Bonum Certa Men Certa

In Search of the Full Story About Swiss Canton and Microsoft

Small church perched on the hill



Summary: Microsoft Switzerland may still be playing dirty as people in charge of GNU/Linux migrations find their way out

THE government of Switzerland was sued by many vendors for falling into Microsoft's pocket -- a tough subject which we previous covered in:

  1. Microsoft Sued Over Its Corruption in Switzerland, Microsoft Debt Revisited
  2. Can the United Kingdom and Hungary Still be Sued for Excluding Free Software?
  3. 3 New Counts of Antitrust Violation by Microsoft?
  4. Is Microsoft Breaking the Law in Switzerland Too?
  5. Microsoft Uses Lobbyists to Attack Holland's Migration to Free Software and Sort of Bribes South African Teachers Who Use Windows
  6. ZDNet/eWeek Ruins Peter Judge's Good Article by Attacking Red Hat When Microsoft Does the Crime
  7. Week of Microsoft Government Affairs: a Look Back, a Look Ahead
  8. Lawsuit Against Microsoft/Switzerland Succeeds So Far, More Countries/Companies Should Follow Suit
  9. Latest Reports on Microsoft Bulk Deals Being Blocked in Switzerland, New Zealand
  10. Swiss Government and Federal Computer Weekly: Why the Hostility Towards Free Software?
  11. Switzerland and the UK Under Fire for Perpetual Microsoft Engagements
  12. Lawsuit Over Alleged Microsoft Corruption in Switzerland Escalates to Federal Court
  13. When Microsoft-Only/Lock-in is Defined as “Technology”


Some of the posts above contain links to other bits of evidence which show Microsoft's unethical and at times illegal activities in the country (concerning OOXML too).

There is a new Slashdot story linking to an article in German. As expected, there is another side to this story but it is not properly explored or told (we first mentioned this story two and a half years ago or more). The automated translation is poor and details are very limited. One of our readers has looked for additional information and a discussion took place some minutes ago (log below with typos not corrected and unrelated stuff not removed to avoid distraction). If anybody can add information about this subject, please share in IRC or in the comments. We expect the matter to be discussed in the news next week (English-speaking press) and we try to accumulate as much information as possible in preparation for it.

Techrights logo

IRC: #techrights @ FreeNode: September 19th, 2010

Join us now at the IRC channel.

twittergood morningSep 19 13:37
schestowitzHiSep 19 13:37
twitterSlashdot had a trolly story yesterday about an apparently failed migration http://linux.slashdot.org/story/10/09/18/0239243/Swiss-Canton-Abandons-Linux-Migration?from=rssSep 19 13:38
TechrightsBot-trTitle: Slashdot Linux Story | Swiss Canton Abandons Linux Migration .::. Size~: 182.34 KBSep 19 13:38
twitterany idea what that is all about?Sep 19 13:38
schestowitzWhat's the rebuttal to it?Sep 19 13:39
schestowitzI didn't see the commentrsSep 19 13:39
schestowitzSomeone in identica linked to thisSep 19 13:39
twitterI did not look into it, comments at Slashdot are not reliable or easy to look throughSep 19 13:39
schestowitzThe story did not mention intervention by Microsoft (could be omission)Sep 19 13:39
schestowitzMaybe they were offered a 'special deal', but one needs to ask those at the scenes, not epeculateSep 19 13:40
schestowitzMicrosoft did this in MunichSep 19 13:40
twitterDo you know the author?  I'm susupicious.Sep 19 13:40
twitter"Open Source" at HeiseSep 19 13:40
schestowitzTo send a "Warning" example to anyone else who 'dares' to show a Linux success storySep 19 13:40
twitteris it another one of those fake Open Source columnsSep 19 13:40
twitter?Sep 19 13:40
schestowitzHeise is relaibleSep 19 13:40
schestowitzNo, not fakeSep 19 13:40
schestowitzWorth seeing what people on the scene have to saySep 19 13:41
schestowitzAnd to what extent this is trueSep 19 13:41
schestowitzThere was a similar story last week in FranceSep 19 13:41
twitterI could not tell because I don't read German and the translated page is gibberishSep 19 13:41
twitterWhat does come out of the story does not make much sense.  The revolts are over applications, most of which probably won't run on Windows 7 which they run back to.Sep 19 13:42
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[royhugo/@royhugo] ♺ @jerezim: To illustrate your posts about the #GalloReport: http://ur1.ca/1obc4 #CopyrightRepression (call! http://ur1.ca/0juns) → I ♥ itSep 19 13:42
TechrightsBot-trTitle: File:Gallo Report private-copyright-CRS.png - La Quadrature du Net .::. Size~: 17.86 KBSep 19 13:42
TechrightsBot-trTitle: ur1 Generator .::. Size~: 1.93 KBSep 19 13:42
twitterHeise also mentioned Outlook, which is a real piece of garbage.  It's hard to imagine someone making something that sucks worse than Outlook.Sep 19 13:43
schestowitzLockinSep 19 13:43
schestowitzBut...Sep 19 13:43
schestowitzThey need to invest to escape itSep 19 13:44
schestowitzSimilar story in ViennaSep 19 13:44
schestowitzQuestion is, why was the CIO resigning?Sep 19 13:44
schestowitzWas he pressure like Quinn for example?Sep 19 13:44
schestowitzMicrosoft often puts some moles around these people and then cause them troubleSep 19 13:44
schestowitzGates Foundation does the same thingSep 19 13:44
schestowitzThey toss out those who stand in its waySep 19 13:44
twitterLockin is trouble but the sooner you get out, the more you save.Sep 19 13:45
twitterand it's not so badSep 19 13:45
schestowitzOr cut their research fundingSep 19 13:45
schestowitzWell...Sep 19 13:45
schestowitzAll I can say is, if you find out something beyond what /, say, let us knowSep 19 13:45
schestowitzIt's a Heise/Slashdot information 'monopoly' on this storySep 19 13:46
twitterI'm working in a Windows office and I'm able to get what I need from legacy apps through Windows terminal services.Sep 19 13:46
schestowitzI didn't get to see an independent report... yetSep 19 13:46
twitterOK, thanks, that's what I wanted to know.  There are a lot o missing details and the problems I mentioned above.Sep 19 13:47
twitterWindows 7 will bring all sorts of pain to places using XP.  I can't imagine how nasty a move from gnu/linux to Windows 7 would be.Sep 19 13:48
twitterI'm told that both samba and rdp are broken in Vista/Windows 7, so gnu/linux won't work in a place like that - complete shut out.Sep 19 13:49
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[glynmoody/@glynmoody] Redefining the Great Wall - http://bit.ly/axmhF9 "more accurately translated into English as 'The Great Town'": interesting #chinaSep 19 13:49
TechrightsBot-trTitle: Redefining the Great Wall .::. Size~: 91.21 KBSep 19 13:49
twitterok, comments from Slashdot.  Maxwell's Demon says, "Note that 80% of the users were satisfied with the new desktop, and a further 10% just complained about transient problems."Sep 19 13:53
twitterAnother big mistake, they made the decision to migrate in 2001 but only started to migrate in 2006.  That gave the Microsoft people lots of time to make trouble.Sep 19 14:00
schestowitz<twitter> OK, thanks, that's what I wanted to know.  There are a lot o missing details and the problems I mentioned above.Sep 19 14:01
schestowitzI haven't even mentioned this yetSep 19 14:01
schestowitzNot a single article in EnglishSep 19 14:01
schestowitztwitter: maybe you can accumulate this infoSep 19 14:01
schestowitzThen write an article with link to backing claimSep 19 14:02
schestowitzTo post a rebuttal to this piece, which is in German onlySep 19 14:02
schestowitzReaders would appreciate the other sideSep 19 14:02
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[richslxh/@richslxh] @pookito I think it would be a shame to see an established distro like Mandriva disappear. It has a sound community.Sep 19 14:02
twitterI can look around, but I think information will be lacking in English.Sep 19 14:02
twitterLike I said, it's very trolly.Sep 19 14:03
schestowitzThere's already one thing of importanceSep 19 14:14
schestowitzLike how many people were pleasedSep 19 14:14
schestowitzBut I don't have linksSep 19 14:14
schestowitzAnd it needs to be suimmarised concisely, I thinkSep 19 14:14
schestowitzThen we can published a more complete storySep 19 14:15
twitterI hate Slashdot's nasty java script.  It does not work with Konq 3.5, so I have to pull up iceweasel.Sep 19 14:17
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[richslxh/@richslxh] @pookito So far it looks like they're getting pretty organised and the future looks good if they can maintain the same standard.Sep 19 14:22
twitterHere's an interesting comment from an AC.  The problem with Linux and (F)OSS in Switzerland is manifold:- Microsoft has a strong lobbying group in Switzerland that figuratively "bought" several members of the parliament (even members of the socialist party, e.g. Mrs Pascale Bruderer, who worked for Microsoft Switzerland for a couple of years)Sep 19 14:23
twitter- Microsoft's tentacles even reach out to the Federal Council (Microsoft has strong ties to the current President of the Swiss Confederation, Mrs Doris Leuthard)Sep 19 14:23
twitter- Mr Stefan Meierhans, Swiss "Preisüberwacher" ("Mr Price", chief of one of the Swiss antitrust authorities), is a former PR expert and lobbyist of Microsoft Switzerland. He was appointed by Mrs Doris Leuthard (surprise, surprise).Sep 19 14:23
twitter- A couple of days ago, Mrs Leuthard announced the establishment of a new eEconomy Board [e-economy.ch] organization that is supposed to offer IT advice to the Swiss government and its related organizations. The appointed chief of this organization is the current CEO of Microsoft Switzerland, Mr Peter Waser. Other representatives of big US closed source software vendors are part of the board, but not a single representative of a local opeSep 19 14:23
twitterend interesting commentSep 19 14:24
twitterMaxwells Demon again, "The windows data base they were speaking about was a product named "Konsul" (a proprietary data base developed by a swiss company). No, I didn't hear about that data base before either (I had to google it to find out it was a swiss product, although I suspected it due to the name), and of course it got lost in the Google translation."Sep 19 14:26
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[mohanpram/@mohanpram] “Sent from Ubuntu” signature to be added to all mail sent from Evolution? http://ur1.ca/1obu3 (via @omgubuntu)Sep 19 14:30
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[pietercolpaert/@pietercolpaert] http://ur1.ca/1obud - Report of the #iRail meet-up 17th of September. Thanks for showing up, we'll keep you postedSep 19 14:30
TechrightsBot-trTitle: &ldquo;Sent from Ubuntu&rdquo; signature to be added to all mail sent from Evolution? .::. Size~: 30.07 KBSep 19 14:30
TechrightsBot-trTitle: iRail meet-up: Report €«  Bon sans nom .::. Size~: 24.8 KBSep 19 14:30
schestowitztwitter: could you summarise all these points?Sep 19 14:31
schestowitzI can make a reader's article based on that todaySep 19 14:31
schestowitzTo counter the AstroTurfing I see with this storySep 19 14:31
schestowitzSwitzerland's govt. was suedSep 19 14:31
twitteroften quoted troll hairyfeet talks about how cheap windows is, how wonderful AD is and how gnu/linux is only good for niche applications.Sep 19 14:31
schestowitzFor signing illegally a Microsoft dealSep 19 14:32
twitterhmm, I'm short on time and don't think I can get it done today.Sep 19 14:32
schestowitzOK, maybe later?Sep 19 14:32
schestowitzIt's maybe a case ...Sep 19 14:32
schestowitzNever mindSep 19 14:32
schestowitzI'll use what you put hereSep 19 14:32
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[royhugo/@royhugo] it seems like folks at #diaspora forgot the principle "release early, release often" http://is.gd/fhZ2lSep 19 14:32
-TRIdentica/#techrights-[gbraad/@gbraad] watching #Discovery's Into the Universe with #StephenHawking on our !dreambox http://is.gd/fhZ52Sep 19 14:32
schestowitzAnd summaris thatSep 19 14:32
TechrightsBot-trTitle: Trouble with Diaspora - Steve's Blog .::. Size~: 35.29 KBSep 19 14:32
TechrightsBot-trTitle: http://file.status.net/identica/gbraad-20100919T133202-h9fenwy.png - Identi.ca .::. Size~: 8.97 KBSep 19 14:32
twitterthanks, I'm busy moving.Sep 19 14:32
schestowitz_logokSep 19 14:33
twitterI've lived in this house for nine years and have lots of junk to pack.Sep 19 14:33
schestowitzI'll use the quotes and allSep 19 14:33
schestowitzFrom the loggerSep 19 14:33
twittercheck you latter, thanks for all the good work.Sep 19 14:33
schestowitzI'm putting the log aside to arrange laterSep 19 14:33
schestowitzLots of posts next week...Sep 19 14:33
twitterI do make time to read.  :)Sep 19 14:33


Recent Techrights' Posts

Teaser: The Next Series About the SRA, Which Would be Just as Effective as It Is Right Now If It Had Zero Employees
the lapdog (of the "litigation industry") that is meant to be perceived as a watchdog
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Inaction and Incompetence - Part I - Introduction
The SRA is a sham. Many people know this already, but we want to document our own experiences with it.
Live Simply, Live Better
Life isn't about "collecting" possessions; it's about doing things that matter and accumulating knowledge so as to make better choices
Now That XBox is Pretty Much Dead and There Are Mass Layoffs at Microsoft
This means our predictions about Microsoft (and XBox) are "falling into place"
The term FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) was created to describe IBM's tactics and IBM is doing it again
Rob Thomas or "RT"
Slop is Distraction
LibreWolf will never include any of this slop nonsense, no matter if toggled on or off
Cult inquiry: Parliament of Victoria, last chance to have your say
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Still Lots of IBM Departures
It's not that we lack evidence of IBM layoffs. It's just that we have ample evidence of the press not doing its job (or barely existing anymore).
The Register MS Standards: Promote a Ponzi Scheme in Exchange of Money
Once upon a time it was a serious publisher. Months ago it was taken over by a Microsoft person.
 
Gemini Links 01/03/2026: Simpler Software and Announcing OFFLFIRSOCH (OFFLine-FIRst SOftware CHallenge) 2026
Links for the day
EPO "Cocaine Communication Manager" - Part V - Jobs at the EPO for Those Connected to Cocaine Addicts (Skills Not Required)
EPO management is trying to shoot the messenger
Booz Allen Hamilton, the Former Employer of Edward Snowden (NSA Contractor), is Drowning in Debt
Can Supreme Leader Cheeto bail it out like he does slop companies?
On the Concept of "Protected Class" (or Race) at IBM
It's self-harming as in practice it imperils the company and harms the reputation/brand
The Mass Layoffs at Microsoft That Nobody in the "News Industry" Wants to Talk About (and TheLayoff.com Censored, Then It Censored the Evidence of the Censorship)
They basically cover up how they censored the news about Microsoft layoffs
Richard Stallman to Give at Least Three Talks in Switzerland, Starting This Week
No mention (yet) of the Bern talk
On Who 'Speaks for' Techrights
typically a case of misrepresenting the site
'FSFE' an Imposter in Europe, Paid by GAFAM to Represent GAFAM Interests
The Microsoft-sponsored 'FSFE', which violates the terms of use of its name, is causing confusion [...] formally-recognised institutions got tricked into thinking that the Microsoft-sponsored 'FSFE' is the FSF
Lots of Lies From the Slop Industry
The slop industry relies on fake news to give a notion or fake demand
Links 01/03/2026: American Plutocrats Buy American Media While American Constitution Shredded
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/03/2026: "In the Spirit of OFFLFIRSOCH" and "Delete Patreon"
Links for the day
ACM Lowers Its Standards for Age of Autocracy
IBM is more than happy to work with autocracies
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, February 28, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, February 28, 2026
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Turns 37.5
Can IRC reach age 75?
Gemini Links 28/02/2026: Loadbars 0.13.0, IME (Input Method Editor), and ColorColumn in Vim
Links for the day
Two EPO Strikes in March (Maybe More)
As per the SUEPO diary [...] We still have an ongoing series about the EPO, with several more series to start later
Why We Are Concerned About the SRA's Failure and What That Means to the Profession of Lawyers in the UK
Unregulated industries will lose their credibility as there is a threat of growing perception that they operate outside the law rather than practice law
Over 10,000 Pages/Articles Per Year?
Probably my most productive month, ever
Keeping Techrights Online 99.99% of the Time
Some time later this year we'll tell a very long story about how extremists attacked our webhosts
Richard Stallman, Founder of the Free Software Movement, Will be Giving Public Talk in Bern (Switzerland) in Less Than 12 Days
We are still doing a series about him and his talks
Slopfarms' Demise Looks Like the Beginning of the End (Lowered Demand for Slop)
Slop about "Linux" has gotten hard to find this past week
Dr. Andy Farnell: Time to Pull the Plug?
insightful, as usual
Links 28/02/2026: "Tehran’s Two-Tiered Internet", "Internet Under Fire"
Links for the day
When an Entire News Site is About One Topic (and One Topic Only)
Tomorrow we start a new series for the new month
Links 28/02/2026: Bill Epsteingate Admits Sex With Young Girls, "Epstein Files Are the Horror That Keeps on Giving"
Links for the day
IBM: Where Companies Come to Perish
thelayoff.com is censoring stories
Tech Layoffs Are Not Because of Slop, They're an Effect of a Rotting Economy and Tech Giants Being Too Deep in Debt
Block is rapidly sinking in debt
The Slopfarms' Business Case (or Business Model) Never Existed and Nowadays, in 2026, They've Mostly Collapsed
Hopefully by year's end many slop suppliers will be offline and slopfarms that rely on them throw in the towel
March in London Today Against Slop's Harms to Society (and the Environment), Starting at 12:00 GMT at the Microsoft OpenAI Office
Today there is a protest in London (UK)
Microsoft Mass Layoffs Have Officially Resumed, Microsoft's Waggener Edstrom/Frank Shaw Lied
"The former employees say this was a mass layoff"
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, February 27, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, February 27, 2026
Links 27/02/2026: Block Cuts 40% of Its Workforce While Blaming Ponzi Scheme, Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros.
Links for the day
IBM CEO and CFO Make It Hotter in the Kitchen
Who's gonna leave the kitchen while they cook the books?
Gemini Links 27/02/2026: Unlearning Literacy (Slop) and Firefox as Slop-ware
Links for the day
It Looks Like Linux Chief Linus Torvalds Made a Good Call Regarding Kent 'Slop' Overstreet
Having never met or even chatted to Overstreet, I'm not in a position to judge him
Links 27/02/2026: Slop Incompatible With Nuclear Codes, Chinese Slop "Chatbots Censor Themselves"
Links for the day
Please Report the European Patent Office (EPO) to Europol for Cocaine Abuse and Tampering With Witnesses and Media to Hide This Cocaine Abuse
there are already police reports connected to the matter
Like a Mafia: Kris De Neef and Nellie Simon, Who Help Campinos Cover Up Cocainegate at the EPO (Substance Abuse at the Highest Office), Are Bullying EPO Whistleblowers
They're all in this together [...] At this point, undoubtedly, the EPO is run like an organised crime operation. Nothing more, nothing less.
pulltheplug.uk Says the Internet Harms Us, Will March in London Tomorrow
Maybe the site is down due to high access demand
EPO Management Trying to Hide Cocainegate, Silence/Discredit Whistleblowers, and Probably in a Panic Due to the Strikes
At the moment, Johannes' mates are receiving over 100,000 euros as a reward for doing illegal drugs
Jim Zemlin's 'Linux' Foundation is the Real Link Between Linux and Pedophilia
It's about the deeds, not the words
The GNU Manifesto Turns 41 in March (Next Week)
And RMS turns 73 next month
The Sister Site is Still Improving the Static Site Generator (SSG) We Use in Techrights
We have a common mission and every week we make measurable advancements
Techrights is 100% Disconnected From Cheeto's America, the Problem is Hired Guns in London Helping Violent Americans Attack Us Domestically
Not a new problem, not limited to us
Greenland Needs to Disconnect From United States Tech to Protect Its Independence
The more Greenland protects itself from Social Control Media, the more robust or resilient it'll be to regime change
Open Source Endowment (OSE) Looking to Raise Money for Free Software, But It's Hard to Know who Runs the Open Source Endowment Foundation
Their Web site does not (easily) show who the Board of Directors includes
Apple Doesn't Want Anybody to Ask What Happened to Vision Pro
They lost a lot of money
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) on Slop and Breach of Confidentiality
They should absolutely not ignore this
If You Want More Verifiable (Auditable) Security, Use GNU Linux-Libre
GNU/Linux will never be 100% secure
Microsoft XBox Can't Stop Talking About Slop
Will we see more "prepared" (under embargo) Microsoft propaganda released simultaneously at 9PM tonight?
Rust Will Not Inherit the Earth, It Barely Deserves a Place on the Planet
Rust - like Haskell and many other short-lived fetishes - will come and go
Truth Versus Fiction: IBM's Collapse Due to Money Crunch, Not Slop Disguised as Code
core issue is financial
Almost 5,000 Known Gemini Capsules
It is now just 98 short of 5k
Priceless leaks found in crowdfunding campaign
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, February 26, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, February 26, 2026