[pp.int.general] Petition For The Removal Of Proprietary Software Advertising On Public Websites

[brian.mcneil at wikinewsie.org]

> Subject: [pp.int.general] Petition For The Removal Of Proprietary
> Software Advertising On Public Websites
> To: Pirate Parties International -- General Talk
> <pp.international.general at lists.pirateweb.net>

> We, the undersigned, hereby state that we expressly and unequivocally 
> oppose the advertising of proprietary software products on government 
> websites.

> Free Software guarantees the users right to use (for any purpose), study 
> (without secrets), share (with anyone), and improve the software that 
> they use. Public institutions should publish their documents in formats 
> that can be read with Free Software. Indeed, many Free Software 
> applications exist for reading such documents. Governments should lead 
> citizens to freedom, and encourage them to make use of these applications.
> 
> http://www.fsfe.org/cgi-bin/pdfpetition.pl

I'll certainly be signing that petition. However, have any of you ever
actually emailed a member of parliament, or any other government
official?

What you will note, is that - understandably - there's a message footer
stating that communications have been scanned. To me, as a UK citizen,
the biggest insult in this is that they advertise a Cable & Wireless
product.

I dread to think wht they're paying for the service, or the millions
more maintaining their multitude of Microsoft-loaded PCs. But, you'd
think even if they do contract an American firm for security software,
they'd have the decency to insist it didn't turn every single official
communication into an advertisment.

Brian McNeil.