09.19.19
Gemini version available ♊︎Buying the Voices of ‘Linux’ People to Repeat Microsoft’s Talking Points While Removing Our Icons and Leaders (Calling Them Sexist)
This has become a political game or warfare, not a technical competition
Reference: Decapitation strike
Summary: The dirty games leveraged by several companies including Microsoft target charismatic people who are essential for morale and leadership; these tactics aren’t particularly novel
FORGET everything you knew or once thought you knew about GNU/Linux. Microsoft nowadays distorts the meaning of these brands; similarly, as we show in our weekly Openwashing Reports, the words Open and Source (or Source Source) get distorted; never mind the original terms, notably Free software (we prefer to speak of Software Freedom as this removes the ambiguity associated with zero cost or low price).
“In recent years the Microsoft ‘knives’ came out; but they kept telling us lies such as “Microsoft loves Linux”; while buying strategic proprietary pieces to entrap us like sheep.”We don’t want to obsess or to dwell on the Stallman news [1, 2]; there’s a rather depressing element to it. We must try to move on. I’ve spent 2 days writing about it in Social Control Media and at the bottom of this post I’ll mention that very quickly (it’s not really the purpose of this article).
In recent years the Microsoft ‘knives’ came out; but they kept telling us lies such as “Microsoft loves Linux”; while buying strategic proprietary pieces to entrap us like sheep. It seems to have worked as long as their PR department found some misguided people to cheer for WSL. Remember that WSL (or WSL2) is not “Linux”; it’s more like a blob in Microsoft’s proprietary repository. It’s just something like VirtualBox with GNU/Linux in it (a container if not VM). Microsoft does not directly control VMs, so it wants Vista 10 ‘serfs’ to only ever explore its “store” and for GNU/Linux developers to abide by Microsoft’s own rules, perhaps even APIs. It’s about control — a prerequisite in EEE tactics.
Now I come to the hardest part.
It’s about SJVN.
“It’s about control — a prerequisite in EEE tactics.”Historically SJVN was supportive and at times protective of us. I am very grateful to him.
Techrights readers, however, turn sour over time. They don’t trust him. Microsoft talking points continue to come from SJVN (my wife calls him a “defector”, insisting “he’s one of them” now) and an important associate of ours says “this will probably be the last SJVN link [I] point to. They have him.”
I got E-mails telling me that SJVN had defected to Microsoft camp
Based on his writings, not actual evidence. His latest piece for IDG cheers for Microsoft leveraging Linux as ‘its own’:
Why would Microsoft do this? Well, have you been paying attention to Windows lately? It has been one foul-up after another. Just in the last few months there was the registry backup fail and numerous and regular machine-hobbling Windows updates. In fact, updates have grown so sloppy you have to seriously wonder whether it’s safer to stay open to attacks or “upgrade” your system with a dodgy patch.
[...]
Crazy? Well, so was the idea that a Microsoft CEO would get up and say, “Microsoft loves Linux.” So was the very thought that the most used operating system on Microsoft Azure would be Linux, not Windows Server. And who would have ever thought Microsoft would open up its profitable patent portfolio to open-source and Linux developers — for free?
As I’m fond of saying, whenever people refuse to believe that Microsoft is now open-source-friendly: “This is not your dad’s Microsoft.”
Will Microsoft release a Linux-based Windows? I don’t know. What I do know is that it has been taking the necessary steps to make such a desktop operating system possible. And unlike with the Microsoft of old, surprises do happen.
No, SJVN, Microsoft is the same old dirty company. They still blackmail and bribe officials.
“Historically SJVN was supportive and at times protective of us. I am very grateful to him.”The last straw was, to me at least, not the above. It was this from SJVN. Typical ZDNet right there on display; when not into the monopolist’s Kool-Aid/Microsoft propaganda SJVN resorts to defamation of Stallman (RMS). “Shame on you,” I told him when I first saw it. “You too have just defamed RMS. Right from the headline. You now show your true colours…”
This week, after many people had already pointed out defamatory RMS coverage, some — including SJVN himself — still repeated these defamatory statements. Stallman called Epstein a “serial rapist” while Bill Gates was hanging out with him (Gates even met him when he knew about crimes against youngsters). According to SJVN, however, RMS was “defending Jeffrey Epstein behavior” (their headline!).
This defamatory CBS-owned tabloid is controlled by Microsoft funds (partly) and if this headline was chosen by the editor rather than SJVN, then it’s time for SJVN to step down. They recently censored his headline if not part of his article about Microsoft Office. He lacks journalistic freedom there. I choose to believe his bosses are to blame. I choose to believe that SJVN did not ‘sell out’ and lost his integrity. RMS had called Epstein “serial rapist” repeatedly, so why did SJVN go with the headline asserting RMS was “defending Jeffrey Epstein behavior”. OK… I get it. I think I get it. Facts don’t matter. Who cares, right?
“…Microsoft is the same old dirty company. They still blackmail and bribe officials.”Remember: RMS is said to be “demented” for defending a dead friend.
Bill Gates isn’t “demented” for hanging out with a serial pedophile (even knowing he was that)?
Writers who slander RMS (intentional lies) are not “demented”?
Try putting these things in perspective.
Maybe I’m naive to still view SJVN as a victim. A victim of bad editors and publishers…
Maybe I too am… “demented”.
Readers of ours also complain about Swapnil, whom the Linux Foundation put in charge of Linux.com. Microsoft is boosting Swapnil, who writes puff pieces and lies for Microsoft. Here’s the tweet “ICYMI: Microsoft Brings exFAT Support To Linux”; it’s from Microsoft and it’s boosting Swapnil; he proudly retweeted this.
“Swapnil has been a prime example of sellouts; over the past few months he has acted like little more than an openwashing agent of the ‘Linux’ Foundation.”Who does this man serve? From the looks of it, based on this example from earlier this week, Linux.com has been repurposed to boost the YouTube channel of its sole editor, Swapnil. The person who flatters Microsoft and whom Microsoft links to…
Swapnil has been a prime example of sellouts; over the past few months he has acted like little more than an openwashing agent of the ‘Linux’ Foundation. He’s constantly boosting Greg K-H as well. This person…
Theodore Ts’o and Andrew Morton have been in Linux almost longer than anyone else, except Linus Torvalds. Last we checked, both work for Google and Ts’o is targeted so as to keep Greg K-H (a Microsoft buddy, unlike Ts’o, a vocal sceptic of Microsoft) not the “fallback” or “deputy” of Torvalds. The same person who has been attacking a lot of FOSS luminaries also labeled Ts’o “rape apologist”, based on distortion of a very old message he posted to a public mailing list. Sounds familiar? Yes, Stallman (see this almost-complete archive of the stories that led to the ‘end’ of RMS).
Last week I told Stallman that “it seems like media tries to shift attention away from Bill Gates’ MIT scandal by talking about you…”
“It does not surprise me,” he responded. “Gates has more influence.”
“By “runs” the person means girls trying to make ‘moves’ on Torvalds, putting him in a position that can end his career and shatter his reputation.”“I think I will post the Microsoft talk article today or tomorrow,” he added. He had told me that this ongoing work would be finished, but then came the next scandal or incident (MIT).
Mr. Torvalds, please be careful as you might be next. As ESR was told some years ago, “Linus is never alone at any conference. This is not because he lets fame go to his head and likes having a posse around. They have made multiple runs at him.”
By “runs” the person means girls trying to make ‘moves’ on Torvalds, putting him in a position that can end his career and shatter his reputation. █
“I will not change that because of the vilification campaign. The broader issues have not changed. –Richard Stallman, earlier today
“This is appearing more likely to be the case of Microsoft or other corporate interests (but mainly Microsoft) needing to sever the head before they consume the carcass.” –ChuangTzu
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