill of proprietary software.
-Thousands of organizations have already moved to free software. What's
-your organizational plan?
+attacks against our security, privacy and freedom. These attacks are
+no accident; Microsoft has a history of manipulating computer
+manufacturers into installing its products onto the computers we all
+purchase. 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.
+
+Today, we're asking leaders in the nonprofit sector to acknowledge the
+way Microsoft restrict their freedoms, and to switch to the free
+software GNU/Linux operating system for all of their desktop and
+computer infrastructure needs. We hope to alert these decision makers
+to the positive contribution they can make to society by switching
+their organizations to free software. Many organizations have already
+made the switch.
 
 More information about the campaign, including the text of the letter
 and a mailing list that will provide subscribers with information
@@ -80,5 +73,3 @@
 
 *Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at
 <http://donate.fsf.org>. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.*
-
-