More Ethical Programming

This time the other sort of ethical programming. Information is the key to living an ethical life. Most of the world is cut off from the sources of information that most of us who live connected to the internet, and who use computers, take for granted.

Even if we could provide cheap new or recondition computers for those unable to afford them, the strangle hold that big software companies like Microsoft, Adobe and others hold on the market mean the poor would not be able to put any software on them.

However there is the growing FOSS (Free Open Source Software) movement providing software free and just as good as the commercially-produced stuff. Here are some links to the best open source or otherwise free software for Micro$oft Windows. Why put any more money in Bill Gates' pocket - apparently if he spent $1,000,000 a day it would still take him 120 years to go through his vast fortune!

• Open Office - I use it all the time - really gives Microsoft Office a run for its money why pay hundreds of pounds when this does the same for nothing?
• Firefox - Wouldn't surf the web with anything else.
• Thunderbird - who needs Outlook Express?
• Audacity - Record your own stuff in WAV, MP3 and even Ogg Vorbis quality!
• HTMLKit - Best HTML editor on the planet.
• The GIMP - a graphics manipulation program rivalling Photoshop.

Have a look at opensourcewindows.org for a long list of open source software for windows, opensourcemac.com for free Apple Mac software. And if you are using Linux then you probably know all about FOSS already.