winhec

When technology journalists get that sour taste

Neil McAllister Senior Editor at InfoWorld is disappointed by our activism, and if his language is anything to judge by, we may have set him on course for some serious heart burn. In a piece entitled Free Software Foundation: Free as in do what I say, McAllister suggests FSF members and activists who turned out to protest DRM at last weeks WinHEC2006 are "cut from the PETA mold", and that the campaign is telling you that "God is on its side"(?). He suggests our description of DRM as Digital Restrictions Management warrants the renaming of the FSF to the "Fundamentalist Software Foundation", and gives us imagery of "a bridge from North Korea to the Sudan"! Who says there is no passion in technology writing - pass the antacids.

Flash Protest News: FSF-backed DRM protesters don hazmat suits at WinHEC (ZDNet)

ZDNet's David Berlind posted today about yesterday's action. While there is no new news here, Berlind does give us a little advice. "DRM" is not an acronym that is sexy.

DRM needs a special name. A name that you can sink your teeth into like "spam." A name like "CRAP."

He goes on to say that Richard Stallman has come up with the best words behind that acronym: "Cancellation, Restriction and Punishment"

Flash Protest News: Wacky Protests In Washington Stir The Masses

John Dvorak makes a mention of the WinHEC DRM Elimination Crew event and while he is not really on our side, he does give us props:

Whatever the case you have to admire the fact that they all went out and bought hazmat suits for their protest march.

Thanks to DRM Elimination Crew's Andrew Becherer for "foisting" the story on Dvorak!

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