05.17.09
Obama Cabinet Already Caving in to Microsoft?
Summary: Microsoft wants the government, Adobe wants the children
A FEW weeks ago we saw Obama bringing Microsoft closer to his government [1, 2]. A lot of supportive references are already provided for context and Goblin, one of our readers, adds:
US Science panel assimilated?
[...]
The BBC site say:
“As a member of President Obama’s new science panel, he [Microsoft's Mundie] is also involved in helping the US administration understand the unfolding intersection between technology and society.”
I wonder if this “understanding” will involve him mentioning Linux/Mac or other alternatives? I wouldnt have thought Mr Mundie would want anyone understanding them, not when Microsoft have a tool for everyone!?!??
Anyway, resistance is futile. Next time you keep watch on your toaster (to prevent toast burning) consider that in the future, it could be Microsofts “feature rich & intelligent” toaster watching back at you.
What might actually be more curious is the news which came since then (not related to Mundie in any way). How about this?
Microsoft offers stimulus-tracking software
Microsoft Corp. on Monday unveiled a software program that will help government agencies track projects funded by the economic stimulus program.
Will this software track taxpayers’ funds that are used to build a bridge so that Microsoft employee can luxuriously drive to their private mall? Because that’s exactly where some of the money goes.
There is also this in the news: “REI, Microsoft meet with Obama on health care”
Local companies REI and Microsoft were among a handful of businesses praised today by President Obama for programs designed to make their employees healthier and keep down health-care costs.
This was also published here.
Glyn Moody complained about the cheapening of the word “open” in a programme Microsoft calls “OGDI” (sounds similar to EDGI). It’s another Microsoft ploy which receives coverage right now. Here is a deceiving headline: “Microsoft offers free repository for agency data”
Microsoft has set up a repository in which government agencies may upload and store their public-facing datasets so that they can be reused by other parties.
It’s not “free”, it’s lock-in. This platform is about making the government and its civilians more dependent on Microsoft and the company appears to be doing the same thing in India right now.
New Microsoft software to monitor state projects through Internet
Microsoft India is developing a dynamic software framework, which will allow Gujarat to track the implementation of various schemes at the touch of a button. The project called Darpan, which is under development, works on Internet-based technology and would be useful to get important information from small villages and remote areas faster.
To capture the government like this seems like a form of colonialism. From India we also get the following massively-distributed E-mail, which was sent to students so that they become volunteer agents of Adobe. It’s only a few days old and it’s HTML-formatted.
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We wrote previously (with evidence) about Adobe's addiction tactics. One company aims for government and another aims for children. There are of course overlaps, too. █
