Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft is Getting Utterly Desperate

Vista 10
These paid-for ads (from my timeline) show just how low Microsoft has stooped



Summary: An overview of Microsoft's strategy as of late, including the plot to devour the competition (e.g. GNU/Linux in servers)

THIS MONTH (and in previous months too) I spoke to someone from Microsoft and learned about more layoffs, which the company is apparently trying quite hard to hide from the media (and the public). I was apparently not supposed to know about this. Microsoft is saving face.

The severity of the problems inside Microsoft is sometimes only known to insiders. A few days ago Microsoft's friends at the BBC covered the XBox disaster. XBox has lost a lot of money over the years (Microsoft knows how to hide the losses) and now, according to this BBC report: "Encryption keys that secure Xbox Live accounts have been "inadvertently disclosed", Microsoft has said.

"Microsoft is saving face.""The keys in question are designed to be kept private so they can guarantee the authenticity of a digital certificate, invoked when users connect to xboxlive.com."

Who would ever trust Microsoft for security? IDG's Grimes (who is a Microsoft employee masquerading as journalist) is supposed to be a Microsoft security expert, but in this new article of his he deflects by speaking of an "almost foolproof way to check for malware". "Yes," iophk told us sarcastically, "if it is running Windows then it has / is malware" (increasingly the case with Vista 10, which is malware by definition).

Microsoft is having a lot of problems right now, both with security (giving the NSA back doors contributes to this) and with getting people to install malware like Vista 10 on their PCs. Hence the aggressive push, financial incentives, and ridiculous marketing (see above). Microsoft is clearly losing it; the common carrier/monopoly is dying, so Microsoft tries FORCING people to use spyware/malware (see this new article titled "Microsoft may ‘automatically upgrade’ Windows 7 and 8.x to W10"). Microsoft is literally trying to infect people's PCs with malware -- Microsoft's own malware, complete with a keylogger that broadcasts people's passwords for example. If it wasn't Microsoft behind such a software plot, police forces would come at daytime, raid their offices, and put in handcuffs engineers and managers who created such malicious software, then forcibly spread it to many PCs.

"Who would ever trust Microsoft for security?"Microsoft is in a very bad state, no matter how much it pays the media (via PR agencies) to claim otherwise. Even Mac Asay does marketing for Microsoft on the face of it, but all these claims about a Microsoft recovery overlook the massive losses, the stock buybacks, and many other factors. Even a Microsoft booster from IDG (IDG employs many such boosters, including some on Microsoft's payroll) is willing to acknowledge that quality of Microsoft's software patched is basically low. "Microsoft's Patch Tuesday update KB 3114409," he explained, "intended to help admins keep Outlook 2010 from starting in safe mode, has in fact done the opposite. Many Outlook 2010 customers report that installing KB 3114409 forces Outlook to start in safe mode."

Microsoft loses not just in phones and on the desktop. Its share in active sites keeps declining based on the latest figures from Netcraft. No wonder the company is now trying to devour GNU/Linux; it’s losing… well, everything. "See the chart at the end on "market share of computers"," iophk told us, "and note that IIS has a worse than 1:1 ratio of sites to hardware while Apache and nginx have a better than 1:1 ratio."

"Microsoft loses not just in phones and on the desktop."Microsoft will definitely do whatever it can to force ‘upgrades’ to the latest spyware from Microsoft, not just Windows (which is now malware). As The Register put it yesterday: "Microsoft is advising Windows users to update their browsers ahead of a new policy that will see some versions of Internet Explorer no longer supported.

"The Redmond software giant said that beginning January 12, 2016, it will only support the newest version of its browser available in each operating system."

People don't need Internet Explorer. It is still a very low quality Web browser and it is spying on users' browsing habits and more. Firefox does not do this.

"Microsoft's history serves as a warning sign and the company still attacks Linux with patents."Microsoft's booster Todd Bishop, in this older bit of spin, tries to equate Google to Microsoft. "Google has jumped the shark," iophk told us regarding this article, but the views of a person or two (Google hired some people from Microsoft) hardly represent Google's views as a company.

One should proceed with caution amid Microsoft's demise because the company is now trying to just devour the winner, which is GNU/Linux. See the news about ARTIK below [1] and also the Linux Foundation relationship, in [2-23] below (links not already mentioned in our daily news). We have already responded to the Linux Foundation's approach, which is risky. Microsoft's history serves as a warning sign and the company still attacks Linux with patents.

Related/contextual items from the news:



  1. ARTIK is Now Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT
    ARTIK, the Internet of Things (IoT) Samsung hardware platform has had some very Interesting developments recently, it is now Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT! This translates to the ARTIK 5 and ARTIK 10 boards being tested for readiness, compatibility, and usability with the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite.


  2. Microsoft’s week: Final Patch Tuesday for 2015, open source Chakra engine and Linux certification for Azure


  3. Microsoft and Linux Foundation Create 'Linux on Azure' Cert Program


  4. Microsoft offers new certification for Linux on Azure
  5. Microsoft offers Linux certification. Do not adjust your set. This is not an error
    The new Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) Linux on Azure teaches you how to do Linux on Azure by making you do an Azure course and a Linux course.


  6. Linux Foundation and Microsoft Partner on New Azure Cloud Certification


  7. Microsoft and Linux are offering a joint certification for Azure
  8. Microsoft continues to embrace Linux with new Azure certification
  9. Microsoft and Linux Foundation Create ‘Linux on Azure’ Cert Program
  10. Linux Foundation and Microsoft offer new Azure certification program
  11. Microsoft announces Azure certification program for Linux
  12. Microsoft Partners With Linux Foundation On Azure Certification
  13. Microsoft introduces new Certification for Azure on Linux
  14. Microsoft readies Linux on Azure certification
  15. Microsoft Adds Linux Certification For Azure
  16. Microsoft introduces Linux certification
  17. Microsoft is now offering Linux on Azure certification once you pass two exams
  18. Now Linux will be available on Azure Certification as announced by Microsoft
  19. This Is Not Your Or Bill Gate’s Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)
  20. Microsoft further embraces Linux with IT professional certification for Azure
  21. Microsoft to offer a Linux-based cert for Azure admins
  22. Microsoft Announces Linux on Azure Certification


  23. Microsoft embraces Linux with Azure certification




Recent Techrights' Posts

Legal Attacks on Techrights Have Made Techrights More Popular and More Widely Read
The misogynists will have plenty of work to do this summer
SLAPP Censorship - Part 142 Out of 200: GemText is Not a Webpage, Gemini Protocol is Not the Web, and Capsules Are Not Websites
our intention to appeal (escalate to the Court of Appeal)
 
Links 08/08/2026: "Palantir Paid No Federal Income Tax" and "Who's Responsible for This Mess?"
Links for the day
Retained: The Time IBM's Red Hat Tried to Hijack or Take Offline Site of Critics, Failed on All Grounds (Meritless Action Intended to Harass Critics)
Replicated from adrforum.com
IBM's 'Final Solution': Censor Sites Not Controlled by IBM, Sites Where Dissent is Expressed
IBM has no culture of free speech
More Mass Layoffs Coming IBM's Way (Ones IBM Cannot Hide, Cannot Convince Enough People to Leave or Unjustifiably PIP Them When They Say No)
The company that was like a "father of modern computing" is now stingy when it comes to travel. Not a good sign.
What Will it Take for Mainstream Media to Report Silent or Secret Layoffs at IBM?
"Silent" or "secret" sometimes because the media won't cover them
Is the Future of IBM Red Hat Temporary Staff, Contractors?
They want cheap, obedient lemmings
Gemini Links 08/08/2026: Tribute to Lloyd Center, Radio Amateurism, Homeworlds
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 07, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, August 07, 2026
Microsoft Uses Slop to Find Defects and Then Uses Slop to Replace Code, What Could Go Wrong?
Botspam is the problem, it's not a constructive approach in any shape or form
analytics.usa.gov: GNU/Linux Up Some More This Week
Days ago it said 6.4%, now it's up to 6.8%
RA-pocalypse: IBM Tells Workers "Taking a Hike" is Their "Next Step" ('Voluntary' Layoffs), Now It Prepares to Sack Lots of Contractors
There definitely is something going on
Kai Stephens (Barkley Walsh) & British Democrats in Clacton by-election hustings
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Daniel Pocock 'Punching' Nazis in the UK
The so-called "cult" of so-called "Debianism" was left with nothing but massive legal bills
Microsoft: Our August 2026 Layoffs Are Not Layoffs Because... Reasons
That's like IBM making "spin-offs", then pretending that no layoffs are happening
Links 07/08/2026: UMG and Anthropic in Trouble Over Copyright Infringements Sold as "Training" (Slop)
Links for the day
Links 07/08/2026: "BMW Is Showing Commercials On Their Car's Dash Screens And They Want You To Think It's A Treat", Software Patents on Drones
Links for the day
What We Said About Red Hat's Fate Under IBM Turned Out to be Right on the Money (That IBM Lacks)
There are no layoffs at IBM
IRC Networks Show No Signs of Going Away, IRC Enters Its 39th Year
That IRC daemons are still actively developed and patched in summer of 2026 (over 38 years after IRC was born) says a lot about IRC's importance
Social [Control] Media Needs to Die
I am a bit shocked to recall that I wasted a lot of time on it
Some Malware is Legal Because It's Made and Distributed by Politically-Connected GAFAM
In reality, the security non-experts 'championed' (and salaried) by GAFAM are anti-security people who advocate back doors
The GNU/Linux Anniversary is Next Month, Not This Month
It'll turn 43
At Clacton by-election Hustings Event Daniel Pocock Says "Social [Control] Media Has Contributed to Some of the Anti Social Behaviour."
No doubt many problems in society are caused or at least amplified/accentuated by this horrible phenomenon
IBM Insiders Explain Why IBM is in Very Serious Trouble
Will IBM last long enough for any "quantum" deliverables to become a reality?
The Register MS Took Money From Broadcom to Publish Fake 'News' With "AI" Mentioned 35 Times
not legitimate or authentic journalism.
GNU/Linux Approaching 20% in Georgia (the Country)
Usage of GNU/Linux was near 0%, as measured by statCounter, several years ago
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, August 06, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, August 06, 2026
Gemini Links 07/08/2026: Radio Amateurism, Summer Updates, and Programming "Taste"
Links for the day
Links 06/08/2026: Billboard Chart Contaminated by Slop Plagiarists, Sheinbaum Blasts Social Control Media
Links for the day
A Long Break and What's Coming Next Year
Some time next year we definitely plan to show how the EFF failed women, failed bloggers, and basically prioritised GAFAM
Daniel Pocock on a "metre-long ballot paper"
The Debian "cult" (as he calls them collectively) is simply jealous of him
Links 06/08/2026: Disney and Fentanylware (TikTok) Deal, "Hearing Aids Shenanigans"
Links for the day
IBM Mass Layoffs Began Yesterday, They're Sold as "Voluntary", the "Offer" Runs for Two Weeks (Last Day August 19th 2026)
IBM will self-detonate while using contractual agreements to force people to smile
Start of September 2026 'Voluntary' Mass Layoffs at IBM, Start of October Red Hat Employees Forced Into the 'Bloodbath' (After Collapse of IBM's Shares)
Red Hat is in trouble
Many GNU/Linux PCs Are Not Connected to the Net or Don't Use the Web
Saying GNU/Linux user-agents are just "bots" (Microsoft Lunduke and other Microsofters say this) is like asserting that the Twin Towers fell not because of two giant planes but because of explosives
They Call Occupations "Professions" Because the "Pro" Means Something
If you want to find tech news online
New Conference Paper (Science of Cyber Security) Credits RMS With Delaying Passwords
When it comes to passwords, RMS was "right"
Removing Gender Barriers in Computer Science
It is not that "women aren't good at maths"
In Brunei, GNU/Linux Approaches International Average of 8.5%
a sharp rise from 0% to about 7.5% happened in a few years
15% of IBM Staff Marked for Layoffs ("RAs"), the Workers' Objective is to Find Another Employer and Leave
"That's not a workforce, that's a waiting room."
Maintenance to be Completed Tonight (IPv6)
Notice how, after 25+ years, we're still not fully adopting IPv6, we're only about 50% there
A Data Centres Hub Puts Everyone at Risk, Especially People Who Live Near Them at Times of War/s
Spoiler: Datacentres are military targets, they attract missiles, some with nuclear warheads
GAFAM Mass Layoffs and Mountains (Trillions of Dollars in 'Secret' or 'Off-the-Ledger') Debt
GAFAM is having layoffs this month
August 2026 Microsoft Layoffs Confirmed by Staff This Week
It's hard to assess how many are impacted but signed an NDA, preventing them from speaking about what really happened
analytics.usa.gov Says 7% of Sessions Come From GNU/Linux and ChromeOS. If ~40% (Mobile) Get Omitted, It's More Like 11%.
In desktops and in laptops GNU/Linux has become a big player
IBM Cannot Survive for Much Longer, There Are Limits to RAs and Offshoring, IBM Now Asks Workers to Quit
IBM is in very serious trouble
SLAPP Censorship - Part 141 Out of 200: Brett Wilson LLP Failed to Learn From the Mistakes of the European Patent Office (EPO)
my solicitor, David Allen Green, put them in their place
Texts of the Claims From Balabhadra (Alex) Graveley and Matthew J. Garrett Almost Identical, I am Suing for Abuse of Process
Half a decade ago Balabhadra (Alex) Graveley from Microsoft and GNOME was arrested for strangulation in Texas
Gemini Links 06/08/2026: "Eat That Frog", Mutt Terminal Email Guide, and BASICODE
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, August 05, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, August 05, 2026