Bonum Certa Men Certa

Leaving Windows to Rot

Summary: Windows XP is almost officially dead now, so rather than cling onto it (as parts of China reportedly do) one needs to move to GNU/Linux

Microsoft is leaving Windows to rot (even where there is a large userbase [1]), so we should too. Sometimes in my job people who are mentally dependent on Windows (fearful of change) try to cling onto Microsoft APIs [2], Windows applications, server protocols etc. without quite realising that they only make their life more difficult, especially if they try to rely on GNU/Linux for the rest (especially on the desktop, not just the server). The right thing to do right now is to find alternatives to Windows which are based on GNU/Linux [3], protecting freedom [4] and dodging incarceration that proprietary software so gleefully promotes [5].

Some people said that 2014 would be the year of GNU/Linux on the desktop and based on what I see at work this is actually very probable.



Related/contextual items from the news:


  1. Microsoft's Attempt To Convert Users From Windows XP Backfires Thanks To Low Loyalty, Limited Benefits
    Windows XP is 13 years old and Microsoft has no obligation to continue supporting it -- but failing to support it means that many of the most vulnerable or cash-strapped customers could end up playing host to an avalanche of malware or security exploits.


  2. Wine Support On Chrome OS Is Unlikely
    If you were hoping to eventually be able to run Windows applications within Google's Chrome OS environment via Wine, the possibilities of that working out well are very slim.


  3. Best Linux distros to replace Windows XP?
    Microsoft will soon no longer support Windows XP so current XP users will need to migrate to a newer version of Windows or possibly Linux. If they don't migrate, they run the risk of serious security problems once Microsoft stops issuing updates for Windows XP.


  4. Our Assignment
    We need to protect the freedoms in which Linux was born and grew up.


  5. Totally Legal Computer
    The OS is the core of your computing experience. There's no point trying to run a fully legal setup if the base of it is illegal. Windows and Mac OS are the most known operating systems, however they aren't free.


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Thailand: GNU/Linux Up to 6% of Desktops/Laptops, According to statCounter
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António Campinos and the Administrative Council, whose delegates he clearly bribed with EPO budget in exchange for votes
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Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Sainsbury’s Epic Downtime Seems to be Microsoft's Fault and Might Even Constitute a Data Breach (Legal Liability)
one of Britain's largest groceries (and beyond) chains
 
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And recent reports about Boeing whistleblower John Barnett
Over at Tux Machines...
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Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
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Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Linux Foundation Boasting About Being Connected to Bill Gates
Examples of boasting about the association
Alexandre Oliva's Article on Monstering Cults
"I'm told an earlier draft version of this post got published elsewhere. Please consider this IMHO improved version instead."
[Meme] 'Russian' Elections in Munich (Bavaria, Germany)
fake elections
Sainsbury's to Techrights: Yes, Our Web Site Broke Down, But We Cannot Say Which Part or Why
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Plagiarism: Axel Beckert (ETH Zurich) & Debian Developer list hacking
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
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Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
[Meme] You Know You're Winning the Argument When...
EPO management starts cursing at everybody (which is what's happening)
Catspaw With Attitude
The posts "they" complain about merely point out the facts about this harassment and doxing
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decrease in "HEY HI" (AI) hype
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Gentle lapdogs prevent self-regulation and transparency
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE analogous to identity fraud
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 18/03/2024: LLM Inference and Can We Survive Technology?
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Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Our Plans for Spring
Later this year we turn 18 and a few months from now our IRC community turns 16
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Keith Bergelt has not replied to queries on this very important matter
RedHat.com, Brought to You by Microsoft Staff
This is totally normal, right?
USPTO Corruption: People Who Don't Use Microsoft Will Be Penalised ~$400 for Each Patent Filing
Not joking!
The Hobbyists of Mozilla, Where the CEO is a Bigger Liability Than All Liabilities Combined
the hobbyist in chief earns much more than colleagues, to say the least; the number quadrupled in a matter of years
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There's a class action lawsuit for securities fraud
Not About Linux at All!
nobody bothers with the site anymore; it's marketing, and now even Linux
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Debian aggression: woman asked about her profession
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 17/03/2024: Winter Can't Hurt Us Anymore and Playstation Plus
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