Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Ubuntu = Spyware

[Michał 'rysiek' Woźniak]

Dnia czwartek, 13 grudnia 2012 o 12:00:01 ☮ elf Pavlik ☮ napisał(a):
> Excerpts from Will Rico's message of 2012-12-13 05:59:02 +0000:
> > I'm sure most people on this list have read or heard about
> > Richard Stallman's blog post from Friday entitled "Ubuntu
> > Spyware: What to Do?" I wrote up my reaction/opinions on the
> > blog for our local users group. I include six ideas for how
> > Ubuntu (Canonical) can be profitable without spying.
> > 
> > Feedback in the blog comments, on this list, or privately is
> > welcomed.
> > 
> > http://desktop-sig.blu.org/2012/12/6-ways-canonical-ubuntu-can-be
> > .html
> > 
> > Will
> 
> gosh! i trully love <3 libre software but at the same time
> yesterday setting up a GNU/Linux for friend of mine after trying
> few distros ended up puttin... UBUNTU :D
> 
> if someone uses Skype, Dropbox and other proprietary services other
> distros can make it bit of a pain in the ass, and here arguments
> like don't use Skype, Dropbox & co. don't come much helpful most
> of her friends who use MacOS and Win won't stop using them... and
> we still DON'T HAVE libre alternatives offering similar smooth
> experience!

Please don't change the subject. Nobody is talking about proprietary, 
closed-source software in the repos, as they are there - in the repos. 
As in: they have to be installed. That's OPT-IN. That's (kinda) OK.

What is getting Ubuntu to get slapped all over the place is the fact 
they decided to go with something that is a privacy risk, and it's 
opt-out, not opt in.

> just wanted to chime in that while sometimes we daemonize Ubuntu,
> without it many people would never leave their comfy Win/MacOS
> behind and here i really appreciate work of people from Canonical!

Me too. But I do not appreciate the opaqueness of their decisions and 
the "I'll do it my way anyway and fsck y'all!" attitude.

> also rather than WASTING our energies on verbally beating up
> Ubuntu, let's better mobilize ourselves to support developments of
> libre alternatives to Skype, Dropbox + long list. ones that not
> only geeks living in our terminals feel ok with using but people
> who got used to their candy eye interfaces also feel happy with!

Or you could put this argument the other way around: instead of 
WASTING it's energy and good name by doing stupid things like Amazon 
search (which I'm sure they knew would enrage privacy aficionados) 
Ubuntu could work WITH the community to find ways to be profitable 
without these.

Ubuntu did a dumb/evil thing, and the community is supposed to suck it 
up and just look the other way? No, sorry, this does not work like 
that.

The right way to handle this would be:
1. Ubuntu publishes plans for that, asks for feedback
2. they get overwhelming "No" and "if anything - *OPT-IN*"
3. they fix it
4. PROFIT!

The way it worked:
1. Ubuntu did it
2. gets bad rap all over the place
3. people complain that people complain.

You decide which is better.

-- 
Pozdrawiam
Michał "rysiek" Woźniak

Fundacja Wolnego i Otwartego Oprogramowania

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