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On January 14th, Windows 7 reached its official "end-of-life," bringing an end to its updates as well as its ten years of poisoning education, invading privacy, and threatening user security. The end of Windows 7's lifecycle gives Microsoft the perfect opportunity to undo past wrongs, and to upcycle it instead.
We call on them to release it as free software, and give it to the community to study and improve. As there is already a precedent for releasing some core Windows utilities as free software, Microsoft has nothing to lose by liberating a version of their operating system that they themselves say has "reached its end."
Also at The Register and Wccftech.
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Free Software Foundation Demands That Microsoft Release Windows 7 as Free Software
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If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @06:32AM (10 children)
If only there was some way to find out who is on their board and staff [fsf.org].
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @03:37PM (9 children)
So, smartass, who is in charge? RMS resigned in August, and hasn't been replaced yet.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @05:08PM (8 children)
The board?
(Score: 2) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Thursday January 30 2020, @06:23PM
Key infiltrator and psyop giveaway tactic: who is in charge here
Then they just attack that person and all of their relationships.
https://archive.is/9Chw [archive.is]
Then drive that person crazy,
https://archive.is/YkJr8 [archive.is]
Then take over.
https://archive.is/Eu1Z4 [archive.is]
We are about 75% through thi
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @06:46PM (6 children)
The FSF, like many other orgs, have a board to provide advice (and access to really big donors) and an director for executive leadership. Missing a director, I can only guess that the paid staff are staying on giving honest service, supposing the board is really providing oversight.
A director will set the goals for the organization and spending policy. I used to donate to the FSF, but before I do so again, I want to feel that my gift will be spent well. In this day and age of SJWs taking over well funded non-profits and instituting racist and sexist money giveaways, I don't want my gifts to go to those.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @08:47PM (5 children)
Mission director? In addition to the already mentioned board, at the top of the linked page is "John Sullivan, Executive Director, Vice President, Clerk"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @08:49PM
Damn autocorrect, that was supposed to be "missing director."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @09:57PM (3 children)
An executive director is a professional who runs day-to-day business, like making sure all required forms are filled out and handling staff matters. It's different from planning the mission of the organization, but he may be doing that right now.
It seems nobody is actively looking to fill the top post. Probably because RMS still looms large in the background, with his asserted control of GNU and the unclear separation between the FSF and GNU.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 30 2020, @11:04PM (2 children)
You were the one who specifically asked for a director. This request was despite the fact that RMS was President, not a "director" of any kind. But let's look at what happened after he left. Day before: https://web.archive.org/web/20190917021356/https://www.fsf.org/about/staff-and-board/ [archive.org] Day after https://web.archive.org/web/20190918030006/https://www.fsf.org/about/staff-and-board [archive.org]
What do you know, it appears that when RMS, President not "director," left the organization, Alexandre Oliva took on the responsibilities as Vice President in compliance with the bylaws. Fast forward to the present page, and you'll see John Sullivan and Alexandre Oliva acting in the Vice President role, which makes since given the fact that they both have full-time jobs. It will probably remain that way until at least their first meeting after the annual meeting, which the bylaws specify as the third Tuesday in February, to avoid having to redo it at that date anyway.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 31 2020, @02:54AM (1 child)
It is common terminology in the US to refer to the head of a charitable organization as "Director". Yes, it gets confusing when there is also a "board" involved.
So thank you for reading the bylaws, I will wait to see what happens in February.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 31 2020, @06:32AM
I think you slightly misunderstood. It says the first meeting after the annual meeting. The annual meeting is the third Tuesday in February. The first meeting after that depends on the exact calendar of the organization but can literally occur the same or next day (not altogether uncommon) or a month or two later (also not uncommon to allow new board members to get up to speed on everything). Either way, I'd expect to hear something by the end of February, but wouldn't be surprised if they don't formally pick a new leadership structure by then and it is just a formal announcing of the search.