Bonum Certa Men Certa

AstroTurfers Pretend to be GNU/Linux Users?

"Mind Control: To control mental output you have to control mental input. Take control of the channels by which developers receive information, then they can only think about the things you tell them. Thus, you control mindshare!"

--Microsoft, internal document [PDF]



Appended below is the IRC log from just minutes ago. As regular readers are probably aware, our reader "twitter" has abusive stalkers ('witch hunters') in this Web site. They followed his footsteps all the way from Slashdot just to discredit him personally wherever he goes, whatever he does. Speaking from experience, "twitter" is intimately aware of Microsoft's dirty secrets and he talks about it in public.

The log below (particularly the end) is self explanatory, but the summary is that people who go under names like "Gentoo user" are actually Windows users and they are busily attacking critics of Microsoft. The name is probably supposed to lend them credibility (Gentoo is, after all, a hardcore distribution) and also encourage people to explore distributions that will lead to negative judgment of GNU/Linux. ⬆




trmancohttp://news.netcraft.com/archives/2008/11/19/no...Nov 19 15:32
schestowitzYay! Google can shove clocks and weather in my eyes. :-) Well, at least they open-sourced it.Nov 19 15:32
trmanco:-PNov 19 15:32
twitterIck, China to buy GM.  They could make it even more corrupt than it is already.Nov 19 15:33
schestowitzApache still eats Microsoft's lunch.Nov 19 15:34
schestowitz1.8 compared to 1.1Nov 19 15:34
schestowitzRemember that Google's is an Apache fork.Nov 19 15:34
twitterThat lead is going to get bigger, despite the FUD M$ spews.Nov 19 15:35
twitterWAMP is insane.Nov 19 15:35
schestowitzThat's what MS is hoping. It would be interesting to see how Apache/Linux does against Apache/WindowsNov 19 15:36
schestowitzThey keynoted ApacheCon recently. RMS is against it and there's plan to discourage people from attending such events.Nov 19 15:37
schestowitzHow can one give Microsoft such a spot when it's actively threatening to sue?Nov 19 15:37
schestowitzRe: OSCON, PJ said the same.Nov 19 15:37
schestowitzMicrosoft wants the world to believe that there are two Microsofts: good cop and bad cop.Nov 19 15:38
twitterM$ does this on purpose.  It destroys the ability of their "competitors" to communicate.Nov 19 15:38
twitterThey stack the con panel and shove M$ into it.  This destroys the conference.  What's left is M$ only.Nov 19 15:38
twitterDid you see this lovely example of what the M$ world enables?  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/19/d...Nov 19 15:39
schestowitztwitter: yes, Tim O'Reilly had to apologise for saying something negative about the convicted monopolistNov 19 15:39
schestowitz[cause they sponsored his  event]Nov 19 15:39
schestowitzThey gag critics this way. I saw it with Krill.Nov 19 15:39
twitterMore reason to avoid M$ money.Nov 19 15:39
schestowitzAs you say, people like me are already repelled slightly ... wrt ApacheNov 19 15:40
schestowitzAs soon as they defend Microsoft I feel like I need to get a puke pouch.Nov 19 15:40
trmancoschestowitz, "Remember that Google's is an Apache fork." -> I forgot to mention this when I posted the link :-PNov 19 15:41
schestowitzPeople from Apache confronted us in BN. They tried to defend selling out... Microsoft is pressuring many FOSS groups, consortia and LUGs. They try to stink up the place by attending. This IRC channel too used to have 'cj' (for Microsoft).Nov 19 15:41
schestowitztrmanco: Microsoft will surely spin this though as Apache not doing so well. Lies, damn lies, and stats, y'know...Nov 19 15:42
twitterI'm not too worried.  When things really go wrong, projects like Debian fork and everyone runs to the better fork.Nov 19 15:42
schestowitzThat's the stories they'll tell uncritical journos anyway.Nov 19 15:43
twitterStinking up conferences is an old practice.  I read about them doing this to Apple.Nov 19 15:43
schestowitzWait until Microsoft tries to plant some people inside Debian [hypothetical].Nov 19 15:43
twitterMy trolls have already bragged about being Debian contributors.Nov 19 15:43
schestowitzThat would ruin it. All they need to do is seed the project with an apologist or a village fool that will open up the door... like Alex Brown in ISO.Nov 19 15:43
schestowitzMono too is entertaining Microsoft chaps.Nov 19 15:44
twitterI ignored it because the project's commitment to freedom and organization are too strong to let M$ fuck it over.Nov 19 15:44
schestowitzNovell did this in India.Nov 19 15:44
schestowitzHence the protestsNov 19 15:44
schestowitzRead the remarks from Anivar.. they excluded OpenOffice.org, Red Hat, etc. It was Novell stealing the show stealthily.Nov 19 15:45
schestowitzRMS approved what the guys did.Nov 19 15:45
twitterM$ can damage Debian by setting up arguments that waste time but M$ will fail before Debian does.Nov 19 15:45
schestowitzIt's claimed that they already do this in UbuntuNov 19 15:45
twitterThey do it everywhere.Nov 19 15:46
schestowitzRequesting Silverlight, defending Mono's presence, etc. I'm told this by people.Nov 19 15:46
twitter "Mind Control: To control mental output you to have to control mental input.  Take control of the channels by which developers receive information, then they can only think about the things you tell them.  Thus, you control mindshare!"   http://docs.google.com/Present?docid...Nov 19 15:47
twitterEverywhere developers meet, M$ will spew poison.Nov 19 15:47
schestowitzYes, I know.Nov 19 15:47
schestowitzThat's a MUST-ATTEND talk at Microsoft.Nov 19 15:47
schestowitzThe guy who wrote it said so.Nov 19 15:47
twitterM$ wastes untold billions of dollars pushing that kind of poison.Nov 19 15:48
schestowitz"Gentoo user" is one of your stalkers in BNNov 19 15:49
schestowitzThat 'person' never talks about the subjects at hand. Just ad hominem, IIRC.Nov 19 15:50
twitteryes.  They keep posting the same crap.Nov 19 15:50
twitterIt's spam.Nov 19 15:50
schestowitzWho goes by the Linux vanity name "Gentoo user" anyway?Nov 19 15:50
schestowitzAnd why Gentoo? To say "I'm hardcore 1337 *nix"?Nov 19 15:50
twitterFor a while, while it was new and difficult, the M$ trolls were promoting gentoo.Nov 19 15:51
twitterThere's nothing like throwing a newbie to the something like that to sour them on the whole GNU/Linux experience for years.Nov 19 15:52
twitterThe name choice may lend credibility for readers who know nothing, which is what M$ is interested in.Nov 19 15:53
twitterAnyone who knows anything quickly dumps Windows as a platform.Nov 19 15:54
twitterM$ is all about delaying that and staying relevant.Nov 19 15:54
twitterThe trolls used to bug me about the name "twitter" too.Nov 19 15:56
twitterI chose it because that's what I do to equipment to make it work well.  It turned out to be a good choice from the way the M$ people hear my posts like a gaggle of angry birds.Nov 19 15:58
twitterIf Kennedy thinks someone at M$ hates him, Kennedy should watch my stuff sometimes.  :)Nov 19 16:00
trmancoHey cool, Portuguese media promoting Ubuntu: http://ciberia.aeiou.pt/?st=10581Nov 19 16:02
twitterM$FT, still under $20, and they will fall off the cliff with the rest of the market as the GWB administration has promised to sit on it's hands instead of bailing out home owners.  LA Times had a good article on this.Nov 19 16:03
trmancoand some more: http://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/computadores/open_so... | http://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/computadores/ope...Nov 19 16:06
schestowitzMicrosoft promoting Gentoo, eh? I think I know why.Nov 19 16:06
schestowitzCreate some more bitter experiences...Nov 19 16:06
schestowitztwitter: I can check the logs to see what 'Gentoo user' runs.Nov 19 16:07
schestowitz[unless there's header spoofing]Nov 19 16:07
twitterthat will be interesting.Nov 19 16:07
twitterhere's the article http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi...Nov 19 16:07
twitterBasically, Paulson has promised to do nothing and to ignore homeowner problems.  The stock market and economy will tank on that kind of news.Nov 19 16:08
schestowitzHehe.Nov 19 16:10
schestowitzI just realised that Microsoft employed Gentoo's founder. Take that thought further...Nov 19 16:10
schestowitz[sarcasm] What if Microsoft created and promoted the most difficult and frustrating Linux, then promoted it?Nov 19 16:11
twitterThat may have happened but it backfired.Nov 19 16:11
twitterI have yet to try it out but I keep hearing good things about it and that people actually use it.Nov 19 16:13
twitterI like the Debian way better because most people only want to tweak one or two programs at a time.Nov 19 16:13
schestowitzHa!Nov 19 16:15
schestowitzThis is funny.Nov 19 16:15
schestowitzGentoio user in November:Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz┌─(roy@localhost Wed, 19 Nov 08)─—————————————— ——————─(/home/roy/Desktop)────┐Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz└─(16:12 $)─> gunzip boNov 19 16:16
schestowitzboycottnovell.com-Nov-2008.gz       boycottnovell.com-Nov-2008.gz.partNov 19 16:16
schestowitz┌─(roy@localhost Wed, 19 Nov 08)─—————————————— ——————─(/home/roy/Desktop)────┐Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz└─(16:12 $)─> gunzip boycottnovell.com-Nov-2008.gzNov 19 16:16
schestowitz┌─(roy@localhost Wed, 19 Nov 08)─—————————————— ——————─(/home/roy/Desktop)────┐Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz└─(16:14 $)─> grep 12.10.219.36 boycottnovell.com-Nov-2008Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:47 -0500] "GET /wp-content/themes/ocadia/styNov 19 16:16
schestowitzle.css HTTP/1.0" 200 8903 "http://boycottnovell.com/category/irc-logs/" "MozillaNov 19 16:16
schestowitz.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:47 -0500] "GET /category/irc-logs/ HTTP/1.0"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz 200 69745 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) GecNov 19 16:16
schestowitzko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/9Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz35815___mine__.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 17438 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "Mozilla/5.0Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz(Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/9Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz52151_abraham_lincoln.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 12788 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "MozilNov 19 16:16
schestowitzla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz.0.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET / HTTP/1.0" 200 99315 "http:/Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/jNov 19 16:16
schestowitzonathan_20zuck.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 96877 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "Mozilla/5.0Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz(Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:52 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/1Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz016609_laundry.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 9346 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "Mozilla/5.0 (Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzWindows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzThat's just a portion.Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzIt's always Windows.Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzSeems like your stalker "Gentoo user" has not much to do with GNU/Linux at all.Nov 19 16:17
schestowitzHe came with this IP address several times this month.Nov 19 16:17
schestowitzI assume it's a daily routine because there are gaps in the logs (probably dynamic IP)Nov 19 16:18

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

A Leap in GNU/Linux Usage, Japan's Share in Particular
One thing that merits attention right now is Japan. It looks like it's adopting GNU/Linux instead of GAFAM.
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: A Costa-Benefit Analysis: Has the Asset Become a Liability?
All other things being equal, one could expect the Portuguese political establishment to support Campinos in his reappointment bid. But what if all other things are no longer equal because the former "asset" has in the meantime become a "liability"?
Brigading Against Women - Part XIV - Mastery of Distraction
The finger-pointing actions themselves prove the saying that even an accusation is likely a confession
 
Brigading Against Women - Part XV - Trying to Put Women in Prisons
We'll soon get to the 'meat' or the 'beef', showing how "Gas The Jews" Lozza helped Garrett a few days after we had sued him in September 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, October 02, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, October 02, 2026
Gemini Links 02/10/2026: Hitchhiking, Dream, Journey of Thoughts, and ROOPHLOCH
Links for the day
IBM in Such a Bad Shape That Silent Layoffs Have Come to India
Make it hard for IBM to hide what's happening
The Mass Layoffs at Red Hat (Secret Layoffs) Not Limited to This Week or to October 1st
Red Hat can shed off 10% of its staff without anyone in the media uttering a word
The Latest "PARTNER CONTENT" at The Register MS is by Chief Marketing Officer at VergeIO
Maybe The Register MS can just run ads, not articles, and hope nobody will notice
Links 02/10/2026: Turkey's Censorship of Journalists Grows, "Hong Kong Journalist Arrested After Covering Gathering Linked to 2019 Protests"
Links for the day
IBM's Red Hat is a Slave of Microsoft, It Does Not Compete With Microsoft
As released and shown earlier today in "Red Hat Partner Connect"/redhat.com
Red Hat: Stop Saying Master, It's Racist. Today's Red Hat: "Master Your Skills" and Adopt Slop Plagiarism
IBM is shredding Red Hat to pieces while it keeps humiliating the collective intelligence of communities
Reform UK, Nigel Farage's party/company, admits missing winding-up petition
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 02/10/2026: "McDonald's Caught Cheating Consumers for Profit" and "It's Not Illegal If You Buy New Laws"
Links for the day
EPO "Cocaine Communication Manager" - Part XVII - A Vote for Campinos This Month (Reappointment) Would be an Endorsement of Cocaine
The harder they try to silence critics, the worse it'll get
The Cyber Show on "Career Scientists" (Resellers of Establishment Brands Like GAFAM)
"The "career scientist" - with PhD and research office by their mid-twenties - follows well oiled tracks and institutional signposts, steering away from controversial or "difficult" subjects."
Reporting Court Matters While Preserving Dignity of Staff
There's a high and growing probability we'll take our appeal to the Court of Appeal next year
Broligarchs Speech-Policing, Faux 'Community' or 'Hub' in 'User-Driven' Clothing
Until a broligarch decides to "flag" inconvenient stories
Gemini Links 02/10/2026: Haiku, Microsoft EEE ('Linux' as a Container in Windows), and ROOPHLOCH 2026 Roundup
Links for the day
Microsoft Promised Them Bonuses, Instead They May Get Laid Off
Laid off or paid off?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, October 01, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, October 01, 2026
Lots of People Left Red Hat This Week, No Announcement Made of Layoffs
Companies just find ways and excuses not to announce their layoffs
Gemini Links 01/10/2026: Gemini-to-Web Proxies Considered Harmful, ROOPHLOCH 2026 at Griffith Park Observatory
Links for the day
"SPONSORED FEATURE" of HPE and NVIDIA at The Register MS Has Just Mentioned "AI" 68 Times in One Page!
Meanwhile, grown-ups ignore the hype and get work done without slop
Microsoft's XBox Layoffs Not Finished, Won't be Finished, It's Called "Forever Layoffs"
Microsoft will shut down (XBox) after shrinking it, there's no need to sell anything (a straw man)
IBM's Red Hat Lost Lots of People Today, Chief People Officer (CPO) Dethroned
Headcount falls shortly in secret.
Microsoft is "Pushing Up Daisies" Amid Mass Layoffs (Secret Ones)
"Longtime Microsoft research leader Peter Lee and former LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky to depart"
Links 01/10/2026: "Lawyer Cites ChatGPT-Invented Fake Witnesses in Murder Appeal" and The 'Linux' Foundation Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Has Vacuum
Links for the day
Brigading Against Women - Part XIII - The Offer We Didn't Ask For (and Under Threats to a Lady at the Webhost, a Form of Extortion From America)
Two and a half months ago Garrett made an offer to my wife
Creditors beware: VMS Enterprises Ltd vs Brexit Party (Reform UK Party Ltd)
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Techrights Turning 20 Next Month
Our image is under attack, our finances are constantly under attack and so on
Links 01/10/2026: "Meat Proxies" and "Japan’s Far Right Is Courting Young Voters"
Links for the day
Red Hat Being Phased Out of Existence (Like Many Other Companies That IBM Bought)
The "Red Hat" brand (and badge) is being dissolved some more today [...] IBM is imploding 'creatively'.
IBM Layoffs Cover-up
thelayoff.com is censoring threads
"Restricted Boot" Garrett's State is Now Implementing Kill Switches (Just What We've Warned About All Along)
The underlying concept is hardly new
Brett Wilson LLP Has Had No Annual Report in 16 Months
A cynic might hint that they try to hide something
Reform UK last minute accounts filing
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 01/10/2026: "Babel With Better Hardware", Software Input That's Slop, and DWeb Cascadia 2026
Links for the day
Today is D-Day at Red Hat and People Leave in Droves
They said there would be "bluewashing", we're mostly seeing people announcing they're leaving
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, September 30, 2026