This campaign is asking for signatures to call for Windows 7 to become an open source operating system

Just yesterday we saw how Microsoft, with its commitment to Chromium, has changed its policy regarding open software. If Traditionally Microsoft has been a company that distanced itself from free software, for some time now the situation seems to have changed.

And this shift, this change of position is what may have favored the emergence of proposals such as the one at hand and that requests that Windows 7 go to be an open source operating system now that the popular Microsoft operating system is no longer officially supported by the company.

Unsupported? Well, make it open source

The proposal was made by Greg Farough, Campaigns Manager of the FSF (Free Software Foundation). He has been in charge of drafting a petition to Microsoft through which asks the company for Windows 7 to become an open source operating system To this end he alludes End of Support which prevents Windows 7 from receiving any further updates.

Along with the participation in the Chromium project, we have seen how Microsoft has opened the development of other applications and functions This is the case of the popular Windows Calculator or the opening of the company by assigning more than 60,000 patents to the Open Invention Network.

In this sense, Greg Farough establishes in the petition a series of demands to Microsoft, so that the company should give the community access to the source code of Windows 7. These are the requests they make:

• We demand that Windows 7 be released as free software. Your life does not have to end. Access can be provided to the community to study, modify and share.
• We urge you to respect the freedom and privacy of your users, not simply force them to upgrade to a new version of Windows.
• We want more evidence that users and user freedom are really respected, and not only these concepts are used as marketing when convenient.

It is not feasible for Microsoft to concede to a similar proposal, even if the number of signatories to the proposal was unreasonably high. Windows 7 and in general, any version of Windows brings together a series of patents and developments that make it difficult for them to offer access to all users.What is striking is the depth that Windows 7 has had in the market and that makes ideas like this come to light.

Via | Wccftech More information | FSF