08.17.08
Eye on Microsoft: ‘Pulling a Mammootty’, Exposing Windows PCs, Daemonising Opposition
There’s this bunch of new stories that could not escape without comment. Months after the Mammootty incident comes this.
Global multi-national technology company Microsoft Corp found an able brand fit in Yash Raj Films’ latest flick Bachna Ae Haseeno starring Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Minissha Lamba and Deepika Padukone.
The gist of it all is that Microsoft glorifies itself and its wounded brand using movies. In the case of Mammootty, if true, it was geographically targeted to stifle the world’s largest migration to GNU/Linux. How typical.
Security
Watch this from a CIO:
Relating to Microsoft, Homa said, “We used a lot of Linux. None of the breach was anything related to Linux. All of it was Microsoft. Homa went on to say, “Microsoft is so full of holes. That’s why it’s still a target. If you limit your exposure to Microsoft, you’re going to be in a more secure environment.”
Here is another new hole, which is already being exploited.
Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a zero-day Windows vulnerability that’s being exploited in the wild.
The cost of back doors?
Daemonised by a Monopoly Abuser
Unable to see its reflection and its own behaviour, Microsoft continues to mock the users that it needs. It still uses inapproriate words like “pirates” to describe prospective customers, whose counterfeiting it tends to welcome (provided they don’t go elsewhere).
Microsoft has been increasing its efforts to battle software piracy using lawsuits and educational programs to bring more illegal users into the light. But as Microsoft moves toward delivering more applications as services, its anti-piracy tactics will also have to change, according to solution providers.
[...]
“It is too early to speak to the possibility of [Software Plus Services] being abused, or speculate on whether or not it will have a positive impact on software piracy,” said Cori Hartje, senior director of Microsoft’s Genuine Software Initiative, in an e-mail interview with ChannelWeb.
Propaganda terms like “Piracy” do not belong here. Microsoft has already raved about so-called ‘piracy’ as part of its business model.
The following effective daemonisation is surely accidental. It has finally been resolved. Here are the details.
Microsoft Word Now Knows the Difference Between Osama and Obama
In my post yesterday, I quoted a frustrated reader who couldn’t believe that Microsoft Word still proposes “Osama” as a corrected version of “Obama.” He wanted to know why Microsoft didn’t update its dictionary.
Given the special relationship between Microsoft’s CEO and McCain [1, 2], a few people might take a wild guess and call it intentional or xenophobia (some people actually believed this). The Republican party has, in general, been good to Microsoft and he administration let them carry on unpunished and virtually borderless, in terms of the law. The government was indifferent towards an urgent need to regulate.
Obama’s support of Free software and ODF also comes to mind. Earlier today, Rex Ballard wrote: “Obama is using Linux servers on his web site, and appears to be a
friend of Open Source.”
“…Actually, Bush loved Microsoft. During the Jack Abramov investigation, Microsoft was directly tied to Abramov, Carl Rove, and several of their shell game “charities”. The Gates foundation was also found to be a major contributor to several “PAC disguised as charities”.
“Remember when the head of “Focus on the Family” came out and announced, repeatedly, on national radio and television, that he would never vote for McCain and his followers shouldn’t either? Another case of a Charity acting as a political action committee.
“McCain won the nomination anyway, and now they are “best buddies” again.” █
“Windows 2000 already contains features such as the human discipline component, where the PC can send an electric shock through the keyboard if the human does something that does not please Windows.”
–Bill Gates
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.
Needs Sunlight said,
August 17, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Might want to look into the ongoing collapse of Danske Bank and partners. Banks using M$ products have chronic problems. This spring’s relentless pursuit of M$ agendas, even in the face of failed business, brings those problems to heretofore unimaginable heights.
Roy Schestowitz said,
August 17, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I can imagine. The zombie PCs and SPAM are the cause for plenty of this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6177555.stm
Online banking fraud ‘up 8,000%’
The UK has seen an 8,000% increase in fake internet banking scams in the past two years, the government’s financial watchdog has warned.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) told peers it was “very concerned” about the growth in “phishing”.