http://www.zdnet.com/free-software-father-declared-ubuntu-linux-to-contain-spyware-7000008516/

Free software father declared Ubuntu Linux to contain spyware

Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, defended this change by saying Ubuntu wasn't going to incorporate ads into the operating system, which Microsoft has done with Windows 8, and that no personalized data would be sent to Amazon.

not like bad Windows 8

http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/07/president-of-the-free-software-foundation-unleashes-old-testament-wrath-on-ubuntu-linux-spyware/

President of the Free Software Foundation unleashes Old Testament wrath on Ubuntu Linux “spyware”

Richard Stallman, the grand old man of open source software and current president of the Free Software Foundation, is calling Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux “spyware” and calling on the open source community to uninstall the software, shun the company, and “give Canonical whatever rebuff is needed to make it stop.”

Ubuntu is one of the most popular versions of Linux. Stallman is talking about its new network search feature, which he believes spies on the users:

Ubuntu, a widely used and influential GNU/Linux distribution, has installed surveillance code. When the user searches her own local files for a string using the Ubuntu desktop, Ubuntu sends that string to one of Canonical’s servers. (Canonical is the company that develops Ubuntu.)

Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth talked about the feature on his personal blog, prophetically subtitled “here be dragons.” Essentially, searching your files on your computer is also, by default, an online search. That online search includes potentially relevant results from Amazon, and if you buy something, Canonical gets a cut. This is not advertising, according to Shuttleworth:

“We’re not putting ads in Ubuntu. We’re integrating online scope results into the home lens of the dash.”

That extremely fine, perhaps microscopic distinction has escaped some of Canonical’s customers, who are wondering why, in the first place, a desktop search should be integrated with an online search, and why, in the second place, that online search wouldn’t be a Google search instead of a online retailer.

we only collect data that allows us to deliver a great search experience to Ubuntu users. We also recognize that there is always a minority of users who prefer complete data protection, often choosing to avoid services like Google, Facebook or Twitter for those reasons – and for those users, we have made it dead easy to switch the online search tools off with a simple toggle in settings.

We are not telling Amazon what you are searching for. Your anonymity is preserved because we handle the query on your behalf.

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/211544/ubuntu_breathes_new_life_into_school_abandoned_hardware/

Ubuntu breathes new life into school's abandoned hardware

"Using Kubuntu, we can easily extend the life of older hardware with little performance drop. It was easy to secure the workstations and train a student technician to maintain the hardware."

"Students can walk up to each terminal, conduct an Internet search and go on to collect their printout, reserve a book, or access the college Intranet. Other sites are locked out by the proxy setting, and the workstations power off nightly using a cron [timed] poweroff command," he said.

Stefyn said he was "pleasantly surprised" to discover that the Kubuntu desktops ran some applications faster with Linux than when they ran on Windows.

"[Our] older computers will never be able to run Vista. There are some licensing issues [with computers that] have been extensively modified or upgraded and we understand that there are no long-term support plans for Windows XP

the school is giving its proprietary library system the flick.

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/downloads/2170194/sun-staroffice

Check that out, my father was looking for a free office suite, but really did not like openoffice so I found him that. It's StarOffice 7 for free. They are on 8 right now, but it looks like a pretty good software even if it is the older version.

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/r18563495-freeSerif-Photo-Plus-8-full-version

Appears that the normal Serif freephone registration procedure is used.

If you want this on disk for £9.99, then go to http://www.freeserifsoftware.com and then "upgrade" to the discount Photoplus 8 from the free version 6 - most of the free ones there have a similar "version bump" available.

You appear to need to have the magazine to get your serial number?

And also I am not prepared to download almost 50mb at < 10kbps

But thanks for the info anyway

Which is why I always use YYYY-MM-DD.

You confused me there for a minute, 'leecher, until I realized you were saying Aug. 2 and not Feb. 8!

http://www.computeractive.co.uk/photoplus8/index

Serif's Photo editing software, version -3 compared to current (11) or +2 compared to the version always free at http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/

This download offer expires on 02/08/2007. The publisher reserves the right to stop this offer at anytime without notice.

Online registration required.