What I have done is modify my video player to accept a wider range of formats and can now play almost anything that comes down the pipes. That doesn’t come stock on linux but if you are willing to spend the time to learn, I am proof it can be done. I have learned what to do to make the necessary modifications on the net and got the necessary files, libraries, and changes on the net also.

What I won’t do is change my linux over to IE, get bug and security problematic windows junk, nor will I be paying for software again in the sense of an OS.

The whole thing about Live8 wasn’t that it was free. It was put on and the exclusive rights to make the dvd for sale pretty much came through AOL (read Time-Warner). While much to do was done about Time-Warner and AOL splitting it was more for the appearance for the stockholders than it was anything else. For the stateside tv broadcast and for the streaming feeds it was nothing but advertisement and the audience wasn’t allowed to really see the concert in its entirety. Rather it was broken up to give a commercial appearance with announcers mouthing off more like a sports event than a music event. Evidently commercial broadcasting felt you should be paying to see it sometime in the future and if they showed you all that was there then there would be nothing for sale. You could get it through AOL but guess what? You need that Windoze crap to do so and you had to sign on AOL which means setting yourself up for both spyware and for spam when you give up your email. Neither of which I am willing to do.

Sense they feel you should pay for the right to watch a free concert when they put the dvd out, I am certainly not going to spend the money to see it. To me it defeated the whole purpose and intent of the live8 to begin with. Once again commercialism has gotten in the way to make money off an event that was supposed to be a freebee so that you would donate money to feed the hungry. The freebee wasn’t there and I am not going to support the thieves that use economic terrorism to get their way.

Call me a drop out but I am not going to do it the way they think commercialism should be accepted. Since the spirit of the event was corrupted, so was my willingness to support the theme.

From various points on the site it says “official downloads” with a link to:
http://www.7digital.com/downloads/live8/ which for me simply says:

“Sorry. Your computer does not appear to be compatible. This download will only work on computers with Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP.”

Various other multimedia requires the Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash player, which while available free/gratis is not free/libre and not available on all platforms.

Many majority-world countries are moving heavily towards development-friendly fair-trade Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) such as Linux, and away from illegal copies of “software manufacturing” software given paying for the software is unreasonable.

Talking about Microsoft, the most successful “software manufacturer”, Marcelo D’Elia Branco, coordinator of Brazil’s Free Software Project, stated that “every license for Office plus Windows in Brazil - a country in which 22 million people are starving - means we have to export 60 sacks of soybeans”.

It is ludicrous to demand people pay for the software that the Live 8 site is promoting when perfectly legitimate and legally free alternatives exist. They should be promoting the opposite, suggesting that instead of rich people paying money to these brands that people use FLOSS and donate the difference in the cost towards making poverty history.

Given the anti-sharing message pushed by Big Music’s BPI (British Phonographic Industry), I really have to wonder if this concert was about “making poverty history”, or about whitewashing the anti-development, anti-fair-trade policies of the recording industry, their most famous musicians, and the “software manufacturing” brands which they were partnered with?

There is no legitimate reason why all the results of this concert were not openly licensed under a Creative Commons style license (Maybe non-commercial share-alike so that third parties wouldn’t be making money off of these concerts), and all available media released in at least vendor-neutral standard file formats such as MPEG video and MPEG audio (MP3).

As a FLOSS developer and supporter (both as a volunteer and commercially), anti-poverty and fair trade activist, and supporter of international development, I have to admit I’ve been less than impressed with how this specific campaign turned out.

Further (copyright) policy suggestions on how to Make Poverty History.
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/view/960

I will refuse to buy this, rather I will download it at some point, if for no other reason than denying the major media groups any sort of funds out of it. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with charity for a good cause, I do have problems with highway robbery, which seems to be the only mode the mega-corps operate under.

it’s for a good cause, making poverty history, being there and seeing some of the messages broadcast with 200,000 people around you. It does make you think and open your eyes to how much people are suffering, and what you can do to help and encourage the G8 leaders to listen to what the people want and strike the best deal possible - although with Bush being president, America ain’t going to do much, besides sue more students, the elderly and children!

“Compatible with Windows 98/2000/XP”

Fuckers.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against stopping poverty. I’m just against the rich telling other’s they aren’t giving enough.