The Free Software Foundation is seizing the opportunity provided by Windows 8 to strengthen its campaign to get computer users to switch to free software. Its infographic is intended as a parody - so don't get confused.

By coincidence the FSF's message Friends don't let friends use Windows 8 landed in my inbox just hours after I Programmer's own analysis,  Windows 8 - The Desktop Destroyer. 

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While I'm convinced by the idea "Close Windows, Open Doors", it's not entirely for the same set of reasons.

FSF advocates free software and wants us all to move to GNU/Linux. I don't object to paying for software - after all software has to be financed, but I do object to Microsoft's take on licensing that even when you have paid for the software you don't own it.  And I certainly object to planned obsolescence - Windows XP works just fine for a lot of my requirements. I go along entirely with the idea of "if it aint broke don't fix it".

Equally while personally I don't feel too threatened by "big brother" watching me, that stems from the privilege of living in a country with a democratic government I still have some faith in. I can well see why the majority of the world's population is less inclined to tolerate surveillance or want to share personal information.

On the other hand I do think the Free Software movement is naive in thinking it can eliminate commercial interests - the economy moves on  by money oiling its wheels.

So why am I going to abandon Windows?

Well to a certain extent I'm not - I'm just not going to open any new ones and I have tried to use Windows 8 so it's an informed choice - but neither am I going to close any that I already have open. The big problem is that moving to Linux is as much a change as moving to Windows 8, but in its favor it is free, it is open and, with the right choices it has a good user interface. 

The best policy seems to be a mixture of wait and see and using devices that are right for the job - mobile where it fits, Windows 7 desktop and even Windows XP where it is currently installed.