11.23.08
Visvesvaraya Technological University Sells Out, ‘Sells’ Children to Microsoft
“People get the government their behavior deserves. People deserve better than that.”
–Richard Stallman
ANIVAR reports that a lot of Indian outlets (papers, magazines and everything) have taken note of the Boycott Novell protest [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] and are now covering this widely all across the nation. But just around the same time that the 'Open' University is named and slammed for promoting non-Open and non-Free software, the same thing happens in India, where Microsoft is trying to catch children while they are young. The amazing thing is that seniors permit this to happen.
The Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and Microsoft Corporation, U.S., will partner in curriculum development programmes, students’ projects, continuing education, research and development.
[...]
Microsoft will offer many products such as Visual Studio 2008, Professional Edition, Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition, Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition, Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition and also platform resources such as SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition, SQL Server Express Windows Server and Standard Edition (both 2003 and 2008) for every technically-inclined student.
That’s a last resort to Microsoft, but those who allow this to carry on do more damage to the children than they help them. █
Further reading:
- Bill Gates’ Retirement Merely a Political Lock-in Crusade
- Microsoft ‘Buys’ Dubai Away from GNU/Linux, Calls it “Charity”; Paris Also?
- OOXML Sins and “Charity” Against GNU/Linux
- It’s Not Dumping Because They Call it “Charity”
- Boosting Windows Vista Sales Using AIDS
- “Let Them Eat Vista…”
- Mysterious New Moves in the Gates Foundation
- Microsoft Carries on Dumping to Make Its Products a ‘Standard’
- The Takeaways from the Giveaways
- Microsoft Must Be Absolutely Terrified
- More “Independent” Studies… Against GNU/Linux
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.
senthil said,
November 24, 2008 at 7:29 am
http://bangalore.gnu.org.in/index.php/Campaigns:VTU-MS_Curriculum_tie_up
we are doign a awareness campaign in blr..
thanks
senthil
Roy Schestowitz said,
November 24, 2008 at 7:34 am
Explain to people that public institutions must not become “training camps” for abusive foreign monopolists which seek to loot India in the long term.