Clippy Campaign: Difference between revisions
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In August 2025, YouTuber {{Wplink|Louis Rossmann}} started a grassroots {{Wplink|solidarity}} visibility campaign (tentatively named the '''Clippy Campaign'''), wherein participants changed their profile pictures on social media platforms in protest of unethical practices by corporations across industries. Users changed their profile pictures to a "Clippy", referring to an image of the "Clippit" avatar of | In August 2025, YouTuber {{Wplink|Louis Rossmann}} started a grassroots {{Wplink|solidarity}} visibility campaign (tentatively named the '''Clippy Campaign'''), wherein participants changed their profile pictures on social media platforms in protest of unethical practices by corporations across industries. Users changed their profile pictures to a "Clippy", referring to an image of the "Clippit" avatar of {{Wplink|Office Assistant}} as seen in Microsoft Office from 1997 to 2003. | ||
The movement remains active as of February 2026, as more and more Clippy members find ways to contribute to various causes associated with the movement in their home towns.<ref name="austin law">{{Cite web |date=3 Feb 2026 |title=You protested AI surveillance cameras & Austin wrote a law because of it! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLVE5xtdZTA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=OLVE5xtdZTA |archive-date=2026 | The movement remains active as of February 2026, as more and more Clippy members find ways to contribute to various causes associated with the movement in their home towns.<ref name="austin law">{{Cite web |date=3 Feb 2026 |title=You protested AI surveillance cameras & Austin wrote a law because of it! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLVE5xtdZTA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=OLVE5xtdZTA |archive-date=4 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
==Purpose== | ==Purpose== | ||
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In the first such video uploaded by Rossmann, he asks viewers to change their profile pictures on their social networking accounts to a picture of a "Clippy" as a form of protest and to provide a way of identifying themselves as a member of the movement. In the following weeks, Clippy profile pictures began flooding YouTube comments sections and started to spread to other sites and applications. | In the first such video uploaded by Rossmann, he asks viewers to change their profile pictures on their social networking accounts to a picture of a "Clippy" as a form of protest and to provide a way of identifying themselves as a member of the movement. In the following weeks, Clippy profile pictures began flooding YouTube comments sections and started to spread to other sites and applications. | ||
Rossmann has subsequently released further videos addressing the accomplishments that participants have made, the current progress made in different areas, and what members can continue to do in the future to protect people from further overreach by these companies, and [[Bose_SoundTouch_end_of_life_treatment|even reverse them]]. His channel has a long history of videos which point out a great number of incidents in which companies have mistreated paying customers, and they have provided members of the movement with valuable information and motivation to change things for the better. Rossmann emphasizes the importance of many people working together, and has pointed out that the Clippy campaign has been much more successful than he has been on his own.<ref name="do the work 2026">{{Cite web |date=4 Feb 2026 |title=DO THE WORK! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QDbZZYIxk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=9-QDbZZYIxk |archive-date=2026 | Rossmann has subsequently released further videos addressing the accomplishments that participants have made, the current progress made in different areas, and what members can continue to do in the future to protect people from further overreach by these companies, and [[Bose_SoundTouch_end_of_life_treatment|even reverse them]]. His channel has a long history of videos which point out a great number of incidents in which companies have mistreated paying customers, and they have provided members of the movement with valuable information and motivation to change things for the better. Rossmann emphasizes the importance of many people working together, and has pointed out that the Clippy campaign has been much more successful than he has been on his own.<ref name="do the work 2026">{{Cite web |date=4 Feb 2026 |title=DO THE WORK! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QDbZZYIxk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=9-QDbZZYIxk |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
=="Clippy" profile pictures== | =="Clippy" profile pictures== | ||
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===Comparison to "slacktivism"=== | ===Comparison to "slacktivism"=== | ||
Another key concept emphasized by Rossmann is preventing the movement from succumbing to [[wikipedia:Slacktivism|''slacktivism'']]—in general, the concept refers to proponents of a featured social or political cause doing very little actual work to support what they say they are supporting. The term is a pejorative portmanteau of ''slacker'' and ''activism'', and as such implies a negligible level of commitment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=(PDF) Activism or Slacktivism? The Potential and Pitfalls of Social Media in Contemporary Student Activism |url=https://www.academia.edu/34753295/Activism_or_Slacktivism_The_Potential_and_Pitfalls_of_Social_Media_in_Contemporary_Student_Activism |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804145459/https://www.academia.edu/34753295/Activism_or_Slacktivism_The_Potential_and_Pitfalls_of_Social_Media_in_Contemporary_Student_Activism |archive-date=4 Aug 2021}}</ref> Many of Rossmann's videos are focused on ways people can help, because providing examples can provide additional information members can leverage, as well as more motivation on top of that which is garnered through encouraging commentary. Avoiding slacktivism would become a [[Clippy_Campaign#Characteristics|recurring theme]] throughout future videos (whether named or not). | |||
Another key concept emphasized by Rossmann is preventing the movement from succumbing to [[wikipedia:Slacktivism|''slacktivism'']]—in general, the concept refers to proponents of a featured social or political cause doing very little actual work to support what they say they are supporting. The term is a pejorative portmanteau of ''slacker'' and ''activism'', and as such implies a negligible level of commitment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=(PDF) Activism or Slacktivism? The Potential and Pitfalls of Social Media in Contemporary Student Activism |url=https://www.academia.edu/34753295/Activism_or_Slacktivism_The_Potential_and_Pitfalls_of_Social_Media_in_Contemporary_Student_Activism |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804145459/https://www.academia.edu/34753295/Activism_or_Slacktivism_The_Potential_and_Pitfalls_of_Social_Media_in_Contemporary_Student_Activism |archive-date=2021 | |||
===Clippy as a symbol of escalating overreach=== | ===Clippy as a symbol of escalating overreach=== | ||
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===Historical parallels=== | ===Historical parallels=== | ||
During World War II, in Norway, paperclips were worn like jewelry as a symbol of resistance to German occupation and Norwegian collaboration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlesinger |first=Joe |date=August 5, 2011 |title=Breivik, Quisling and the Norwegian spirit |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/breivik-quisling-and-the-norwegian-spirit-1.1064817 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411001308/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/breivik-quisling-and-the-norwegian-spirit-1.1064817 |archive-date=11 Apr 2021 |access-date=13 Sep 2025 |website=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation{{!}}CBC}}</ref> They symbolized unity, proclaiming that "we are bound together," much as Rossmann noted that while one paperclip alone is weak, many paperclips (Clippy members) working together are strong together. | |||
During World War II, in Norway, paperclips were worn like jewelry as a symbol of resistance to German occupation and Norwegian collaboration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlesinger |first=Joe |date=August 5, 2011 |title=Breivik, Quisling and the Norwegian spirit |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/breivik-quisling-and-the-norwegian-spirit-1.1064817 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411001308/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/breivik-quisling-and-the-norwegian-spirit-1.1064817 |archive-date=2021 | |||
==Campaign origins== | ==Campaign origins== | ||
===Incipient stage=== | ===Incipient stage=== | ||
On 7 August 2025, YouTuber Louis Rossmann uploaded a video titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Dtmpe9qaQ Change your profile picture to clippy. I'm serious]" and encouraged his viewers to stand up against unethical practices of technology corporations (and companies in other industries) which violated consumer rights or otherwise proved detrimental to their paying customers. In the video, he suggested that members who join the movement could change their profile pictures on YouTube and other platforms to a Clippy, on the grounds that such an avatar was a fitting symbol, that avatars with a common theme would help participants recognize each other, and that the collective usage of the avatar in great numbers would raise questions among others and potentially draw attention to the movement.<ref name="first rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |date=7 Aug 2025 |title=Change your profile picture to clippy. I'm serious |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Dtmpe9qaQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=2_Dtmpe9qaQ |archive-date=7 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref name="second rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |date=12 Aug 2025 |title=You Changed Your Profile to Clippy: Now What? 📎📎📎 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkL9vzW7nY0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=SkL9vzW7nY0 |archive-date=12 Aug 2025}}</ref> | |||
On 7 August 2025, YouTuber Louis Rossmann uploaded a video titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Dtmpe9qaQ Change your profile picture to clippy. I'm serious]" and encouraged his viewers to stand up against unethical practices of technology corporations (and companies in other industries) which violated consumer rights or otherwise proved detrimental to their paying customers. In the video, he suggested that members who join the movement could change their profile pictures on YouTube and other platforms to a Clippy, on the grounds that such an avatar was a fitting symbol, that avatars with a common theme would help participants recognize each other, and that the collective usage of the avatar in great numbers would raise questions among others and potentially draw attention to the movement.<ref name="first rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |date=7 Aug 2025 |title=Change your profile picture to clippy. I'm serious |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Dtmpe9qaQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=2_Dtmpe9qaQ |archive-date=2025 | |||
Rossmann stated that educating the public and spreading awareness of these issues was the primary motivation behind his call to action, and while winning the "legislative battle" would be a favorable end, it was not an imperative end at the first stage of the campaign.<ref name="first rossmann clippy video" /> | Rossmann stated that educating the public and spreading awareness of these issues was the primary motivation behind his call to action, and while winning the "legislative battle" would be a favorable end, it was not an imperative end at the first stage of the campaign.<ref name="first rossmann clippy video" /> | ||
===Motivations=== | ===Motivations=== | ||
The scope of the campaign intersects with the general resistance to anti-ownership practices by companies that have become more common throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, such as denying paying customers the [[right to repair]] the products that they had purchased. In the video, Rossmann offered a non-exhaustive list of grievances that people have faced, as possible reasons for aligning with the campaign, shown below in brief (see [[Clippy Campaign#Examples|Examples]] for details): | The scope of the campaign intersects with the general resistance to anti-ownership practices by companies that have become more common throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, such as denying paying customers the [[right to repair]] the products that they had purchased. In the video, Rossmann offered a non-exhaustive list of grievances that people have faced, as possible reasons for aligning with the campaign, shown below in brief (see [[Clippy Campaign#Examples|Examples]] for details): | ||
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==Early developments== | ==Early developments== | ||
===Orientation=== | ===Orientation=== | ||
Rossmann later uploaded a clarifying video on 12 August 2025, titled "[https://youtu.be/SkL9vzW7nY0 You Changed Your Profile to Clippy: Now What? 📎📎📎]", to elaborate on the meaning of the movement for participants and outsiders, and to call participants to action, offering ways in which they could actively contribute to creating effective results that could counteract or make conspicuous the exploitative and dishonest business practices they are protesting. Rossmann stated in the video that the act of changing one's profile picture is not the goal of the movement, but a prerequisite for realizing bigger changes; it serves as a simple task that gets users invested in the movement and increases its visibility, so that even if a participant is not able to effectuate much change on their own, they can make people who ''are'' capable of more tangible influence aware of the movement and utilize their assistance.<ref name="second rossmann clippy video" /> A major focus of the video was slacktivism, [[Clippy_Campaign#Comparison_to_"slacktivism"|which Rossmann asks members to avoid]]. | Rossmann later uploaded a clarifying video on 12 August 2025, titled "[https://youtu.be/SkL9vzW7nY0 You Changed Your Profile to Clippy: Now What? 📎📎📎]", to elaborate on the meaning of the movement for participants and outsiders, and to call participants to action, offering ways in which they could actively contribute to creating effective results that could counteract or make conspicuous the exploitative and dishonest business practices they are protesting. Rossmann stated in the video that the act of changing one's profile picture is not the goal of the movement, but a prerequisite for realizing bigger changes; it serves as a simple task that gets users invested in the movement and increases its visibility, so that even if a participant is not able to effectuate much change on their own, they can make people who ''are'' capable of more tangible influence aware of the movement and utilize their assistance.<ref name="second rossmann clippy video" /> A major focus of the video was slacktivism, [[Clippy_Campaign#Comparison_to_"slacktivism"|which Rossmann asks members to avoid]]. | ||
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===Early reflections=== | ===Early reflections=== | ||
Rossmann uploaded a follow-up video four days later, on 16 August 2025, titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc Progress of clippy movement one week in]", in which he remarked on the rapid growth of the movement and thanked participants for actively working and making a difference, and not simply changing their profile pictures without doing anything else.<ref name="third rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |date=16 Aug 2025 |title=Progress of clippy movement one week in |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc |archive-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref> | |||
Rossmann uploaded a follow-up video four days later, on 16 August 2025, titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc Progress of clippy movement one week in]", in which he remarked on the rapid growth of the movement and thanked participants for actively working and making a difference, and not simply changing their profile pictures without doing anything else.<ref name="third rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |date=16 Aug 2025 |title=Progress of clippy movement one week in |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc |archive-date=2025 | |||
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc&t=32s Progress of clippy movement one week in 0:32] | [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc&t=32s Progress of clippy movement one week in 0:32] | ||
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[...] The wiki has had an absolute explosion in the past week since doing that Clippy video of people really taking part in all of this, [...] doing the very, very difficult, annoying, pain-in-the-ass work of logging everything [... and making] it infinitely better as a resource. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc&t=183s| ''3:03'']] And the edits genuinely show how much has changed. Thank you. Thank you so much. You didn't just change your profile picture. You changed your profile picture and you immediately got to work, taking the steps that you can, in your personal life, doing what you can do to try and move towards a world where ownership matters. And it shows.</blockquote> | [...] The wiki has had an absolute explosion in the past week since doing that Clippy video of people really taking part in all of this, [...] doing the very, very difficult, annoying, pain-in-the-ass work of logging everything [... and making] it infinitely better as a resource. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgghxUw4kc&t=183s| ''3:03'']] And the edits genuinely show how much has changed. Thank you. Thank you so much. You didn't just change your profile picture. You changed your profile picture and you immediately got to work, taking the steps that you can, in your personal life, doing what you can do to try and move towards a world where ownership matters. And it shows.</blockquote> | ||
On 1 September 2025 a fourth video under the title "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 THIS is what it means to be a clippy]", was posted by Rossmann. It questioned his followers and gave examples on how individuals could show integrity and push back and against new age anti-ownership practices in their own lives and what the effects of that decision might be. An important point raised in the video was that users don't have to sacrifice anything to be a part of something bigger, because any small actions, when performed all together by many people, add up to significant results.<ref name="fourth Rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |date=1 Sep 2025 |title=THIS is what it means to be a clippy |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 |archive-date=2025 | On 1 September 2025 a fourth video under the title "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 THIS is what it means to be a clippy]", was posted by Rossmann. It questioned his followers and gave examples on how individuals could show integrity and push back and against new age anti-ownership practices in their own lives and what the effects of that decision might be. An important point raised in the video was that users don't have to sacrifice anything to be a part of something bigger, because any small actions, when performed all together by many people, add up to significant results.<ref name="fourth Rossmann clippy video">{{Cite web |date=1 Sep 2025 |title=THIS is what it means to be a clippy |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=CtcLvXBKE80 |archive-date=2 Sep 2025}}</ref> | ||
===Silhouette series=== | ===Silhouette series=== | ||
In October 2025, Rossmann began uploading green-screen videos in the style of silhouette interviews, which are used by news broadcasts to keep an interviewee's identity anonymous, but can be used rhetorically outside of news broadcasts to visually represent an anonymous party; in this case, the anonymous party is the collection of editors for Consumer Rights Wiki and members of, or subscribers to, the FULU Foundation.<ref name="first Rossmann silhouette">{{Cite web |date=9 Oct 2025 |title=Synology reverses course on requiring branded drives: NOT ENOUGH! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot_XQX7di2Y |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=ot_XQX7di2Y |archive-date=2025 | In October 2025, Rossmann began uploading green-screen videos in the style of silhouette interviews, which are used by news broadcasts to keep an interviewee's identity anonymous, but can be used rhetorically outside of news broadcasts to visually represent an anonymous party; in this case, the anonymous party is the collection of editors for Consumer Rights Wiki and members of, or subscribers to, the FULU Foundation.<ref name="first Rossmann silhouette">{{Cite web |date=9 Oct 2025 |title=Synology reverses course on requiring branded drives: NOT ENOUGH! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot_XQX7di2Y |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=ot_XQX7di2Y |archive-date=9 Oct 2025}}</ref> These videos consist of Rossmann depicted as a featureless silhouette, speaking about a specific company's malpractice, and occasionally holding up a large paperclip against the background, symbolizing the collective agreement of the vast number of "Clippy" users online. | ||
On 9 October 2025, Rossmann uploaded his first silhouette video, an annunciatory reaction to recent decisions from the company [[Synology]]. The video, titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot_XQX7di2Y Synology reverses course on requiring branded drives: NOT ENOUGH!]", begins by dedicating the announcement to restoring consumer rights and the rights of ownership. The core of the video refers to the company formerly [[Synology_requiring_proprietary-branded_drives_to_be_used_with_its_NAS|requiring users to use only Synology hard drives in their network-attached storage units]], a policy enforced by DRM. Synology reversed their decision, but Rossmann points out that it is not enough to simply undo the action; the company has to indicate plainly to its customers that they will not engage in further anti-consumer practices in the future. The video ends with a call to action for members of the Clippy movement, declaring that the fight for consumer rights had moved into a new era, in which companies reverse the detrimental actions which had previously characterized their policies toward their own customers: | On 9 October 2025, Rossmann uploaded his first silhouette video, an annunciatory reaction to recent decisions from the company [[Synology]]. The video, titled "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot_XQX7di2Y Synology reverses course on requiring branded drives: NOT ENOUGH!]", begins by dedicating the announcement to restoring consumer rights and the rights of ownership. The core of the video refers to the company formerly [[Synology_requiring_proprietary-branded_drives_to_be_used_with_its_NAS|requiring users to use only Synology hard drives in their network-attached storage units]], a policy enforced by DRM. Synology reversed their decision, but Rossmann points out that it is not enough to simply undo the action; the company has to indicate plainly to its customers that they will not engage in further anti-consumer practices in the future. The video ends with a call to action for members of the Clippy movement, declaring that the fight for consumer rights had moved into a new era, in which companies reverse the detrimental actions which had previously characterized their policies toward their own customers: | ||
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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NVtg1tkgSQ&t=63s Microsoft went too far 1:03] | [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NVtg1tkgSQ&t=63s Microsoft went too far 1:03] | ||
<blockquote>[''Reading from AlternativeTo'']<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 Oct 2025 |title=Windows 11 removes all bypass methods for Microsoft account setup, removing local accounts |url=https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/10/windows-11-now-blocks-all-microsoft-account-bypasses-during-setup/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007102104/https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/10/windows-11-now-blocks-all-microsoft-account-bypasses-during-setup/ |archive-date=2025 | <blockquote>[''Reading from AlternativeTo'']<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 Oct 2025 |title=Windows 11 removes all bypass methods for Microsoft account setup, removing local accounts |url=https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/10/windows-11-now-blocks-all-microsoft-account-bypasses-during-setup/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007102104/https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/10/windows-11-now-blocks-all-microsoft-account-bypasses-during-setup/ |archive-date=7 Oct 2025}}</ref> Microsoft says that removing local only methods prevents skipped configuration steps and ensures devices are properly set up and secure. [''Commentary''] But leaving hundreds of millions of Windows 10 devices without security updates isn't... tell me more! | ||
[''Reading''] This change is part of the company’s broader "Local-only commands removal" initiative, reinforcing that bypassing account creation could lead to incomplete setups or potential security issues. [...] | [''Reading''] This change is part of the company’s broader "Local-only commands removal" initiative, reinforcing that bypassing account creation could lead to incomplete setups or potential security issues. [...] | ||
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[''Rossmann's silhouette holds up a large paperclip against the background.''] Clippy would never require an online account to use a word processor or an operating system. Respect the Clippy. He's watching.</blockquote> | [''Rossmann's silhouette holds up a large paperclip against the background.''] Clippy would never require an online account to use a word processor or an operating system. Respect the Clippy. He's watching.</blockquote> | ||
Rossmann concludes the video by stating that if Microsoft does not reverse its course by the 16th, then he would hold on the 18th a public event on behalf of the FULU Foundation, where users can get their computers upgraded, learn how to install free software, and try out Linux (a free operating system) for themselves.<ref name="second Rossmann silhouette">{{Cite web |date=10 Oct 2025 |title=Microsoft went too far |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NVtg1tkgSQ |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=3NVtg1tkgSQ |archive-date=2025 | Rossmann concludes the video by stating that if Microsoft does not reverse its course by the 16th, then he would hold on the 18th a public event on behalf of the FULU Foundation, where users can get their computers upgraded, learn how to install free software, and try out Linux (a free operating system) for themselves.<ref name="second Rossmann silhouette">{{Cite web |date=10 Oct 2025 |title=Microsoft went too far |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NVtg1tkgSQ |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=3NVtg1tkgSQ |archive-date=10 Oct 2025}}</ref> Rossmann stated that the goal was to encourage people to help other members of their community, learn new ways of keeping their technology safe from viruses, and prevent computers from populating landfills (because many people have to throw out their old computers which are unable to run Windows 11, but replacing Windows with Linux prevents this). | ||
===Emergence out in the world=== | ===Emergence out in the world=== | ||
A notable example Rossmann featured of the Clippy movement outside of the Internet comes from a discussion about Vidor, Texas and its city council meeting. Rossmann starts out a video published on 10 October 2025 by recounting the background behind the movement's progress in Vidor and uses it as an example of members uniting together and doing real work. Vidor's city council is presented as not being proactive or willing to investigate for themselves. The video also offers an excellent anecdote about the growing culture associated with the movement as word spreads online. | A notable example Rossmann featured of the Clippy movement outside of the Internet comes from a discussion about Vidor, Texas and its city council meeting. Rossmann starts out a video published on 10 October 2025 by recounting the background behind the movement's progress in Vidor and uses it as an example of members uniting together and doing real work. Vidor's city council is presented as not being proactive or willing to investigate for themselves. The video also offers an excellent anecdote about the growing culture associated with the movement as word spreads online. | ||
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==Impact== | ==Impact== | ||
Rossmann hopes that the group awareness created by the campaign will allow people to take action more quickly, due to already knowing that others around them are in alignment. Already it has been seen that many users on YouTube and other social media sites have taken part in the campaign. Some are even taking action to further spread word of the movement in hopes it will eventually get the attention of legislation, tech companies, etc. | Rossmann hopes that the group awareness created by the campaign will allow people to take action more quickly, due to already knowing that others around them are in alignment. Already it has been seen that many users on YouTube and other social media sites have taken part in the campaign. Some are even taking action to further spread word of the movement in hopes it will eventually get the attention of legislation, tech companies, etc. | ||
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===Vidor, Texas refuses AI surveillance=== | ===Vidor, Texas refuses AI surveillance=== | ||
{{Incomplete section}} | {{Incomplete section}} | ||
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===Austin, Texas=== | ===Austin, Texas=== | ||
{{Incomplete section}} | {{Incomplete section}} | ||
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===Bose audio equipment=== | ===Bose audio equipment=== | ||
{{Incomplete section}} | {{Incomplete section}} | ||
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Rossmann provided some examples of motivations people might have to join the campaign in his first video. This is only a list of the example from that video; further examples can be found in hundreds of other videos posted on [https://www.youtube.com/@rossmanngroup Rossmann's channel]. | Rossmann provided some examples of motivations people might have to join the campaign in his first video. This is only a list of the example from that video; further examples can be found in hundreds of other videos posted on [https://www.youtube.com/@rossmanngroup Rossmann's channel]. | ||
*Companies can change the terms of a sale ''retroactively'' without legal repercussions. The example offered is [[ | *Companies can change the terms of a sale ''retroactively'' without legal repercussions. The example offered is [[Philips Hue starts requiring an account for the Hue app|Philips Hue changing the terms of service on smart light bulbs]] that were already purchased under different terms, thence requiring users to sign up for an account in order to use the light bulbs.<ref name="philips retroactive terms">{{Cite web |date=25 Sep 2023 |title=Philips changes terms after the sale: requires data-sharing account to use a light bulb... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR2j-r3pmng |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=vR2j-r3pmng |archive-date=25 Sep 2023}}</ref><ref name="philips hue blog">{{Cite web |date=21 Sep 2023 |title=Philips Hue soon only usable with account |url=https://hueblog.com/2023/09/21/philips-hue-soon-only-usable-with-account-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926130601/https://hueblog.com/2023/09/21/philips-hue-soon-only-usable-with-account-2/ |archive-date=26 Sep 2023}}</ref><ref name="home assistant blog on philips hue">{{Cite web |date=22 Sep 2023 |title=Philips Hue will force users to upload their data to Hue cloud |url=https://community.home-assistant.io/t/philips-hue-will-force-users-to-upload-their-data-to-hue-cloud/617391 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103075835/https://community.home-assistant.io/t/philips-hue-will-force-users-to-upload-their-data-to-hue-cloud/617391 |archive-date=3 Nov 2023}}</ref> | ||
*Companies can lock users out of a device they already paid for until a novel subscription fee is paid (tantamount to {{Wplink|ransomware}}). The example offered is the smart-home company [[Futurehome_Smarthub_Mandatory_Subscription_Fee|Futurehome pushing out a firmware update that disabled the smart-home devices of every customer]]; devices could only be re-enabled if the customer signed up for a new subscription that was not previously required.<ref name="futurehome ransomware">{{Cite web |date=16 Jul 2025 |title=Smarthome company goes bankrupt, new owner ransoms everyone's house: $5000 bounty to crack firmware! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNuZ3BjT7IU |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=KNuZ3BjT7IU |archive-date=2025 | *Companies can lock users out of a device they already paid for until a novel subscription fee is paid (tantamount to {{Wplink|ransomware}}). The example offered is the smart-home company [[Futurehome_Smarthub_Mandatory_Subscription_Fee|Futurehome pushing out a firmware update that disabled the smart-home devices of every customer]]; devices could only be re-enabled if the customer signed up for a new subscription that was not previously required.<ref name="futurehome ransomware">{{Cite web |date=16 Jul 2025 |title=Smarthome company goes bankrupt, new owner ransoms everyone's house: $5000 bounty to crack firmware! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNuZ3BjT7IU |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=KNuZ3BjT7IU |archive-date=16 Jul 2025}}</ref><ref name="xda blog on futurehome">{{Cite web |date=31 Jul 2025 |title=Futurehome proves why it's more important than ever to take back control of your smart home |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/futurehome-important-take-back-control-smart-home/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250731023509/https://www.xda-developers.com/futurehome-important-take-back-control-smart-home/ |archive-date=31 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
*The comments sections of many [[YouTube]] channels frequently contain malicious comments that normalize sex trafficking, posted by bot accounts.<ref name="first rossmann clippy video" /> Massive botnets create autonomous accounts with profile pictures ostensibly featuring attractive or scantily dressed women, and when their channels are viewed, the user is greeted with links to websites that contain adult content, enticing users to fall for {{Wplink|phishing}} scams.<ref name="lon tv blog on sex bots">{{Cite web |date=20 May 2025 |title=My YouTube Channel's Comment Section is Infested By Bots! |url=https://blog.lon.tv/2025/05/20/my-youtube-channels-comment-section-are-infested-by-bots/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250622122016/https://blog.lon.tv/2025/05/20/my-youtube-channels-comment-section-are-infested-by-bots/ |archive-date=2025 | *The comments sections of many [[YouTube]] channels frequently contain malicious comments that normalize sex trafficking, posted by bot accounts.<ref name="first rossmann clippy video" /> Massive botnets create autonomous accounts with profile pictures ostensibly featuring attractive or scantily dressed women, and when their channels are viewed, the user is greeted with links to websites that contain adult content, enticing users to fall for {{Wplink|phishing}} scams.<ref name="lon tv blog on sex bots">{{Cite web |date=20 May 2025 |title=My YouTube Channel's Comment Section is Infested By Bots! |url=https://blog.lon.tv/2025/05/20/my-youtube-channels-comment-section-are-infested-by-bots/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250622122016/https://blog.lon.tv/2025/05/20/my-youtube-channels-comment-section-are-infested-by-bots/ |archive-date=22 Jun 2025}}</ref>. Such comments are extremely pervasive, often showing up just seconds after a video is uploaded, seemingly only ever deleted by the manual review of the owner of the video rather than by server-side action; their extent is met contrariwise by reports of legitimate comments from real users being completely censored (not being visible to anyone other than the poster of the comment), even including the user who uploaded the video itself.{{Citation needed}} Rossmann points out in the aforementioned video that some of these bot accounts can bypass the filters by using pictures that are not actually of scantily dressed women, but can so appear to be when the image is small, such as when it is beside a comment; only when it is examined more closely, can it be shown to be an image of something else, such as a cat next to some pillows.<ref name="first rossmann clippy video" /> | ||
*Companies can deny a user's [[right to repair]] something damaged in transit (i.e., not by the user), even when the user is willing to purchase needed parts from them, and then threaten legal action for asking them about the decision. The example offered is [[Cami Research|Cami Research accusing a user of harassment]] who was very professional over the phone, outright stating that because it values profit over users being able to repair products which they already purchased, it does not want customers to be able to repair them because if they repair the unit they already have, they would not buy a new one.<ref name="cami research violates law">{{Cite web |date=21 Jun 2025 |title=Cami Research blatantly violates Oregon Right to Repair Law, Oregon DOJ does nothing. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K1zi66IE0k |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=2K1zi66IE0k |archive-date=2025 | *Companies can deny a user's [[right to repair]] something damaged in transit (i.e., not by the user), even when the user is willing to purchase needed parts from them, and then threaten legal action for asking them about the decision. The example offered is [[Cami Research|Cami Research accusing a user of harassment]] who was very professional over the phone, outright stating that because it values profit over users being able to repair products which they already purchased, it does not want customers to be able to repair them because if they repair the unit they already have, they would not buy a new one.<ref name="cami research violates law">{{Cite web |date=21 Jun 2025 |title=Cami Research blatantly violates Oregon Right to Repair Law, Oregon DOJ does nothing. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K1zi66IE0k |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=2K1zi66IE0k |archive-date=22 Jun 2025}}</ref> | ||
*Companies can conduct psychological experiments on their customers without their consent, without legal repercussions. The example offered is [[Tado]], a company that makes smart thermostats, which added a paywall to their devices, demanding a subscription fee, after customers had already bought their product (where the terms of the sale at the time of purchase indicated that there was no subscription fee). The paywall was actually fake; its purpose was to see how many customers would willingly go along with the additional payments. In essence, the company threatened to remove a service to induce a behavior on their customers.<ref name="tado thermostat experiment">{{Cite web |date=21 Feb 2025 |title=Thermostat maker performs psychological experiments on customers: never buy Tado products |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfAchfFXghc |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=tfAchfFXghc |archive-date=2025 | *Companies can conduct psychological experiments on their customers without their consent, without legal repercussions. The example offered is [[Tado]], a company that makes smart thermostats, which added a paywall to their devices, demanding a subscription fee, after customers had already bought their product (where the terms of the sale at the time of purchase indicated that there was no subscription fee). The paywall was actually fake; its purpose was to see how many customers would willingly go along with the additional payments. In essence, the company threatened to remove a service to induce a behavior on their customers.<ref name="tado thermostat experiment">{{Cite web |date=21 Feb 2025 |title=Thermostat maker performs psychological experiments on customers: never buy Tado products |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfAchfFXghc |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=tfAchfFXghc |archive-date=21 Feb 2025}}</ref> This is another example of retroactive amendments to the terms of products and services already sold in completion (see first point above). | ||
==Slogan== | ==Slogan== | ||
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File:Clippy-blue.jpg|Clippy render against a blue background | File:Clippy-blue.jpg|Clippy render against a blue background | ||
File:A cute clippy.svg|Look a cute clippy who accidentally broke pencil sharpener and is now trying to hide evidence! | File:A cute clippy.svg|Look a cute clippy who accidentally broke pencil sharpener and is now trying to hide evidence! | ||
File:Clippyvector.svg|A custom Clippy .SVG file for general use, such as avatars, etcetera | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||