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

Representing and Speaking for Animals
If I ever choose to take this matter to tribunal with animals-centric NGOs on my side, it'll get some press coverage for sure
The UEFI 9/11 - Part II - Campaign of Censorship and Defamation Against Critics
In dictatorships, humour serves an important role. It's tragic.
How Not to Build Software
code forges that need a Web browser perhaps fill some 'niche' demand
GAFAM and "MATA"
The use of dark humour there hopefully helps illuminate what a lot of "modern" technology became like and how it interacts with human civilisation (to what ends and whose gain)
Flying in 2025
worse than ever before
The UEFI 9/11 - Part III - Chaos is Scheduled to Happen Second Thursday of September (No Matter What the Microsofters Tell You)
The clock is ticking
Downplaying the Impact of "UEFI 9/11" is a Losing Strategy
we won't publish much whilst on holiday
 
This is What Google News Has Become
Moments ago
The Slopfarm WebProNews Has Turned Google News Into a Laughing Stock Full of Plagiarism by Slop
If Google News dies of neglect, that's one thing. It's starting to seem like active neglect by Google is a form of participation.
Do What is Moral, as What's Legal Isn't Always Moral
Do what's objectively moral, no matter the costs and the risks
Slopwatch: Google News Assisting Plagiarism and Anti-Linux FUD, Serial Slopper Rips Off Linux-Centric Journalists
This makes the Web a much worse place and lessens the incentive to do journalism
Links 30/08/2025: NVIDIA Fakes Results to Hide a Bubble Already in Implosion Phase, Data Breaches Galore, Important Win for Workers' Union in Canada
Links for the day
In Kazakhstan, Yandex Estimated to be 20 Times Bigger Than Microsoft
Bing is measured as down this month
Shutterstock Not Enough? The Register MS Uses Slop Images in Articles (Seemingly More and More Over Time)
Cost-saving trajectory amid office shutdown?
Gemini Links 30/08/2025: Games, PostmarketOS, and Slop
Links for the day
Links 30/08/2025: Imgur Uproar and Many Ukraine Updates (Mediazona Reports Over 200,000 Russians Died for Putin)
Links for the day
Birds Are Not "Pests and Vermin", Privacy is Not a Crime, and GNU/Linux is Not 'Hacking Platform'
I could not help but think of Free software analogies
The Sites Should Be Very Fast Again
That issue is now resolved
Activists, Including Technical Activists, Need Not Pursue Affirmation
Techrights doesn't play or participate in a "popularity contest"
Government Sites Should Run Free Software
Not proprietary bloatware with buzzwords
LLM Slopfarms Take No Breaks
When people run sites by bots they don't need to worry about "breaks"
GNOME Having a Meltdown Again
Thanks and farewell to Steven Deobald
Gemini Links 30/08/2025: Low Tech and Hunchbin 1.0.6
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 29, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, August 29, 2025
Financiers and Sponsors of the Slop Hype (Pyramid Scheme Waiting to End, Bubble That Will Inevitably Implode)
It's also burning the planet
Slopwatch: Fake Articles About "Linux", Google Helps Ponzi Schemes and Slopfarms in Google News
Slopfarms are a real pain
Gemini Links 29/08/2025: Retiring at 62 and URL Filtering HTTP(S) Proxy on Qubes OS
Links for the day
Links 29/08/2025: Lisa Cook Sues Convicted Felon and Backdoor Mandate in UK Resisted
Links for the day
Links 29/08/2025: Arti 1.5.0, War on Public Health (CDC), and Slop 'Bros' Made to Pay for Their Mass Plagiarism
Links for the day
No, 4Chan is Not Fighting for You by Lawyering Up Against Ofcom (UK)
Don't mistake proto-fascists for people who "fight for you". They don't.
In Many Places in the World Vista 11 "Market Share" is Going Down, Not Up
In some countries Windows is already down to third place or lower
More Microsoft-Connected Layoffs, at Least Third Time This Month! (Also Another Death on Campus)
Microsoft as a "gaming" company is where studios, projects, games, and even developers come to die
Slopwatch: Fake Articles About "Linux", Slop Images in VentureBeat, Linux Foundation Spam Made With LLM Slop and Slop Images
The only relief or upside - if any exists - is that the pace of slop was down a bit this week
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, August 28, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, August 28, 2025
Gemini Links 29/08/2025: Poems, Games, and Java 25 Performance
Links for the day