A while back I posted about how I was convinced that Linux (or GNU/Linux as it should be called) stands no chance of being adopted on a grand scale by the population. Though my opinion hasn’t changed, I am convinced that the smarter elements of the population should make it a priority to adopt as much free software as it can on its desktops and laptops. The reason for this is fairly simple to understand: if the population can weaken the control corporations and governments have on them by using software and drivers which are transparent in their function, not only is the population removing the potential that some of their favourite programs may have malware of any kind, but they are also letting the evildoers know that an invasion of their privacy will not be tolerated.

However, privacy is not the only issue at hand. I use an entirely free GNU/Linux distribution on the beloved laptop which I am typing this from. The reason I have removed and replaced the Windows 7 installation it came with in favour of GNU/Linux is because despite offering certain features I generally enjoy (access to the largest library of software in existence in addition to Blu-Ray playback), the manufacturer of the laptop did not allow me to install the official NVIDIA driver for its GPU. Instead, I was forced to use the version they were supplying, outdated and buggy as it was, because the manufacturer refused to have the chip be recognized as what it truly was: a GeForce 310M with no special quality of any kind. The mere fact that I could not update the driver unless I made an attempt to hack the binary NVIDIA provides for its customers was a harsh reminder of the fact that corporations believe we don’t own the products we bought even after they have been legally paid for. GNU/Linux makes no such attempt to control its users, allowing them to install whatever they want, however they want, whenever they want and with the assurance that their privacy will be respected and that their choice will remain confidential in every sense of the word.

Free software offers you that liberty. With each passing day, the alternatives remove more of that liberty from us.