05.17.08
The Beast of Redmond Intervenes with Yet Another Open Source Summit
Hardly a single Linux or open source event can escape Microsoft ’sponsorship’
It has become a classic and recurrent routine which continues to be seen once every few weeks. Microsoft offers some organisers money in exchange for the right to attend and speak out its mind in open source events, even Linux events thanks to Novell’s implicit invitation [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Then, Microsoft markets itself and influences the events, in essence trying to force mutual love upon others, under its own rules of pseudo-open-source. Right now Microsoft is doing this in the Philippines.
Microsoft Philippines will sponsor an open source summit in Cebu next month and this early, the software giant is bracing itself for lively discussions about openXML and the fact that the company will make its presence felt at the summit.
Let’s see. Microsoft brings its proprietary OOXML, which is deliberately a case against Free software, and then pretends that it’s part of the “open source” family. Yes, they try to become part of it and then just flush away all the things in Open Source which they don’t like, such as the GPL. Here is a quick refresher, just from the past month alone:
- Bill Gates’ Disdain for Open Source Even in Retirement
- Bill Gates, which we disagree with
- Bill Gates Claims Open Source Means Nobody Can Improve Software
- Bill Gates on Pharmaceuticals: The System Isn’t Working
- Three myths Microsoft tells Russia
It’s rather sad and ironic. Whilst bribing, bullying and viciously fighting the GPL Microsoft is still trying to move FOSS projects over to the Windows stack, making them dependent on Microsoft’s proprietary technologies. It’s a path to servitude, disguised as goodwill.
“When will journalists finally wake up and find all that Microsoft is hiding under its blanket?”At the moment, even some of the more pathological liars from the OOXML fiasco get the guts to claim openness in another self-serving new article from Disinformation Week, which seems like an attempt to sell us the idea that Microsoft is all about open source and open standards.
It’s utterly appalling how Microsoft uses the its press to ‘massage’ people’s perception while hiding behind the counter whenever those colleagues are rigging votes, bullying people, bribing people and lying to them so shamelessly. When will journalists finally wake up and find all that Microsoft is hiding under its blanket? The evidence is here to see, but the press totally ignores it. Is it shy? Afraid? █
“It’s a Simple Matter of [Microsoft’s] Commercial Interests!”
–Microsoft’s Doug Mahugh about OOXML in the fast track
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.
what said,
May 17, 2008 at 9:55 pm
“Interviews with Sam Ramji and Tom Robertson reveal Microsoft is strong on building open source business models and community as well as interoperability and industry standards. ”
This is a good summary of the thing. I almost vomit reading it.
Bogdan said,
May 19, 2008 at 2:26 am
Eliberatica FOSS Conference in Romania, Eastern Europe:
GOLD Sponsors:
Microsoft
Microsoft Romania
http://www.eliberatica.ro/2008/eliberatica-partners-and-sponsors
For Romanian readers:
http://itboard.ro/blogs/zolis_tool/archive/2007/05/18/eliberatica-prima-zi.aspx
How can someone spit out such bull???t and then be accepted as a partner?
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 19, 2008 at 4:01 am
They want to keep the enemies closer to spread havoc (or at least intervene with the natural direction, a la Yahoo! board at the moment). They do the least necessary to get a ‘ticket’ into such conferences. Novell’s deal gave them many such tickets.
Thanks a million for the headsup, Bogdan. I’ll post something about it.
Bogdan said,
May 19, 2008 at 8:42 am
I paid for the ticket to Eliberatica/2007 and /2008, and I would do so again. But I feel like this just like selling ourselves (our image) for the money.
Last year, 2007, M$ had send 3 people to Eliberatica (just as audience, not as speakers). One of them kept reporting on his blog the happenings at the conference using similar logic with the one applied to standardizing OOXML.
I heard of people getting paid for being mocked off, but are we that kind of people? Do we need to let others make a mockery out of ourselves just for getting a few pennies?
I believe the FOSS community is far from starving and therefor we can allow ourselves to make smaller events, without using dirty money.
Mail send to Eliberatica.ro/2008 organizers (rosi.ro):
>
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 19, 2008 at 8:52 am
From what I could gather, based on the recent OSA story, Microsoft can be pushy and persistent. One method that I sometimes see used is label-sticking, wherein you call the developers/organiser intolerant at best or “Microsoft hater” at worst. It’s all just a way of permitting Microsoft to enter.
Presence is at Microsoft needs to earn some form of pseudo validation, which worries me because in previous events (one which I can recall in India for example) they brainwash the developers to have them believe in non-free software as a business model and even in software patents. They also try to steer them away from the GPL, GPLv3 in particular. They try to become part of the agenda and sometimes invite people at the event to join Microsoft (yes, that too has happened, for employment and/or technical collaboration that favours Windows).
Ball_Mer said,
May 19, 2008 at 10:02 am
When ever MS has tried to hurt GPL/FSF it has always come out stronger in the end.
MS is fighting change with all their money.
LOLLLOL.
Ball_Mer said,
May 19, 2008 at 10:05 am
In 3DS Max and UGS NX tests from SPECViewPerf, the Windows driver had a small performance lead over the Linux driver. However, in the CATIA, Maya, and Pro/Engineer tests, the Linux driver wound up on top. Furthermore, in EnSight and SolidWorks the Linux driver had worked well while the Windows driver had failed to complete both tests.
LOLOLOLLLL
Are we seeing a total disaster for next version of Winblows even before it has any chance of coming out in next 5 years.
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 19, 2008 at 10:19 am
Well, maybe it almost finished. Almost. Maybe it became part of a botnet some time along the way.