07.21.10
South African Government Surrenders to Microsoft Again
Summary: Microsoft captures a laptops flag in South Africa after lobbying and dumping
LAST MONTH we shared a Tectonic interview (ish) where the editor of the site explained how proprietary software vendors can take over, sometimes by getting rid of the Free software proponents. We saw that happening in several countries before. According to this latest report, the acquisition or removal of Free software advocates in South Africa is paying off for Microsoft:
Government Gazette 32077 (PDF), which details the approved specifications says that the laptops must run “Windows XP or higher”, include Microsoft Office as well as use Windows Live. Other approved software includes a range of Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Digital Literacy and Microsoft Partners In Learning.
The department does not specify any open source alternatives to the Microsoft software for the initiative.
How typical. Let’s go back exactly 2 years ago and remember how Microsoft derailed GNU/Linux/ODF in South African schools. Shame on Microsoft and on Bill Gates for pretending to be doing “charity” when this so-called ‘charity’ is actually an anti-competitive software dump. █
“By May of 1994, Gates’s patience was growing so thin that not even a public relations pro like Pam Edstrom could muzzle him.”
–Barbarians Led by Bill Gates, a book composed
by Pam’s daughter
