Bonum Certa Men Certa

The Zemlins Are Closer to Apple and Microsoft Than to Linux

They also hate GNU and shoot down -- on behalf of infringers who pay them -- those who try to enforce Linux copyrights

Closer look at cattle



Summary: Lack of loyalty to GNU/Linux means that the Linux Foundation is run and managed by people who would gleefully sell out for cash

Back in March 2013 Ted Samson of IDG (InfoWorld, bought by China and most staff laid off) wrote about Microsoft's Miguel de Icaza (he's officially back at Microsoft now) and his rejection of GNU/Linux. The Linux Foundation was asked to comment as if this longtime Microsoft mole was its responsibility. "Jim Zemlin, executive director at the Linux Foundation," it said, "took de Icaza's criticism in stride. "We agree with Miguel that Apple makes great products," he said in a statement to InfoWorld."



What kind of a statement is that?

"Need we even mention that Jim Zemlin's wife worked for a close Microsoft partner for years (Gold Microsoft Partner)?"So a thing called "Linux Foundation" -- managed by an Apple fan and user (with hypePad and "Mac"-branded PC) -- says "Apple makes great products"; what sort of figurehead is that for Linux? The thing is, this person never really cared about GNU/Linux. When asked by Ken Starks about desktop GNU/Linux about a decade ago his answer was revealing. Nothing has changed except his growing affinity for Microsoft, especially after they started paying him. Globe-trotting on the "Linux" brand, without even using Linux...

Jim Zemlin's wife wrote publicly in LinkedIn: "Outside of business, I love skiing, running, experiencing a few new countries per year with my husband..."

Need we even mention that Jim Zemlin's wife worked for a close Microsoft partner for years (Gold Microsoft Partner)? We're not 'supposed' to know this. Based on the type of role, it's a 6-figure salary, maybe around $200,000/annum (it helps to have connections). The husband pays himself about $800,000/annum, so for a family of three that's an household income of a million bucks, without even using GNU/Linux or creating anything (riding coattails instead). Not quite like the "basement dweller" stigma they're willing to spread while firing all writers and editors at Linux.com. Then there's the question we raised this morning about Linux Journal.

"At some stage we must simply accept that Zemlin works for Linux Foundation but not for Linux."One reader told us this morning: "The Linux Journal is the kind of publication the Linux Foundation should have been backing, if it had been a trade organization for the promotion of Linux instead of a trade organization representing corporate interests inside Linux."

It doesn't seem like today's Linux Foundation serves or cares about Linux. It's like it's infiltrated and compromised.

Microsoft moles inside FOSS are nothing new. Moreover, they should be expected. Microsoft has used this strategy for decades against rivals. See Richard Belluzzo and others like de Icaza and Elop. 8 years ago we named some more examples. At some stage we must simply accept that Zemlin works for Linux Foundation but not for Linux.

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

IBM and MCC: Layoffs Coming Again to Metro Connect Company Limited (MCC) as Tariffs Bite and IBM's Shares Fall
Blacklists applicable to Chinese suppliers also mean that IBM can no longer cooperate with key partners in Asia
Go Static
Please don't Go(lang) or JavaScript or PHP or...
Keeping Track of Microsoft Layoffs in 2025
So here's a quick roundup of 2025
The Sixth Anniversary of the Lightweight Alternative to the Web (Gemini Protocol)
Now 11 short of 3,000 active capsules. 65 short of 4,500 total.
People Are Sick of LLM Slop. Offer Them Alternatives.
We never used LLM slop for anything and we never will
You Can Be an A--hole to Women (Even Strangle Women) as Long as You Work for Microsoft
Recalling the Mark Shuttleworth origin story
 
Malware in Proprietary Software - Latest Additions
Original by Free Software Foundation, Inc.
The Rumours Were Likely True: Sixth Wave of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in 2025 (Days After "50" Anniversary and About 5,000 Layoffs)
5 hours ago, by Ashley Stewart
Links 09/04/2025: More Trade Wars and Wars, Chinese Army Troops Found Fighting in Ukraine
Links for the day
Linux Clickbait by Slop
Give it up for Brian Fagioli, the Serial Slopper
Microsoft's Entire Premise for Its Future Existence Goes Up in Flames
32 minutes ago
GNU/Linux on a High in Colombia
Stereotypes much?
Techrights Be Like...
K.I.S.S.
Gemini Links 09/04/2025: Autism, Cybersecurity, and LLMs Attacking Services Online
Links for the day
GNU/Linux Would be Measured at Over 5% Globally (by statCounter) Had the Data in India Not Been Changed
GNU/Linux grew a lot in many countries and has expanded since then
Links 09/04/2025: Quartz Fires All Writers (Shutdown, LLM Slop or Slopfarm Instead), "Bitcoin Is Crashing Hard"
Links for the day
Web Surveyor statCounter Sees Apple's macOS Falling From 5.6% to 3.6% in Two Months, It Might Soon be Smaller Than GNU/Linux
Apple's "value" (faked, exaggerated) is back to "pandemic times"
UK House of Lords Recognises the SLAPP Issue in the UK and EFF Pursues "Bill (That) Could Put A Stop To Censorship By Lawsuit" in the US
"A House of Lords inquiry into how the news industry can survive into the future has accused the government of “failing to prioritise” action on strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs)."
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Privacy Fiasco in Detail: Seeking Class Action Against the OSI
"LETTER SEEKING CLASS ACTION REPRESENTATION"
The Value of Slop, by Alexandre Oliva
Original by Alexandre Oliva
Gemini Links 09/04/2025: Neocities, Tinylogs, and Inter-community Protocols
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 08, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 08, 2025
Canonical is a Proprietary Software Reseller With a 'Debian Base'
"Canonical Ubuntu" is just Debian with some proprietary things sold on top of it
statCounter Sees Microsoft Bing at Lowest Level Since Last Summer
Since 2023 Bing has repeatedly had layoffs
Nearly 5,000 Microsoft Layoffs Disclosed on Week of Microsoft 'Anniversary' (Media Noise), The HR Digest Says More Layoffs Coming
more "Microsoft layoffs on the horizon"
Windows "Market Share" Down to 1% in Sudan, Based on statCounter
Among those 1% who use Windows to access the Web fewer than 30% are on Vista 11
People Who Facilitate Truth Will Always Win at the End
"Just always stick to the truth"
Slopwatch: LinuxTechLab, linuxsecurity.com, "Cyber Security News" and More LLM Slopfarms
So the Web has this bunch of slopfarms pretending to "cover" GNU/Linux
Links 08/04/2025: More Mass Layoffs Expected at Microsoft (Gaming), Fentanylware (TikTok) Unsold
Links for the day
Gemini Links 08/04/2025: "Shared Ownership" and Rant About Scrapers
Links for the day
Links 08/04/2025: Microsoft Shrinking, Oracle's Clown Computing Cracked
Links for the day
Walmart Vizio TVs Scream At Immigrants to Leave America
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Stolen Credit Card and LinkedIn. DHS Spies on Immigrant Social Media.
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
How Corporations Such as Microsoft Try to Crush Critics and Dissolve Activism
Stay focused
Wikipedia Can Lower Its Hosting Bill by Going More Static, Not Just by Caching, But It Would Not Solve Its Biggest Problems (Bribes and AstroTurfing)
For about 15 years we had a Wiki in this site
At 50, Microsoft Has Over 100 Billion Dollars in Debt and Less Than 25% "Market Share" (Windows)
statCounter basically sees less than a quarter of Web requests coming from Windows
linuxhint.com Died 12 Months Ago (After Adopting Image Slop)
Zombie sites
LLM Slop Will Eventually Stop Due to High Costs, Worse Training Sets (Polluted Models Ingesting Their Own Junk), and No Real Returns
This too shall pass
Urgent Need for SLAPP Litigation Transparency
Microsofters really want to shut us up
Courage is Contagious
I became a witness to acts of great courage from EPO examiners
On Shutdowns and 2,000 More Layoffs at Microsoft (10,000 Microsoft Staff May Have Already Been Laid Off in 2025)
Microsoft tries to hide and belittle mass layoffs; its data centre business also flounders, so it issues puff pieces about some anniversary over and over again
Gemini Links 08/04/2025: Gabbro 0.1.4 and Disillusioned With Social Control Media
Links for the day
Microsoft Windows in Jordan: From 99% Down to 10%
This is becoming more "normal"
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Privacy Fiasco in Detail: A "Deep Dive" Into the Complaint at the California Privacy Protection Agency
There are many facets to it and it may be the first complaint of several
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, April 07, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, April 07, 2025
Gemini Links 07/04/2025: Stock Market, Galène, and DMT Entities
Links for the day
During the Weekend We Said Fedora DEI Requires Proprietary Software, Now the Chat About It Is No Longer Accessible Over the Open Web
is this just a coincidence and an habitual change in Element?
Microsoft Problems in Europe Even Before the Cheeto Tariffs
The case of Romania, Europe's notorious Microsoft fan
Oman in 2025: GNU/Linux Growing to 5%
what can Microsoft do about it except sabotage the PCs?
Links 07/04/2025: US Measles Fatalities and China Launches HDMI and DisplayPort Alternative
Links for the day
Links 07/04/2025: More Cuts to Science Funding, Snail-speed Internet in Germany
Links for the day
Gemini Links 07/04/2025: Leasehold and Safe Gifts
Links for the day
Microsoft Shares Collapse Again (Down $101), Fifth Round of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in Less Than 100 Days in 2025
disaster
In Some Countries, Laptops and Desktops Become a Dying Breed (Even Before Tariffs), Windows Has Nowhere to Go
expect more GNU/Linux on new and existing laptops
When the Credibility or 'Quality' of Clients Ceases to Matter, It's About Helping Rich Companies Like Microsoft Censor Critics (No Matter the Risks)
Bad ideas typically result in undesirable outcomes
UAE: GNU/Linux and Android at Record Levels, Windows at New Lows and Falling Below Apple
Even iOS is measured as bigger than Windows this month
Links 07/04/2025: Reddit Occupied (Social Control Media Controlled by Oligarchy), Demise of Globalisation Ongoing
Links for the day
Windows Has Fallen to All-Time Lows in Switzerland Since GNU Celebrated 40th Anniversary (GNU’s 40th Birthday in Biel, Switzerland)
GNU/Linux has been doing well in Switzerland
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, April 06, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, April 06, 2025
Links 07/04/2025: Leaving Gemini/smolweb and Mastodon Migrations
Links for the day