User: Grossmei/dbd alternatives

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This is a page inspired by a conversation on Diaspora about the [http://www.defectivebydesign.org/holiday DBD 2011 Holidays page]. In it there are very few alternatives presented for those wishing to partake in ethical consumer choices during this season.
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See http://libreplanet.org/wiki?title=Group:DefectiveByDesign/Buying_guide_ideas
 
 
Here are some alternatives I could find.
 
 
 
== Promotional material / advocacy ==
 
* Show your colors! Help promote software and technological freedom by getting or giving out [https://www.fsf.org/resources/stickers FSF campaigns stickers].
 
* Visit your favorite free software project and get their merchandise (T-Shirts, stickers, etc.)
 
* Make your own! Remix [https://www.fsf.org/resources/materials existing artwork] and print your own T-Shirts, stickers, mugs, etc.
 
* Consider joining or sponsoring a membership to one of [https://www.gnu.org/links/ the many organizations out there] - why not start with the [https://www.fsf.org/associate/ Free Software Foundation] ? Sponsoring a student membership is U$60.
 
 
 
== Books ==
 
* Try to always get your ebooks in an open, standard format, without DRM - [https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epub ePUB] being the preferred format
 
* Don't miss [Free Software, Free Society (2.0) Free Software, Free Society, 2nd edition] by Richard M. Stallman en ePub format
 
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/ Project Gutenberg] offers over 36,000 free ebooks to download
 
* http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Free_eBooks has an endless collection of links to free ebooks. Remember to always choose DRM-free, epub formats.
 
* A quick search for keywords such as "non-DRM epub ebook gpl cc" should turn up more options
 
* Give an online subscription to [http://www.2600.com/ 2600 magazine] (DRM -free)
 
 
 
== Media players, Music ==
 
* Before buying a media player check Xiph.org's lists of [[https://wiki.xiph.org/PortablePlayers audio] and [https://wiki.xiph.org/Theora_Hardware video players]
 
* Keep in mind all Android devices running CyanogenMod can play FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Ogg Theora media
 
* [http://www.ourproject.org/ OurProject.org] - Free Software & Free Knowledge for a Free Society (mostly in Spanish).
 
* [http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ Mutopia] - collects and distributes free sheet music and information about free music.
 
* When buying music online, always try to get Ogg Vorbis or FLAC formats. Here are a few examples of online formats that provide such formats:
 
** http://www.analekta.com/ (Canada, Classical, FLAC & MP3)
 
**
 
* Avoid DRM-able online stores. Here are a few examples of stores that sell without DRM:
 
** http://www.archambault.ca/musique-mp3-zik-ZIK-fr-ct (Canada, MP3-only)
 
** ...
 
* Liste to free music online with [http://alpha.libre.fm/listen.php Libre FM]
 
* Explore [http://www.archive.org/details/audio Archive.org huge music and audio collection]
 
 
 
== Movies ==
 
* Beofre buying a media player check Xiph.org's lists of [[https://wiki.xiph.org/PortablePlayers audio] and [https://wiki.xiph.org/Theora_Hardware video players]
 
* Keep in mind all Android devices Ogg Theora media although battery time will be impacted as this does not currently use hardware acceleration
 
* Record your own free Off-the-air (OTA) digital broadcasts or record from any analog source using hardware like the [http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Silicondust_HDHomeRun HD Homerun]
 
* [http://www.archive.org/details/movies Archive.org Moving image archive] has a huge collection of classic and recent movies and videos. From timeless classics like [http://www.archive.org/details/The_Boy_In_The_Plastic_Bubble The Boy in the plastic bubble] to recent videos like [http://www.archive.org/details/TheStoryOfStuff The Story of Stuff] including full feature movies like [http://www.archive.org/details/TheYesMenFixTheWorldP2pEdition The Yes Men] and [http://www.archive.org/details/Home2009 Home], there is always something new to discover
 
* The [http://www.getmiro.com/ Miro] free, open source music and video player lets you view, convert and share your media - and gives access to thousands of video feeds
 
* [http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Films Creative Commons Films]
 
 
 
== Video Games ==
 
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-source_video_games List of Open Source Video Games] at Wikipedia
 
** Take the subset of that page which is both Free Software and the content is also a Free Cultural Work (some on that list aren't)
 
 
 
== Computers and Laptops ==
 
* Buy your next computer or netbook pre-installed and including support for Gnu/Linux at one of the following manufacturers:
 
** [http://www.system76.com System76]
 
** [http://www.zareason.com ZaReason]
 
** [http://laclinux.com/gnu/Start]
 
* Ask your local non-chain store to build your own computer from compatible parts & compomnents
 
** [https://www.fsf.org/resources/free-bios Choose a motherboard that supports a free BIOS]
 
** Check your hardware against [H-Node http://h-node.com/] for compatibility.
 
** Ask to have hardware from companies that provide free, open source drivers for them. Some notable examples:
 
*** Hewlett-Packard printers
 
*** Intel video chipsets
 
*** Atheros wireless cards & radios
 
 
 
== Smart Phones and Tablets ==
 
Although Android is often described as being "open source", current devices include non-free drivers and software that implement many restrictions [https://www.fsf.org/bulletin/2008/fall/mobile making such devices essentially non-free].
 
 
 
However, several devices can use alternative firwmare (also referred to as "ROM") like CyanogenMod which combined with the following simple advice brings as much control as you can have today on such devices:
 
* Choose a device from the [http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices CyanogenMod devices]
 
* [https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/android-market-has-drm-too Do not use the Android marketplace] - use [http://f-droid.org/ F-Droid] instead and encourage app developers to publish their apps without DRM.
 
* Do not install Google Apps
 
 
 
Current source code for CyanogenMod [http://www.cyanogenmod.com/blog/cm9-progress-update can be used to build such ROMs for Nexus S], with other devices coming up. The [http://replicant.us/ Replicant] project also aims to have a 100% free implementation of Android, watch its site for compatible devices.
 

Latest revision as of 18:43, 2 December 2011