04.21.08
Microsoft Accused of Blackmail and Rigging for OOXML in Kenya
“Microsoft boss Bill Gates threatened to kill 800 Danish jobs if Denmark opposed the European Computer Implemented Inventions Directive, reports today’s Danish financial daily Børsen, quoted by NoSoftwarePatents.com”
–P2PNet, 2005
Yesterday we wrote about ugly denials by Microsoft and even ISO — denials that shortly afterwards turned out to be bald-faced lies. It new reports are correct, this appears to have also been the case elsewhere, further away from the sight of the western world.
Have a look what’s being reported in Kenya. Microsoft of course tries to deny everything, but having been caught it lying in the past, Microsoft’s denial is worthless.
However, the denial [by Microsoft] was a contradiction to comments by Bitange Ndemo, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication, who said that Microsoft may have made comments regarding funding, though not directly or in writing.
“They may have said something to that effect though not directly and not in writing. Microsoft cannot threaten us. In any case, our policy is very clear, we encourage people to use open-source software and those who want to use proprietary software are at liberty to do so” Ndemo said.
There was heated debate in Kenya’s technology sector before the decision to abstain. The decision was made by a 12-member committee. Some experts felt that the committee was comprised of a majority of Microsoft partners.
It seems like Microsoft is just doing some damage control at the moment by having its lies stick in the press. We saw this before, not just in Norway.
For those who might be studying these incidents, we previously mentioned OOXML stories from Kenya in:
- Microsoft on ‘War Mode’ in ”Scandalous” OOXML
- The Latest News on the Microsoft OOXML Fiasco (Updated)
- Lobbying for OOXML in Africa, Which Apparently Dislikes Microsoft and Novell
- ISO Frozen. Too Much Corruption?
- A Look Back at OOXML BRM, Stacking, ISO’s Admission of Failure
- Quick Mention: Has Korea Just Voted “Yes” to OOXML? (Updated)
- Bill Gates Makes Phonecalls Again (Politics for Derailing ODF)
In this dirty dance of money and power, many incidents remain unresolved and questions remain unanswered. Having written about a trip to Seattle and other interesting possibilities, we have also just found this image (positioned at the top) where Patrick Durusau joins Microsoft managers for a photograph where they all seem to be getting along. Coming from the systematic liars (proven and documents) whom he joins, it’s hard to have much trust anymore.
Someone with a high level of authority is hopefully investigating what was probably the biggest Microsoft scandal of this decade. Tolerating this is permitting abuse of amny systems and abuse of the innocent customers, many of whom haven’t an idea. █
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