11.11.08
Posted in Asia, GNU/Linux, GPL, Microsoft at 4:30 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
BAD: [B]ribing, [A]ddicting, [D]umping
“Coca-Cola was named back in 1885 for its two “medicinal” ingredients: extract of coca leaves and kola nuts. Just how much cocaine was originally in the Cocaine molecule formulation is hard to determine, but the drink undeniably contained some cocaine in its early days.”
–Cocaine-Cola
Microsoft’s recent actions in Korea were symbolic of its strategy against GNU/Linux and Free software. As we pointed out last year (backed by actual examples), Microsoft plays similar games in Kerala, whose migration to Free software it is actively trying to stifle. Microsoft also tries getting Keralan people ‘addicted’ to its proprietary software (particularly in education), just like Coca-Cola with added caffeine. Remember Mammootty? Microsoft even tried using celebrities, not only gifts. Now it summons a new strategy which was revealed to us earlier today.
Microsoft and/or its goons are diluting the value of the term “Linux Users Group” by creating a “Microsoft Users Group” in Kerala. Can one be a “Microsoft User” at all? Is there a product or software called “Microsoft”? This smells like brand-jacking, much like Office Open XML (not to be confused with OpenOffice.org) or “shared source”.
Watch this Web site, which is self explanatory.
Microsoft & INETA (international .NET association) provide the technical materials (CDs, books, online resources etc) , infrastructure support and faculties for conducting a statewide seminar drive, which would educate and inform the public and the student community about the Microsoft Technologies.
Talk about user-generated Web sites (grassroots or pseudo-grassroots)…
We were hoping to find out if Microsoft was behind this site, just as it was behind “Voices for Innovation” (lobbying arm for software patents) and an anti-VMware Web site, which was assigned to some marketing firm hired by Microsoft.
This latest one seems innocent though (it’s a Google mail address).
Domain ID:D153405496-LROR
Domain Name:K-MUG.ORG
Created On:21-Jul-2008 04:07:27 UTC
Last Updated On:20-Sep-2008 03:52:20 UTC
Expiration Date:21-Jul-2009 04:07:27 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com, Inc. (R91-LROR)
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:GODA-050763413
Registrant Name:Sreejumon KP
Registrant Street1:#322, 28th main, 8th cross
Registrant Street2:HSR Layout 1st sector
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Bangalore
Registrant State/Province:Kerala
Registrant Postal Code:560031
Registrant Country:IN
Registrant Phone:+91.9740063021
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:sreejumon@gmail.com
Admin ID:GODA-250763413
Admin Name:Sreejumon KP
Admin Street1:#322, 28th main, 8th cross
Admin Street2:HSR Layout 1st sector
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Bangalore
Admin State/Province:Kerala
Admin Postal Code:560031
Admin Country:IN
Admin Phone:+91.9740063021
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:sreejumon@gmail.com
Tech ID:GODA-150763413
Tech Name:Sreejumon KP
Tech Street1:#322, 28th main, 8th cross
Tech Street2:HSR Layout 1st sector
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Bangalore
Tech State/Province:Kerala
Tech Postal Code:560031
Tech Country:IN
Tech Phone:+91.9740063021
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:sreejumon@gmail.com
Name Server:NS3.ORCSWEB.COM
Name Server:NS4.ORCSWEB.COM
One of our readers and informants from India says that Microsoft posted an invitation in a Linux Users Group. That happened recently. Was the invitation to this group perhaps? If so, what would that suggest? An inter-personal connection? Maybe it was a general sort of invitation like ones we hear that Microsoft sends many LUGs in order to deliver talks inside them, e.g. [1, 2]. They often get rejected.
The Web site above says there is meeting on November 15th, which incidentally [wink wink] coincides with a national conference on Free software. It takes place in the very same city on the 15th and 16th.
Microsoft has a known and well-documented habit of organising gigs right next to its competition (geographically speaking), VMware being just one recent example. Apple is another. Timing coincidence is another ugly strategy, Document Freedom Day being a good example, accompanied by search engine manipulation and entrapment.
In other news (not so new anymore) which comes from India, this one is worth bringing to light:
Why Wipro, Infosys and TCS are “The Axis of Evil” for Indian startup space
[...]
Yes you read it right I am calling this trio and their thousands of offshoots “The Axis of Evil” for Indian Software and Start-up space. While it is well known how these companies started the IT revolution in India with an interesting business model “Body Shopping” and post US clamping on H1 visas “Offshore Outsourcing”. The Indian software outsourcing story started off as a great business of labour arbitrage has today left most of its players scrambling for margins and why?
It’s important never to forget what these 3 companies do for Microsoft. They are not “The Axis of Evil”; they are part of a much bigger evil, sometimes gently referred to as the “Microsoft ecosystem” or compared to “Scientology cult” by high officials. For more information see:
Let us keep who eye open and identify on who is who. Wipro, Infosys, and TCS are no friends of Freedom. One major publication referred to what they do as digital slavery, characterised by sweatshop-level working conditions. They mostly serve Microsoft’s monoculture. █
Join the club, put your shackles on
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Posted in GNU/Linux, Novell, Red Hat, SLES/SLED at 3:51 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
AS MONTHS go by, Novell’s struggle against Red Hat gets uglier and uglier. Here is the latest predatory step.
Novell has launched a “competitive replacement” program aimed at luring Red Hat and CentOS users to its SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) product. Through the program, Novell will support customers’ RHEL or CentOS servers for up to two years, while the customer migrates to SLES.
[...]
Steinman commented, “Competitive replacement programs are as old as the technology industry. We chose RHEL and CentOS to go after the biggest installed base, but will consider adding other platforms, based on customer demand.”
Stay tuned for more details and analysis. █
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Posted in Boycott Novell, Novell, Site News at 3:02 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
With the exception of IRC [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7], nothing was ever said here about Novell and Mormons. It is totally irrelevant to technical considerations and discussions, but the following Beta News article from yesterday — an article about boycotts — mentions Novell.
The legislation was strongly supported by the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — the Mormons. As a result, many angry post-election calls for boycott are aimed at Mormon-connected or that happen to be headquartered in Utah, such as Novell, Iomega, and Priceline.com. (Such boycott talk is by no means originating from “official” sources.)
While it’s interesting to find out about such separate boycotts, it has nothing to do with the existing actions. Our only ‘political’ objection to Novell is its policy on software patents. This site is nothing personal although some people inside Novell are responsible for the treasonous Microsoft deal, so they are sometimes named. It must never be believed that religion comes into play and amicable people whom I speak to are Mormons (Matt Asay, for example, is one… as far as I know).
To assume that there is personal vengeance involved or commercial interests at play would be insane because our only motive here is Freedom. There are other common misconceptions that we are connected with the FSF (we are not). █
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Posted in America, Australia, Novell at 2:00 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
And Novell fills a gap left by another manager who quit
STEVEN King left the company quietly, in the sense that no press coverage accompanied his departure. Whether he quit or was fired is not known to us, but he has just been appointed Vice President in a smaller company called ManoVie (Utah based). From the press release:
Prior to joining MonaVie, King served in various leadership positions at Novell where he managed the global partner programs and developed training programs to help partners more efficiently run their businesses. He also helped transition that company’s business from an internal sales model to a partner led sales model.
Back in July we wrote about Rob Mills leaving Novell. His replacement has been found no less than 4 months later.
Alan Robinson is to lead Novell in Australia and New Zealand, replacing Rob Mills who resigned four months ago.
There is some more coverage of this in this less internationalised press (not IDG).
NOVELL has tapped IT veteran Alan Robinson to run its business in Australia and New Zealand, ending a search that lasted about four months after Rob Mills resigned.
Novell’s staff retention issues were probably worse earlier this year (or last year). Might this be related to the economy? █
Related posts:
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Posted in News Roundup at 5:31 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
“In the face of strong competition, Evangelism’s focus may shift immediately to the next version of the same technology, however. Indeed, Phase 1 (Evangelism Starts) for version x+1 may start as soon as this Final Release of version X.”
–Microsoft, internal document [PDF]
GNU/Linux
- Windows 7 no threat to netbook Linux
I’ve been nonplussed the last few weeks as ordinarily sane compu-journalists opine that Windows 7 will somehow kill Linux on netbooks. This weekend, I had a chance to actually see XP running on an EEE 900, and I can tell you, Linux has nothing to fear from Redmond.
During my 13-year career as a compu-journalist, I have seen the pattern over and over. Microsoft pre-announces a product years before it will ship. Then, people who have built careers supporting Microsoft’s products — whether IT staff or journalists — slavishly salivate, as if on cue. Purchase decisions are deferred, per recommendations of the trade press.
Next, the product is delayed. Purchase decisions are further deferred. Nothing can sway the devotion of the true Microsoft believers. And they think Linux “fanboys” are partisan!
Then, finally delivered, the Microsoft OS utterly fails to live up to its hype. And, the Microsoft ecosystem rejoices, secure in the knowledge that their help will still be needed to make Microsoft products usable.
Today, it turns out, XP is hardly usable on netbooks. What makes people think the next version of Windows will actually get better? Microsoft has never in its history delivered an OS upgrade that did not require SUBSTANTIALLY more resources than its predecessor. Is that really going to change? Really?
- How two of the world’s largest websites use Linux for high availability
- PSBank migrates to IBM Syztem z for Linux application
- New hardware is a first for Lotus [which runs Linux]
The IBM Lotus Foundations Start server runs the Linux operating system and contains e-mail and calendaring programs, as well as the Lotus Symphony suite of office productiving software, like word processing and spreadsheet programs.
- Linux fast-boot scheme targets TVs
TriPeaks announced a new version of its “TP InstantBoot” fast-boot technology for Linux TVs and other consumer electronics devices. The company also announced a reseller relationship with CodeSourcery, and plans to integrate CodeSourcery’s SourceryG++ development tools with its TP InstantBoot development kit.
- Free Linux browser libraries boost widgets
- dBpoweramp’s CD Ripper Works Like a Dream Under Linux
- Top 10 Linux FUD Patterns, Part 8
Will the use of Linux void the manufacturer’s warranty of your computer hardware? This is one fear that prevents some people from making the leap to Linux, which is why it is on my Top 10 List of Linux FUD Patterns. The short answer is, it depends; however, there are steps that you can take to increase your probability of receiving service under a warranty.
- Linux software installation myths
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Red Hat
- The Force Is With Red Hat
- Flying high with open source
Robert Wiseman: We have about 5,000 servers across the world, probably two-thirds running open source. Close to 100% of our requests go through a server using open source technology at some point, primarily Linux.
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Ubuntu
- Ubuntu boss talks Jaunty Jackalope
Dell has started selling some of its machines with Ubuntu pre-installed, and Shuttleworth says that “the machines are selling well”.
“[Dell] clearly sees Linux users as thought leaders”, he told Open Week attendees. “They know it takes a lot of work to do something like Linux well and they work very hard at it, so we appreciate the partnership.”
As for mobiles, he quipped: “Linux is a perfect platform for consumer electronics, and the rate of adoption there is fantastic, but it’s highly fragmented. There are many different projects, environments and frameworks for Linux on smartphones”, he said.
- Ubuntu’s Mark Shuttleworth opens up on mobility and design
- New Old Netbook
Then, I discovered Linux. Ubuntu to be precise, and Xubuntu to be really precise. I had been spending my spare time going through all the old computers I had and installing Xubuntu to see if I could. It wasn’t very productive, but it was fun and didn’t cost anything. After my experience with the Z505, I was against spending much money on computers.
[...]
Finally, the netbook revolution happened. Now this was cool. For three-hundred dollars, I could get a tiny Linux box that I could always open, see, and use, and only weighed about three pounds. For that kind of weight, I didn’t have to lug around a big, heavy, full-size machine to read, write and code for my 90 minute “alone time.”
- Ubuntu 8.10 and Ubuntu India – a conversation with Baishampayan Ghose
- When Device Support Goes Beyond Drivers
- NEP partners with Linux vendor on 3G gear
- On Politics, Porn Detectors and Linuxy Tricks
Politics found its way onto the Linux community’s radar when a CNN commentator said Barack Obama would be an open source kind of president, which gave FOSS some much-needed mainstream publicity. What other changes are in store with the new administration?
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Android
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Audio
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Cross-platform
F/OSS
- A prescription for lower costs
McKesson Corp. is a multifaceted healthcare company, a large distributor of pharmaceuticals and a thriving developer of healthcare-related IT systems. Its software and hardware are installed in more than 70% of U.S. hospitals with more than 200 beds, and handle everything from billing and scheduling to capturing MRI-machine images and preventing dangerous drug interactions. For the last five years, the company has used open source technology to deliver products at lower cost and greater speed, says Randall Spratt, executive vice president and CIO. After seeing open source, Spratt considers it an essential part of McKesson’s product development strategy.
- Openbravo hits the millionth download… Yes, we can!
- In praise of open source technology
So, who can build their business, or their economy, on open source? With the ubiquity of the Internet, open source is becoming the foundation of the world’s most sophisticated (and lucrative) business models. From free search (Baidu) to free social networking (Xiaonei or Minglebox), free news (FT.com and Sina.com) to free software (Sun Microsystems).
- Yahoo’s transforms data mining with open-source Hadoop
- Open Source Cloud Computing: RightScale Joins Forces With Eucalyptus
- Actuate revs its business with version 10
- GravityZoo Goes Open Source With MediaZoo
- RapidMind Embraces Open Source and Standards Projects to Increase Focus on Simplifying Parallel Programming for Application Developers
- MailArchiva Announces Availability on Sun Microsystems’ OpenSolaris Operating System
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Office Suites
Defective by Design
Digital Tipping Point: Clip of the Day
Dan Gillmor, creator of the phrase, “Distributed Journalism” 16 (2005)
Digital Tipping Point is a Free software-like project where the raw videos are code. You can assist by participating.
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