02.12.08
Peter O’Kelly (Burton Group) and Wouter Van Vugt Go Batting for Monopolisation
The choice of having limited/no choice
Stephane Rodriguez has brought to our attention some more evidence that the Burton Group is indeed what we refer to as “a Microsoft puppet”. We already have a lot of evidence [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23], so the Burton Group can run, but it can’t hide. Just like many other so-called “analysts”, it proves to be another stack of spokesmen which, just as the “evangelism is war” leaked document reveals, is part of Microsoft’s long-established strategy for deception.
“In essence, Microsoft bought OOXML support from Novell in order to promote its own selfish interests.”The latest exhibit comes from this page which shows how close the Burton Group’s research director, Peter O’Kelly, stays to Microsoft. We already knew this (see references above), but it’s nice to have gathered another exhibit for an already large pile.
Also listed in this page (in many slots in fact) is Wouter Van Vugt. We held a short discussion about it here.
Further back in the past we also saw a Novell Vice President, Miguel de Icaza, batting for Microsoft’s OOXML and presenting in favour of OOXML at a conference. It was expected given de Icaza’s views and biases, not the mention the fact that Novell must implement OOXML. Microsoft handed a binding contract to Novell. In essence, Microsoft bought OOXML support from Novell in order to promote its own selfish interests. All these ‘puppets’ must have cost Microsoft billions of dollars, but there is a return on this investment. After all, as Microsoft’s Doug Mahugh bluntly puts it:
“It’s a Simple Matter of [Microsoft’s] Commercial Interests!”
Steve Ballmer’s puppet du jour. Which will it be next?
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
Great said,
February 13, 2008 at 5:38 am
“Men of FSF, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails… when we forsake our comunity, and break all bonds of free software… but it is not this day. An hour of patent trolls and monopolist when all hope comes crashing down, but it is NOT this day! This day, we fight! For all that you hold dear, stand, Men of the FSF! “;