01.05.20
Gemini version available ♊︎Microsoft’s Entryism and Infiltration-Type Attacks on GNU/Linux Are Nothing New
They’re been trying to do that as long as this site’s existence, with help from the likes of Bill Hilf, Sam Ramji, and Miguel de Icaza
Summary: Whatever Microsoft does to embrace-extend-extinguish (EEE) GNU/Linux and Free software at large, none of that is entirely new; it’s just a progression of old strategies (e.g. replacing the defunct CodePlex with GitHub, at a great cost). We need more whistle-blowers from Microsoft to shed light on these things.
TACTICS of assimilation. They’re not new. They’re not so innovative. You basically try either to identify with your competition or try to make your competition identify with you (blurring differences, then taking control). This is discussed a lot behind the scenes in Techrights, albeit most of this discussion is visible in the form of IRC logs.
“I don’t do this all by myself; we’re a fast-growing team of passionate Free software proponents.”Microsoft’s assimilation tactics are nothing new. Back when the Novell patent deal was signed — way back in 2006 — we already saw plenty of examples of that. Among them: document format wars, Mono, Hyper-V…
FSF/Linux has clearly been targeted (maybe infiltrated?) from the top down by corporations. Going after leadership. Stallman. Linus. Clear what has been happening. And without ample pushback, we w/see something we no longer recognize. Good article. #Linux #SupportFSF
— Howto: Privacy & Infosec (@TvPrivacy) December 17, 2019
We acknowledge but never regret that our focus on EPO scandals from 2014 to present reduced our ability to debunk Microsoft FUD. Our capacity improved a lot over the past year, so now we can cover both. Daily Links are bigger (in terms of volume) than ever before and we nowadays publish IRC logs on a daily basis — as we used to do about a decade ago. I don’t do this all by myself; we’re a fast-growing team of passionate Free software proponents. We have had more guest posts over the past year and the Editorial Team publishes articles as well (sometimes it seems appropriate to not name the author).
People Who Come From Microsoft Are Sometimes Microsoft-Hostile
While it’s too easy to de-humanise everyone who has worked for Microsoft, we increasingly see more people who regret their time at Microsoft. They even speak strongly against it and file formal complaints. Mr. Lunduke worked for Microsoft (a long time ago), the most prominent critic of Microsoft’s tax evasion had come from Microsoft, and some of our sources also come from Microsoft. In recent years it has become increasingly common to blow the whistle on one’s employer — a trend which billionaires are eager to curb because it scares them. Last week we saw reports about Amazon’s chief (Bezos) threatening staff who speaks about climate change and Google increasingly resorts to union-busting tactics, just like Microsoft. We should strive to always encourage this behaviour and facilitate — in the form of an anonymity-preserving platform — those wishing to express their views/share their inside secrets without putting a name on the voice (or hard evidence).
“Never underestimate people’s ability to change or reconsider their positions.”One of the more amusing things I’ve witnessed in recent years is online fights, notably in Twitter, between former Microsoft staff and current ones. They’re sparring over Microsoft’s lies and delusion. It’s a refreshing change. Dissent from within the company helps dispel the myths it is trying to spread (e.g. “Microsoft loves Linux”).
In a similar vein, many of our sources about EPO abuses are directly or indirectly connected to the EPO. Unlike Microsoft, the EPO is a monopoly in the institutional sense (there cannot be another EPO, it enjoys a monopoly over the whole region), so people who work there recognise their obligation to the public. The EPO’s ‘conscientious objectors’ — like Microsoft’s — are humanity’s brave, courageous risk takers. Never underestimate people’s ability to change or reconsider their positions. █
“One strategy that Microsoft has employed in the past is paying for the silence of people and companies. Charles Pancerzewski, formerly Microsoft’s chief auditor, became aware of Microsoft’s practice of carrying earnings from one accounting period into another, known as “managing earnings”. This practice smoothes reported revenue streams, increases share value, and misleads employees and shareholders. In addition to being unethical, it’s also illegal under U.S. Securities Law and violates Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (Fink).”
–2002 story about Charles Pancerzewski, Microsoft
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