diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/why-call-it-the-swindle.html')
-rw-r--r-- | talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/why-call-it-the-swindle.html | 182 |
1 files changed, 182 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/why-call-it-the-swindle.html b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/why-call-it-the-swindle.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..23524ab --- /dev/null +++ b/talermerchantdemos/blog/articles/en/why-call-it-the-swindle.html @@ -0,0 +1,182 @@ +<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" --> +<!-- Parent-Version: 1.86 --> +<title>Why call it the Swindle +- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> + <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/why-call-it-the-swindle.translist" --> +<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> + +<h2>Why Call It The Swindle?</h2> + +<p>by <a href="http://www.stallman.org/"><strong>Richard +Stallman</strong></a></p> + +<p>I go out of my way to call nasty things by names that criticize +them. I call Apple's user-subjugating computers the +“iThings,” and Amazon's abusive e-reader the +“Swindle.” Sometimes I refer to Microsoft's operating +system as “Losedows”; I referred to Microsoft's first +operating system as “MS-Dog.”[<a href="#f1">1</a>] Of +course, I do this to vent my feelings and have fun. But this fun is +more than personal; it serves an important purpose. Mocking our +enemies recruits the power of humor into our cause.</p> + +<p>Twisting a name is disrespectful. If we respected the makers of +these products, we would use the names that they chose … and that's +exactly the point. These noxious products deserve our contempt, not +our respect. Every proprietary program subjects its users to some +entity's power, but nowadays most widely used ones go beyond that to spy on +users, restrict them and even push them around: the trend is for +products to get nastier. These products deserve to be wiped out. Those +with DRM ought to be illegal.</p> + +<p>When we mention them, we should show that we condemn them, and what +easier way than by twisting their names? If we don't do that, it is +all too easy to mention them and fail to present the condemnation. +When the product comes up in the middle of some other topic, for +instance, explaining at greater length that the product is bad might +seem like a long digression.</p> + +<p>To mention these products by name and fail to condemn them has the +effect of legitimizing them, which is the opposite of what they call +for.</p> + +<p>Companies choose names for products as part of a marketing plan. +They choose names they think people will be likely to repeat, then +invest millions of dollars in marketing campaigns to make people +repeat and think about those names. Usually these marketing +campaigns are intended to convince people to admire the products based +on their superficial attractions and overlook the harm they do.</p> + +<p>Every time we call these products by the names the companies use, +we contribute to their marketing campaigns. Repeating those names is +active support for the products; twisting them denies the products our +support.</p> + +<p>Other terminology besides product names can raise a similar issue. +For instance, DRM refers to building technology products to restrict +their users for the benefit of someone else. This inexcusable practice +deserves our burning hatred until we wipe it out. Naturally, those +responsible gave it a name that frames the issue from their point of +view: “Digital Rights Management.” This name is the basis +of a public relations campaign that aims to win support from entities +ranging from governments to the W3C.[<a href="#f2">2</a>]</p> + +<p>To use their term is to take their side. If that's not the side +you're on, why give it your implicit support?</p> + +<p>We take the users' side, and from the users' point of view, what +these malfeatures manage are not rights but restrictions. So we call +them “Digital Restrictions Management.”</p> + +<p>Neither of those terms is neutral: choose a term, and you choose a +side. Please choose the users' side and please let it show.</p> + +<p>Once, a man in the audience at my speech claimed that the name +“Digital Rights Management” was the official name of +“DRM,” the only +possible correct name, because it was the first name. He argued that +as a consequence it was wrong for us to say “Digital Restrictions +Management.”</p> + +<p>Those who make a product or carry out a business practice typically +choose a name for it before we even know it exists. If their temporal +precedence obligated us to use their name, they would have an +additional automatic advantage, on top of their money, their media +influence and their technological position. We would have to fight +them with our mouths tied behind our backs.</p> + +<p>Some people feel a distaste for twisting names and say it sounds +“juvenile” or “unprofessional.” What they mean +is, it doesn't sound humorless and stodgy—and that's a good +thing, because we would not have laughter on our side if we tried to +sound “professional.” Fighting oppression is far more +serious than professional work, so we've got to add comic relief. It +calls for real maturity, which includes some childishness, not +“acting like an adult.”</p> + +<p>If you don't like our choice of name parodies, you can invent your +own. The more, the merrier. Of course, there are other ways to express +condemnation. If you want to sound “professional,” you can +show it in other ways. They can get the point across, but they +require more time and effort, especially if you don't make use of +mockery. Take care this does not lead you to skimp; don't let the +pressure against such “digression” push you into +insufficiently criticizing the nasty things you mention, because that +would have the effect of legitimizing them.</p> + +<h3>Footnotes</h3> + +<ol> +<li id="f1">Take action against these products: +<a href="https://u.fsf.org/ithings">u.fsf.org/ithings</a>, +<a href="https://u.fsf.org/swindle">u.fsf.org/swindle</a>, +<a href="https://u.fsf.org/ebookslist">u.fsf.org/ebookslist</a>, +<a href="https://upgradefromwindows.org">upgradefromwindows.org</a> +</li> +<li id="f2"><a href="https://u.fsf.org/drm">u.fsf.org/drm</a></li> +</ol> + +</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above --> +<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" --> +<div id="footer"> +<div class="unprintable"> + +<p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to +<a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. +There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> +the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent +to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>.</p> + +<p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, + replace it with the translation of these two: + + We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality + translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. + Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard + to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> + <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> + + <p>For information on coordinating and submitting translations of + our web pages, see <a + href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations + README</a>. --> +Please see the <a +href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations +README</a> for information on coordinating and submitting translations +of this article.</p> +</div> + +<!-- Regarding copyright, in general, standalone pages (as opposed to + files generated as part of manuals) on the GNU web server should + be under CC BY-ND 4.0. Please do NOT change or remove this + without talking with the webmasters or licensing team first. + Please make sure the copyright date is consistent with the + document. For web pages, it is ok to list just the latest year the + document was modified, or published. + + If you wish to list earlier years, that is ok too. + Either "2001, 2002, 2003" or "2001-2003" are ok for specifying + years, as long as each year in the range is in fact a copyrightable + year, i.e., a year in which the document was published (including + being publicly visible on the web or in a revision control system). + + There is more detail about copyright years in the GNU Maintainers + Information document, www.gnu.org/prep/maintain. --> + +<p>Copyright © 2013, 2018 Richard Stallman</p> + +<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license" +href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative +Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p> + +<!--#include virtual="/server/bottom-notes.html" --> + +<p class="unprintable">Updated: +<!-- timestamp start --> +$Date: 2018/12/15 14:02:39 $ +<!-- timestamp end --> +</p> +</div> +</div><!-- for class="inner", starts in the banner include --> +</body> +</html> |