Not all proprietary software is actually evil. However, very few people who prefer proprietary software over OpenSource software will admit how evil it can be. So this is like having two societies. In one, by convention and social norms we don’t hit the kids. In the other, we spank the kids now and then, and this is acceptable. In both societies, there is violent abuse of children but it is never accepted.
Then, in the no-spanking society, violent attack on children that annoy us continues to be shunned and illegal, but in the spanking society, spankers defend all violence against children because there really is no place to draw the line.
Yes! I said it! Proprietary software is a form of child abuse!!!
Well, I didn’t really say that but the trolls will complain about it anyway. For those of you paying attention, I think you’ll get my point.
The point I’m making here is that once you go closed source, and allow design, deployment, upgrade, service, and support strategies to be run by non-users and by marketers, the user is subject to the most severe abuse.
What would the most severe abuse be? Well, how about turning an operating system that you are using legally off every two hours until the user agrees to pay money??????
Apparently, that is Microsoft’s Plan.
Regarding pre-release versions of Vista, which had been distributed for free some time ago to get a user base for testing the then new operating system:
“The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start. To avoid interruption, you’ll need to install a non-expired version of Windows before March 1, 2010. You’ll also need to install the programs and data that you want to use.”
Do you need any more proof that Microsoft, as a corporation, is psychotic? Do you?
Have you read the breakthrough novel of the year? When you are done with that, try:
or Paperback
*Please note:
Links to books and other items on this page and elsewhere on Greg Ladens' blog may send you to Amazon, where I am a registered affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to fund this site.
“Thanks for all your help in working out the bugs. Really. Oh, and fuck you suckers!!!”
Seriously, this is truly fucked. I do believe that I am all set to just nix the last of Vista from my computer and go all out Ubuntu. Ubuntu loves me and won’t do the randomly stupid and really irritating shit that Vista does and I’m pretty damned certain that it won’t go fucking the folks that had to deal with the early stages bugs, so Microsoft could work them out before officially releasing Vista.
Although the worse abuse, is when the proprietary software deletes the music you wrote during the trial period, when you pay for the full version three weeks before the trial period is up. Seriously fucking did that to me.
It actually deleted them, didn’t just lock them from editing? Wow. That’s dirty pool, if so. What software was this exactly? If it’s happened to you, it’s probably also happened to someone geekier and with a bigger mean streak than you, so I’m sure someone has come up with some way to either get around such nonsense or recover the files involved. Plus nothing works better than screaming bloody murder at the developers and demanding your money back unless you can get those files back.
Microsoft’s arbitrary server restrictions are almost as bad as that Windows 7 every-two-hour-reboot nonsense. I actually had this happen at work once — we had installed a Windows 2003 Small Business Server because we needed a server-class operating system to run some software 24/7. We have an existing domain, on a Windows 2003 Server (note the lack of Small Business Edition). Thinking that I didn’t really need the 2k3SBS server to run a domain of its own, I joined it to the domain, reconfigured the RAID array and installed the software, then went home and called it a day. About an hour later, I got a call from one of the folks still working, saying that everyone in the site had gotten a message saying the server was going to shut down due to a licensing issue. That licensing issue being, you’re not allowed to install a small business server into an existing domain without first taking control of all the domain’s functions and doing all sorts of crazy shenanigans (as detailed here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884453
Not only did the server automatically restart itself, scheduling itself to do so once every hour and a half, just to cow me into adhering to some arbitrary and ludicrous rules, but it messaged my entire freaking domain telling everyone it was going to happen, repeatedly, until I remoted in and shut the thing down. Beyond being an annoying inconvenience, it was an embarassment.
Oh, I’m sure they still existed somewhere, but when I actually paid for the damned thing (actually a publishing house paid), it downloaded and installed the full version, eliminating everything saved to the trial version. They have apparently since fixed that, but at the moment I can’t afford it and technically the publishing house owns the copy that was bought for me and holds the license – given their urge to sue me when they learned I’m not a Christian, I doubt they’ll let me get a new licensing code for my new computer (they liked it and several of their writers use it).
The program is Finale Songwriter (they bought me Alegro, but I didn’t have the system requirements).
DuWayne, you might be interested in checking out Ubuntu Studio, an Ubuntu variant geared toward multimedia production. I’ve not tried it myself, but I’ve been sold on Ubuntu for a few years.
What’s wrong with spanking?
That is pretty messed up. My brother is a willing beta contributor for windows 7, and has been for quite some time. He’s contributed to the last 4 or 5 versions of windows in pre-release form, but in all cases no reward.
Speaking of open source, I just fired up a new open source computer last night. the OS? FreeDOS! And yes, I love it. It’s not perfect, but it’s very functional for what it’s built to do.
@Spiv: I’m glad you enjoy using FreeDOS. I think it’s a great small operating system. But I’m probably biased there, since I created the project. 🙂
These days, FreeDOS typically gets used in a few areas:
1. Running classic DOS games. I really liked those old DOS games (Commander Keen, Jill of the Jungle, Ultimate Pinball, DOOM, Duke Nukem, BLOOD, Star Wars: Dark Forces, etc.) but you just can’t run them anymore without a DOS system. FreeDOS does this very well.
2. Embedded systems. DOS is a small operating system platform, and doesn’t take much in terms of system resources (CPU, memory) to run. It’s not multitasking, but embedded systems typically focus on doing one thing at a time, so a single-task kernel like FreeDOS is excellent.
3. Running DOS-based business software. There are a few companies that still have a need to run old DOS-based applications to support their business. FreeDOS works just like MS-DOS, so you can run these old apps there too.
If you want to play old DOS games and you’re stuck with a GUI interface (e.g. Windows, or Linux with Gnome or KDE), or just want to take older games with you on a laptop, DOSBox and DOSEmu are both good choices.
FreeDOS is fantastic for pre-installed, Windows-less systems, to prove to manufacturers that you’re not just going to go and pirate Windows after the fact (since that’s the biggest reason OEMs won’t allow sales of hardware without an OS).