Today is September 19th. Not only is this the official “talk like a pirate” day, more importantly it’s the international Software Freedom Day.
This is a day to remember the software that powers our world, and remember that not all software is created to empower us, but rather that much software is created to limit us in one way or another. Software created to censor us, to keep us uninformed. Proprietary software designed to sustain large corporations only interested in taking our money, and giving us the illusion of usefulness in return.
If you ask me, the best way to celebrate freedom in software is to do it by using Free Software. Ubuntu is free software. Free both as in cost (i.e. none) but also in usage and distribution – you’re free to look at the source-code and modify and improve it, provided you redistribute your improvements.
Speaking of proprietary garbage, I’ve been chuckling about how Microsoft has now admitted Vista as being a “less than good product”. I’m gonna go ahead and invoke Godwins Law, but in my ears that’s kind of like saying the holocaust was a “less than good idea”.
