[WFS-India] feedback on using the word "M$"

[Aruna S]

Though

On Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 10:08 PM, A. Mani <a.mani.cms at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 9:46 PM, Satabdi Das <satabdidas at gmail.com> wrote:
> > hello! A tiny comment: I think you should refrain from using terms like
> > "M$-Windows"—some people find it unprofessional. Cheers!
>
>
> That is corporate speak.
>

I think we are losing track of our main agenda here. I'm no Microsoft
sympathiser, I always denounce MS Windows at every available opportunity. I
do think, however, that we must remember that our priority is to help women
embrace FOSS. Most of them use Windows since they are not aware of FOSS and
if we want them to embrace FOSS with affection and an absence of fear, from
personal experience I think it is best to not denounce Windows since it
only serves to demoralise. With all due respect, I think it is important to
focus on promoting FOSS instead of focussing on demoting Windows, at least
in the early stages.


> We are not talking to corporates, but to people.
>

Which is why it is more important to understand their priorities. Help them
to embrace FOSS on their own terms. Give them the freedom and the personal
choice to do that.


> Otherwise we must write things like "or if you have no OS with freedom
> available, then you can use the free s/w tools on MS Windows. As the
> cause of free software would be compromised by the use of MS Windows,
> this would not be that good a state of affairs (Please consider
> migrating to better operating systems at the earliest)"
>

I don't think a lot of them understand what an "OS with freedom" is and why
Windows does not have that 'freedom". We should have sessions on that
before being presumptuous.

I really do think that it is best to refrain from mentioning MS Windows or
M$-Windows in the website except when we suggest how to install packages.
In those cases, we can always leave a note in the "How to install packages
on MS Windows"  section saying that we encourage the use of free
software(And add the bit about how "the cause of free software would be
compromised by the use of MS-Windows") and would love to help people set up
free software on their systems and work with them while they learn to grow
fond of it.

Warmly,
Aruna
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