BadVista
Encyclopedia
BadVista was a campaign by the Free Software Foundation
to oppose adoption of Microsoft
Windows Vista
and promote free software
alternatives. A follow-up to the Defective by Design
campaign against digital rights management
technologies, it aimed to encourage the media to make free software part of their agenda. The campaign lasted from December 2006 to January 2009.
and its embedded digital rights management
, as well as providing a user-friendly gateway to free software alternatives.
BadVista activists teamed up with Defective by Design
members on a Vista launch party on January 30, 2007 at the Times Square
. Protesters in hazmat suits held their signs explaining the restrictions Vista may impose on computer users. The campaign ended on January 8, 2009, when "victory" was declared after Microsoft released its Windows 7 Beta. This victory claim was based on the tepid adoption of Vista, compared to those sticking with the less-DRM
infused Windows XP
or moving to the FSF-defined less restrictive Mac OS X
or entirely free GNU/Linux or FreeBSD
.
.
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
to oppose adoption of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and promote free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
alternatives. A follow-up to the Defective by Design
Defective by Design
Defective by Design is an anti-digital rights management initiative by the Free Software Foundation. DRM technology, dubbed "digital restrictions management" by opponents, restricts users’ ability to freely use their purchased movies, music, literature, software, and hardware in ways they are...
campaign against digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
technologies, it aimed to encourage the media to make free software part of their agenda. The campaign lasted from December 2006 to January 2009.
History
The campaign was initiated on December 15, 2006 with aims to expose what it views as the harms inflicted on computer users by Microsoft Windows VistaWindows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and its embedded digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
, as well as providing a user-friendly gateway to free software alternatives.
BadVista activists teamed up with Defective by Design
Defective by Design
Defective by Design is an anti-digital rights management initiative by the Free Software Foundation. DRM technology, dubbed "digital restrictions management" by opponents, restricts users’ ability to freely use their purchased movies, music, literature, software, and hardware in ways they are...
members on a Vista launch party on January 30, 2007 at the Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. Protesters in hazmat suits held their signs explaining the restrictions Vista may impose on computer users. The campaign ended on January 8, 2009, when "victory" was declared after Microsoft released its Windows 7 Beta. This victory claim was based on the tepid adoption of Vista, compared to those sticking with the less-DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
infused Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
or moving to the FSF-defined less restrictive Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
or entirely free GNU/Linux or FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
.
Windows 7 Sins
A new campaign, this time targeted towards Windows 7, has been launched under the name "Windows 7 Sins". The site uses graphics from the free software video game XBillXBill
XBill is an arcade style game for the X Window System. It was very popular among Linux gamers at the end of the 1990s, beating out Quake, though not Quake II, as Linux Journal reader's favourite Linux game in 1999....
.
See also
- Defective by DesignDefective by DesignDefective by Design is an anti-digital rights management initiative by the Free Software Foundation. DRM technology, dubbed "digital restrictions management" by opponents, restricts users’ ability to freely use their purchased movies, music, literature, software, and hardware in ways they are...
- an associated anti-digital rights managementDigital rights managementDigital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
campaign that also targets Windows Vista - Hardware restrictionsHardware restrictionsHardware restrictions refers to restrictions in any device that places technical restrictions on what content can run/play on said device or what users can do with certain content. Hardware restrictions can be used with software DRM and digital signatures...
External links
- badvista.fsf.org - Official website
- windows7sins.org - official "Windows 7 sins" website