Rare Photos: Gnu Crashing a Windows 8 Launch Event 313
New submitter Atticus Rex writes "Reporters and security guards at the Windows 8 launch event weren't sure how to react when they were greeted by a real, live gnu. The gnu — which, on closer inspection, was an activist in a gnu suit — had come for some early trick-or-treating. But instead of candy, she had free software for the eager journalists. The gnu and the Free Software Foundation campaigns team handed out dozens of copies of Trisquel, a fully free GNU/Linux distribution, along with press releases and stickers. Once they got over their confusion, the reporters were happy to see us and hear our message — that Windows 8 is a downgrade, not an upgrade, because it steals users' freedom, security and privacy."
Sounds like a plan (Score:5, Informative)
Way to spread the word!
Re:Sounds like a plan (Score:4, Insightful)
Unlike the MS points about Linux and how it is the Hackers utility and is insecure due to code being open to the public...
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Re:Sounds like a plan (Score:4, Funny)
No {GNUs,news} is good {GNUs,news}.
Re:Sounds like a plan (Score:5, Interesting)
The word has spread. The problem is people just don't care. It isn't like back in the 90's where people don't know about Linux and Open Source... They Do, they just don't care. They are willing to take the tradeoffs to get windows.
The problem when you give people a choice, they will often choose something you don't like.
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Or getting employed by MS and leaking doc(x)/xls(x) read/write code. Illegal? Yes. But not immoral and what a better place we'd all live in.
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GNU and linux work on every sort of hardware imaginable. Windows runs on desktops, UNIX on servers, and old high end workstations no one uses any more.
the same linux kernel runs on everything.
Re:Sounds like a plan (Score:4, Informative)
Sure, why not? They annoy me with their Windows stuff.
Crashing, huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Crashing, huh? (Score:5, Funny)
Good thing it wasn't dark, they would have been likely to have been eaten by the GNU.
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GRUE - get it right! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grue_(monster) [wikipedia.org]
Re:Crashing, huh? (Score:4, Informative)
It was funny in 1995 (Score:5, Insightful)
It was funny in 1995 when the "protesters" were in front of CompUSA on 35th street in Manhattan. It was cute when they were outside PC Expo in 1996. Started to get kinda sad at the Windows 98 launch and went downhill after that.
Now they're just a sideshow attraction.
Re:It was funny in 1995 (Score:5, Interesting)
Especially when they're pushing a distro nobody's ever heard of and which does a terrible job of promoting itself. I looked on both Trisquel's home page and its Wikipedia entry, and the only justification I could find for its existence was that it had Gallician support. (Why they didn't just contribute Gallician localization to an existing distro is unclear.) Other than that, it appears to be a simple Ubuntu fork.
Now that is ironic. Not just a fringe OS, but a fringe version of the OS. How fringe? The very existence of the Gallician language is controversial. It's spoken only in the northwest corner of Spain, which would be part of Portugal if borders were drawn by actual cultural boundaries. (The Portugese language originated there.) But it's unpatriotic to refer to Gallician as a dialect of Portugese, so they have to pretend have their own language, mainly distinguished by the fact that Gallicia refuses to participate in efforts to reform Portugese spelling.
Do Linux zealots actually work at being marginal?
Re:It was funny in 1995 (Score:5, Informative)
The reason for promoting Trisquel is that it is one of the few Linux distributions on the FSF's approved list of completely free distributions. It's basically Ubuntu with a free kernel and without the option of installing Flash. Trisquel is one of the few distributions on the FSF's approved list which is quite user friendly. Personally, I'd rather they hand out a distribution with all the Linux firmware and drivers to provide better hardware support, but the FSF isn't about being practical, they are focused on software freedom.
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but the FSF isn't about being practical, they are focused on software freedom.
Please don't use "software freedom" without scare quotes. If you leave them out, you imply that FSF actually matters.
Anyway, I'm glad this is about the Gospel According to Stallman and not about some weird geopolitical agenda. Had me worried.
Re:It was funny in 1995 (Score:5, Interesting)
you imply that FSF actually matters.
With not much enthusiasm, I simply note that two decades ago I couldn't run anywhere near the phenomenal library of free and Free software that I do today. Three decades ago, I was closer to being able to, so there was a very serious period of "you must license your software and only companies can own or alter it". I don't have much enthusiasm because it's a pretty non-notable fact these days. If you're coding something new, you first look for libraries or code that does much of what you need, and then use them for free. That's not surprising to say. Two decades ago, it would be.
So the FSF pretty much won (as did the many many non-FSF coders who contributed). Maybe not in terms of global dominance, but in real terms of "I can use my system and do what I want because I have rights to the software and can alter it at whim". This state of things was not a certain outcome. Now it is simply part of the IT world we take for granted.
Re:It was funny in 1995 (Score:5, Interesting)
Amen. I use Ubuntu and am happy (on a pragmatic level) to have a set-up that's maybe 98% free software. I would sooner punch myself in the nuts than switch to Trisquel, but I'm keenly aware that were it not for RMS's single-mindedness, I would probably be using a set-up that's 98% non-free (or, more likely, doing something entirely different because the world of computers wouldn't interest me as much).
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GNU software:
Yeap, clearly all software that nobody in the open source community uses anymore. It's all irrelevant.
Oh, I forgot the GNU GPL. It's just the license that governs about half of all the free and open source projects, including small stuff like Linux. Completely irrelevant.
Re:It was funny in 1995 (Score:5, Insightful)
My paycheck from developing AGPL licensed code must be an illusion, then.
RMS' ideology just eliminates jobs that depending on rewriting the wheel. New code still has to be written, and there's plenty of work and money to those who are willing to write it.
Re:It was funny in 1995 (Score:5, Insightful)
There goes my irony quota for the day.
Re:It was funny in 1995 (Score:4, Insightful)
There goes my irony quota for the day.
"without the option" wasn't exactly correct. Of course you can install whatever software from whatever repository you want once it's installed, or even compile the sources-- Oh, Flash, well, no source for proprietary stuff like that, but you can still install it. Windows XP comes "without the option" of installing Flash. Last I checked you get Flash from Adobe's website after installing Windows. Some Linux distros make it easy to stay up to date by putting Adobe's Flash in their repository. However, now that Adobe will no longer release updates for Flash on Linux I can't blame some folks for not including the buggy product in their distros...
I wonder if you'll be able to add 3rd party markets to Windows 8's app store, like on most Android and Linux distributions, or if it'll actually be "without the option" like Apple's app store?
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Huh. Portugal has hipsters, too.
So, when
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While we Portuguese do have hipsters, Galicia is not in Portugal, it's in Spain.
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Especially when they're pushing a distro nobody's ever heard of and which does a terrible job of promoting itself. I looked on both Trisquel's home page and its Wikipedia entry, and the only justification I could find for its existence was that it had Gallician support.
[...]
Do Linux zealots actually work at being marginal?
> implying that variety isn't the spice of life. ;-)
Oh, you.
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This is absolutely true. Instead of trying to rig Linux and rid it of all its unliberated blobs, if the FSF just seriously worked on getting Hurd ready, and maybe forking Minix 3.0 and then using it as the microkernel for Hurd, they'd then have all the requirements of an entire GNU system. The kernel too would be GNU, as would userland, and then they could toss in GNOME 3.4 and even make everything GPL3.
I agree w/ the other statement as well - that GNU apps have poor interfaces, poor ideas and poor impl
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Actually, a lot of linguists feel that there's no such thing as "language" only "dialect". Portugese and Spanish are not as different as many dialetcts that are considered to be variations on the same language.
Another way of putting it: the language/dialect distinction is a political concept, not a scientific one. Someone once said that a language is a dialect with an army.
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an army and a navy [wikipedia.org]!
In any case, Portuguese would certainly qualify.
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It was funny in 1995 when the "protesters" were in front of CompUSA on 35th street in Manhattan. It was cute when they were outside PC Expo in 1996. Started to get kinda sad at the Windows 98 launch and went downhill after that.
Now they're just a sideshow attraction.
Well, at least it gave a lot of people a funny story to laugh about later that day.
So it wasn't a real, live Gnu... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:So it wasn't a real, live Gnu... (Score:5, Funny)
Of course it would. Chances are it would also be csh'ed, ksh'ed and zsh'ed (amongst others) as well.
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Whooosh!
"Free like the free apps in the iPhone app store?" (Score:2)
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...but someone in a Gnu suit? Kind of misleading, yeah?
That person was afraid to show face in public, hence the artiodactyl suit. A clear example of an Anonymous Cow Herd!
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I agree with you but only to a certain extent. This incident was also a protest about user freedom, as much as it was a promotional activity for free software.
If microsoft protested a free software event they'd be laughed out of the room.
So I remain divided: showing up to someones launch event so that you can promote their competitor: utterly tasteless. Showing up somewhere to raise awareness of user righ
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Yes, there is a difference between a for-profit corporation with a history of market suppression and three amateurs promoting a freely created alternative.
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I was disappointed by the fake gnu. I wonder what it would cost to rent a real gnu. I'll bet a kickstarter project could make this happen for Windows 9.
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...but someone in a Gnu suit?
Suit? It was just an oversized hat.
(A better gimmick would have been to give away USB flash drives with a rock solid linux distro that boots straight into a bunch of diagnostic and recovery tools. "For use after testing Win8." Hint hint.)
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Re:So it wasn't a real, live Gnu... (Score:5, Insightful)
normal computer users will go "Well that was rude!" and "What is Linux?"
Getting people to ask the latter question is already a goal achieved.
Re:So it wasn't a real, live Gnu... (Score:5, Insightful)
Not if the answer they come to is "a fringe OS pushed by weirdos dressed as wildebeests".
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A valuable lesson learned today. (Score:4, Funny)
Powell's colon (Score:5, Funny)
John SuGnuGnu said only a Gnu could love a Gnu.
Activist is an old Indian word.... (Score:4, Funny)
...that translates roughly to "Doesn't have a real job.'
Windows 8 downgrades security? (Score:5, Insightful)
Citation needed.
Now, it's quite possible that Windows 7 is not secure enough for your needs and 8 doesn't improve upon that significantly, but I'm skeptical that 8 is a step backwards in security.
Re:Windows 8 downgrades security? (Score:5, Funny)
Citation needed.
You must be gnu here...
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Citation needed.
Now, it's quite possible that Windows 7 is not secure enough for your needs and 8 doesn't improve upon that significantly, but I'm skeptical that 8 is a step backwards in security.
They weren't claiming that Windows 8 is insecure. They said it steals users' security. They're just pointing out (in arguably over-the-top language) that it takes control of users' information away from the users. This probably isn't because of anything specific that it does, it's just because it's closed and therefore unknowable and uncontrollable.
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Let me explain something: SECURITY MUST BE PROVEN. You can't just claim the product secure, we look back and then determine how secure it has been. Additionally: NEW SOFTWARE HAS NEW BUGS, and these bugs are what makes security exploits possible.
Considering that Windows8 is not just Windows7 in a different box, that it actually comes with more and newer code than Windows7 or XP, I think it's safe to say that it more likely than not that it contains more bugs than these already released and hammered on
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If that's your position then the lack of security must also be proven.
You cannot say "it's Microsoft's responsibility to prove they are insecure, otherwise it is 'safe to say' that it is less secure".
That's called hypocrisy.
Sounds like Microsoft needs better security (Score:3)
Microsoft Security Fail!
only Windows 8? (Score:5, Insightful)
Really? Only Windows 8? OSX/iOS steals users' freedom, security and privacy quite a bit.
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American: "But we have freedom of speech!" Soviet: "What is that, even?" American: "For example , if I were to walk into the White House, shout Ronald Reagan is a filthy thieving lying fuck, nobody would do anything to me." Soviet: "Hah! We got it even better. If I were to walk into the Kremel, and shout Ronald Reagan is a filthy thieving
Nice beard. (Score:5, Funny)
"The gnu — which, on closer inspection, was an activist in a gnu suit"
It's hard to tell the two apart sans suit, sometimes.
Said as a GNU/Linux enthusiast.
Way to go. (Score:2, Flamebait)
This will raise the Linux community's credibility with the public.
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Guerrilla marketing is all the rage these days, but that is about the lamest example I've ever seen.
I'd like to add a small change (Score:3, Interesting)
This may be so, but I think that statement detracts from the fact that windows is starting to make users very ignorant. Windows 7 took away the advanced search. I used to love to be able to search for files largers than 10MB very easily but now I must use third party software to do a very "Windows" function.
I sometimes mourn for the days that when you installed something, its functions went into its own directory. You could very easily find what you're looking for, and modify if possible. This constantly gets stripped down, at least for a few things.
Re:I'd like to add a small change (Score:4, Informative)
It's still there, albeit hard to find. Just use size:>10mb in the search bar
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True. After a couple of years of fighting with endless niggling problems, you'll switch again, to OSX.
Not a gnu (Score:4, Funny)
Why this distro? (Score:3, Insightful)
They're fighting the Windows 8 downgrade by offering a fringe GNU-downgraded Linux distro.
I'm sure all those journalists will be convinced after they have learned to manually install the required hardware drivers.
Marketing isn't about promoting the things you personally like, it's about promoting the things your potential users like.
Windows and Apple users don't care about privacy, freedom, security or ownership. Either convince them of the importance of those issues before pushing Linux or promote the Linux features they do care about (i.e. "Linux is free and has the best tools for downloading the latest movies").
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What distro would you suggest? Keep in mind that this is the FSF, so it must be one that is completely Free. No binary-only blobs and no licenses that would bar you from modifying, redistributing or both. This excludes Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, etc.
Because, whether you agree with their message or not, the fact is that giving away a distribution that is only mostly Free would undermine it.
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And, why do they hate Linus so much? From the Tresquel web page [trisquel.info]:
"Linus Torvalds did not write a whole operating system, he only wrote the last missing piece, a kernel"
Yeah, sure, completely gloss over the fact that the kernel is by far the most important piece.
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Marketing isn't about promoting the things you personally like, it's about promoting the things your potential users like.
Windows and Apple users don't care about privacy, freedom, security or ownership. Either convince them of the importance of those issues before pushing Linux or promote the Linux features they do care about (i.e. "Linux is free and has the best tools for downloading the latest movies").
I look at marketing more as promoting not what you think your potential users like, but simply what you have to offer.
Now to be successful, there should be significant overlap between those.
This story makes a great example, as this is a Windows 8 event and MS has the Sisyphean task of marketing TIFKAM (the interface formerly known as Metro) - certainly not what the users want (nor have been asking for).
Windows 8 and missed opportunities (Score:2)
From what little of FSF page I could get to load seems they are reusing standard talking points on the perils of commercial software without making an effort to address windows 8 specifically.
To me it would have been more useful had they actually enumerate privacy and freedom transgressions committed by Windows 8. From calling home for nn reasons, live account login, RT store lockin... must be tons of legit points which can be made about win8 rather than the same blanket statements proclaiming commercial
OS/2 crashing (Score:4, Informative)
Back about 20 years ago, Steve Ballmer went to an IBM booth at an computer show, and tried to crash OS/2 there. So, I guess you reap what you sow.
Eventually. Kinda sorta.
Re:OS/2 crashing (Score:5, Funny)
That's nothing. Windows 98 crashed its own show.
No insight here (Score:2)
Eh, I'll give Trisquel a download and check it out in Workstation. Pretty much expecting a by the numbers Ubuntu based distro. But hey, why not?
Closer inspection? (Score:3)
On closer inspection? More like "The person with an enormous mascot mask - which, on closer inspection, vaguely resembled a gnu."
Why do people go.. (Score:3)
To a Windows 8 opening?
Who really cares about getting it first? Who (non-geek) even installs new operating systems? People just use whatever is on their computer.
I wish GNU Hurd was ready (Score:2)
Then RMS wouldn't need to hijack linux for his cause.
The best thing to happen to Linux was the philosophy of Open Source.
I'm not unsympathetic to the FSF's goals, but Linux just isn't GNU to me.
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Re:Worthless (Score:5, Funny)
Use a 3D printer to print bitcoins to pay for Windows 8, you say? What a great idea!
Re:Worthless (Score:5, Funny)
What truly pathetic depths Slashdot has sank to.
They let you in for a start.
Re:Worthless (Score:5, Insightful)
Look, she can't help it if she's not pretty. Or if she's too poor to afford nice clothes.
FREE software is like people -- what's on the inside matters more than the external appearance.
Re:Worthless (Score:5, Funny)
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Unless you happen to be at a strip club. Or a joining a school for strippers. Or teaching at a school for strippers.
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Certainly it is not to change opinions, or they would not be distributing a form of linux no one has ever heard of to MS loyalists. I think they would have better luck preaching tax loophole reform at a republican convention, at least there'd be press that'd listen.
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The debian concept of free and nonfree repos is too much for the FSF who has strict guidelines on what software can be included in an FSF certified distro:
I've ran Free distros before, suprisingly useful, and many if not most hardware still worked.
That said, this is revenge for years of brownshirts.
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Except they are not selling to morons who think with their dicks, moron.
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Despite the fact that it's a larger target market ....
I'm willing to bet that all the people who profess not to think with their dicks, at least allow their dicks to subconsciously influence them.
I really enjoyed seeing the Linux / Mac / PC adverts that Novell did, not least because they included an attractive, seemingly intelligent, stylish woman. Yes, the message was intellectually good. But I enjoyed the attractive woman too.
It has to be tastefully done, or people who are aware that they enjoy attractive
Re:Worthless (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, I think they are. A protest is not necessarily selling a product, it's selling the idea that there is support for the product. The product is generally being sold to whatever they are protesting against but by selling sex, it increases the appearance of support for their cause by the inclusion of morons thinking with their dicks.
Imagine if you will, 20 prudently dresses women holding a rally to support $insertcause. Now imagine 10 scantly dressed 21 year old hotties and 10 muscle bound shirtless men doing the same for the same cause. You will have a base showing for the prudent women because the cause is what is there. But you will have added women and men interested in looking at the hot bodies of the people involved so there will likely be an above base showing for the event. In the end, the people thinking with their primitive instincts lend the appearance of wider spread support increasing the power for the cause. So using sex to sell a concept is a powerful tool for a cause and I think that the sale of sex (metaphorically) is actually intended to some of not a large degree.
Re:Worthless (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Worthless (Score:5, Funny)
Only people who already support their cause are supposed to look at them naked in public. It's in the EULA somewhere.
Re:Worthless (Score:5, Funny)
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My thoughts exactly. What's with all of this sensational bullshit on Slashdot lately?
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My thoughts exactly. What's with all of this sensational bullshit on Slashdot lately?
New ownership. So, with new ownership we get a new direction. And this "new direction" sucks ass.
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New ownership. So, with new ownership we get a new direction. And this "new direction" sucks ass.
Slashdot has an owner? I thought it was GNU and free!
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Same suck, different ass.
If I ever decide to change my sig, that will be it.
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My thoughts exactly. What's with all of this sensational bullshit on Slashdot lately?
The owner realized the same thing Fox News did -- if you present stories in ways to whip up a fringe zealot audience, you may lose a lot of your audience, but the audience you have comes back a lot and consumes a lot of ads.
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The owner realized the same thing Fox News did -- if you present stories in ways to whip up a fringe zealot audience, you may lose a lot of your audience, but the audience you have comes back a lot and consumes a lot of ads.
Ah. That would explain why I am not seeing any ads. Other people consumed them instead of just looked at them, so there are no more ads.
Re:Real live gnu? Seriously? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't know about that. A new UI on top of Windows 7 seems to have fooled them.
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it forcibly apples
I've never heard "apple" being used as a verb, but your use of it seems very fitting.
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You really don't know how someone could ask for something before it was actually created?
Really?
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And linux uses the hardware, right? :D
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