Sat, 09 Oct 2010
My response to the FSF's "Windows Phone 7" email
The Free Software Foundation sent out an email recently about Windows Phone 7. I had some feedback for them, and so I share them with you, dear readers.
You should probably read the original mail first so that you can read my message with full context.
From: Asheesh Laroia
To: info at fsf.org
Subject: Re: [FSF] Windows Phone 7: The Best Choice For Patent Trolls
On Fri, 8 Oct 2010, peterb@fsf.org wrote:
Windows Phone 7: The Best Choice For Patent Trolls
BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Friday, October 8th, 2010 -- The Free
Software Foundation (FSF) today issued a warning to consumers over
Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 Phone Series. The software release is
backed by a reported 400 to 500 million dollar marketing campaign that
aims to distract consumers from its history of abusive behavior, and
recent actions as a patent troll: attacking free software based phones
like Android.
Hi Peter + FSF,
I'm a member, and I just want to say that this email sounds like bizarre
scare rhetoric. Doubly so when there are no details in the email. (Also,
it uses British English even though FSF is an American organization, which
is confusing to my American ear.)
"The Best Choice for Patent Trolls" is practically Slashdot-level
flamebait.
I understand you are angry, but please remember that your members aren't
always as informed as you. So you have to keep us interested, then inform
us, so we can be on the same page.
Phrasing like this just make me uninterested:
"Windows 7 Phone Series is another cookie-cutter example of Microsoft's
bumbling maliciousness to everything it does.", said Matt Lee, FSF
campaigns manager
Microsoft is "bubling" and "malicious" with "everything it does"? Overgeneralizations
don't help convince; they just amplify existing divides. Anyone reading the email who
isn't already a true believer has just stopped reading.
If the point of this email was to be an angry rant, then fine. If the
point was to inform people, explain the FSF's position, and garner support
for the FSF's priorities, then I don't think it worked.
You can ask other FSF members what they think, if you want to get a sense.
"Microsoft's damaging approach to software freedom, coupled with their
utter contempt for customers and developers alike, has produced
yet-another-platform of systematic control. This is a platform designed
only to appease its shareholders and help the folks at the MPAAs and
RIAAs of the world feel better about the chaos they seek to foster
surrounding digital restrictions and other technical folly imposed on
computer users."
"Yet-another-platform of systematic control" -- I'm confused. What other
platforms of systematic control has Microsoft produced? MS-DOS was a
rather open platform (for its time, and for the PC context), and later
Windows mobile phones had the ability for users to install whatever
software they wanted. Users regularly flash custom firmware onto these
phones. It's proprietary as all get-out, so it's far from perfect; but
it's not "systematic control".
So I literally do not know what "other" "platform of systematic control"
Microsoft has made. Honestly.
Oh -- now that I'm thinking about it, the Xbox is a good example. I was
involved in the Xbox-Linux project, and I remember all that very well.
But the anger in your words actually prevented me from remembering it. No
joke! I've been meaning to write this email to you since last night, and I
couldn't think of an example of an MS "systematic control" platform until
right now.
Free software is hugely important to our society. I hope that the FSF
can take this feedback in stride and keep working to inform us about
threats to software freedom.
I also decided to publish this at
http://asheesh.org/note/free-culture/fsf-on-windows-mobile.html
because I want to see if other people feel the same way I do.
With sincere hopes that you will improve,
-- Asheesh.
--
A vivid and creative mind characterizes you.
