Bonum Certa Men Certa

AWS is Not GNU/Linux and AWS Certification is a Bezos-Leaning Ploy That Rewards People for Memorising Proprietary Interfaces (Vendor Lock-in)



BHO-DJT Side-by-Side: They don't agree on anything... Except spying on the whole world and their own citizens



Summary: Clown computing is a scam and a trap; in practice it means outsourcing one's programs and data to computers one does not own, does not truly control, and everything is subjected to change (spying, billing, interfaces, features, patent aspects); we need to move away from centralised clowns ("The Cloud")

THE fact that Amazon started making its own distros was overlooked or overshadowed somewhat because of the timing of the announcement. It coincided with the date the media was almost 90% "COVID COVID COVID"...



And nevertheless, for about a week following the announcement we've managed to fish about a dozen articles (also in Daily Links at that time).

Is Amazon a friend of GNU/Linux? No, not really.

"Is Amazon a friend of GNU/Linux? No, not really."Amazon's technical/practical contributions to the platform that makes Mr. Bezos so rich aren't noteworthy. Linus Torvalds recently blasted one patch from their direction, using strong language to describe that "stupidity"...

Clown computing is generally a massive threat to Software Freedom; Richard Stallman foresaw this threat and drafted (A)GPLv3 (along with others who recognised the threat). When the mainstream/corporate media started rebranding servers and "SaaS" as something like "cloud" (few other terms were attempted, but they did not catch on) Stallman blasted the trend and dismissed it -- even in the media -- as mere hype.

And guess what... Stallman was right. He's usually right. He wasn't born yesterday and he had plenty of time to think about the intricacies; he also speaks to rather knowledgeable people about it (in person and over E-mail).

"Clown computing is generally a massive threat to Software Freedom; Richard Stallman foresaw this threat and drafted (A)GPLv3 (along with others who recognised the threat)."AWS is perhaps the biggest 'collective' datacentre with GNU/Linux; Wikileaks exposed some locations of the pertinent datacentres a couple of years ago. As of half a decade ago, Amazon's AWS (or similar) datacentres were spread across about a dozen countries. Many are US-based, where military-funded lawmakers draft bills called "cloud" something and give special powers (including data access) to the US government/authorities (US Army included).

Having said that, my main issue with AWS isn't lack of returns (very minimal). They contribute almost nothing to development; they're known to be exploiting lots of Free software projects, grabbing support contracts away from people and firms that actually develop the software. There were several controversies to that effect in recent months and Amazon is sponsoring/supporting events that strive to make it mainstream and "normal"... as if exploitation is to be celebrated as "success" (it's rather unethical).

"GNU/Linux on the other hand (like UNIX/POSIX) is modular, standard and universal."But here's the thing that's even worse; many people nowadays pursue certifications named after buzzwords. Or brands. They basically spend a lot of time and money joining some corporate cult without even being salaried by the respective corporation/s. One example of this is AWS certification. Putting aside the dynamic nature of their interfaces (which I've seen and used for almost a decade at work), those are proprietary and certification means training -- and moreover training for things that change over time and thus render the certification obsolete or outdated.

GNU/Linux on the other hand (like UNIX/POSIX) is modular, standard and universal. It hardly changes over time. The same GNU scripts you put together back in the 1980s probably still work today (the opposite isn't true; it's not likely that a program or script you write today would work with a 1980s GNU toolchain). So once a person acquires the skills, they're portable and globally useful. One can even switch from GNU/Linux to BSDs without great difficulty; the adaptations may be minor and there's plenty of documentation about it online (not without out-of-date GUI screenshots).

"An Amazon empire of virtual machines and containers is certainly helpful to Mr. Bezos. But is that what we want for ourselves?"The bottom line is, don't be misled into thinking that all those "GAFAM" certifications are worth much; you invest a lot in merely making the likes of Mr. Bezos a lot richer. You reinforce lock-in if not monopoly (memorising GUIs). The same can be said about GitHub. And sending more money to Amazon (AWS bills) isn't contributing to Software Freedom, even if all running instances are basically GNU/Linux images.

Sure, GNU/Linux is dominant (probably de facto standard in today's servers), but if we strive to accomplish more than just branding ("Linux everywhere"), then let's think ahead and consider what a world we wish to live in. An Amazon empire of virtual machines and containers is certainly helpful to Mr. Bezos. But is that what we want for ourselves? We don't even mention Microsoft's offering that starts with an "A" because it's an overhyped miserable failure (the media writes about it because Microsoft is paying). In my daily life, at work, I hardly come across anyone who uses the "A" thing of Microsoft; they're grossly exaggerating their relevance -- typical Microsoft marketing stunt.

Recent Techrights' Posts

New Article Explains How the GPL Came About and WordPress Having Copyleft Obligations
Having been involved in the WordPress development community since almost the beginning, I know why it chose the GPL and how it restricts abuse by Automattic
Dr Richard Stallman (RMS) Gives Talk in Oxford University in 4 Hours
If you live nearby, go there (it's free as in gratis)
Using a Law Firm's Licence to Exercise Politics Through Frivolous SLAPPs and Nastygrams (to Silence People, Remove Pages, Demand Fake or Forced 'Apologies')
Things must be getting really bad when lawyers act for raving antisemites
Another Site Bites the Dust: "Open Source For You" Becoming a Slopfarm (LLM Slop)
What a shame. Another dead site.
 
Gemini Links 24/04/2025: Birthday and Good Work of Academia in Esotericism
Links for the day
Links 24/04/2025: EU fines Apple and Facebook, Another Microsoft GitHub Security Blunder
Links for the day
IBM Gained Almost 6 Billion Dollars in "Goodwill" Value in Just 3 Months, According to IBM
Congrats to the management!
In Belarus, Yandex is Now Measured as 50 Times More 'Popular' (by Usage) Than Microsoft
Yandex continues to gain, whereas Bing cannot even register at 1%. Last month it was registered or measured at a measly 0.65%.
IBM Cannot Lie to Shareholders Anymore
"I would not be surprised if we see a layoff every quarter this year."
We're Working to Make Full-Site Search Available
This site has over 1,000 'wiki' pages, many thousands of documents, several thousands of videos, and about 50,000 blog posts or articles. We need to make them easier to find/navigate.
Links 24/04/2025: IBM Loses Many Contracts, Intel to Lay Off Over 20% (Not Counting Those Who Leave 'Voluntarily')
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Can Explain to Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society Why LLM Slop is Not Artificial Intelligence and Why It Hurts Society
another 'crop' of LLM slop that damages GNU/Linux and facts
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Promoting Microsoft and Proprietary Software Using Microsoft Operatives
Because nothing says "Open Source" like GPL violations facilitated by Microsoft
Links 23/04/2025: Crackdowns on Dissent, Palin Loses Libel Retrial Against New York Times
Links for the day
Links 23/04/2025: Hard Times and Digital Amnesia
Links for the day
The GNU/Linux Site Formerly Known as "linoxide.com" is Back... as an LLM Slopfarm!
Better for linoxide.com to go offline than to do this
Get Rid of Back Doors, Don't Obsess Over Bounties and Other Corporate PR Stunts (or Needless Reboot Rituals)
Security as a term has mostly lost its meaning due to repeated misuse for many years
Richard Stallman to Speak in Oxford University Exactly a Day From Now
outsourced to GAFAM
Links 23/04/2025: "Hiding Corruption" and "The Cost of Defunding Harvard"
Links for the day
Microsoft 'Studies' Again? Leon Musolff is Writing Papers With Microsoft.
Even if one can see/find a link to "the study" (in the Bezos-controlled publication), most people won't look any further and just take everything at face value.
Towards GNU World Domination
The FSF led by Geoffrey S. Knauth with his friend Richard Stallman in the FSF's Board [...] Let's encourage people to adopt GNU/Linux. There has never been a better time.
statCounter Helps Visualise Just How Deep in Trouble Microsoft is (Especially in Africa)
Microsoft sabotaged efforts to connect Africans and equip them with GNU/Linux laptops
The Register is Using Linux-Hostile Clickbait in Articles of Linux Proponents
Don't be a "whore" to advertisers, team El Reg
Microsoft Windows in Cyprus Lacking a Future
Most people access the Web there from mobile
Matrix Has a Severe Problem With Illegal Images
If Matrix cannot get the CP problem under control, many projects and people will dump Matrix
Never Try to Justify Strangulation of Women (Not in the US and Not in the UK)
Joint post by Mrs. Rianne Schestowitz and Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Links 23/04/2025: Tesla Profits Plunge 71%, Intel Ready to Lay Off 20% of Staff, Microsoft and IBM Layoffs
Links for the day
Microsoft's Most Profound Issue is That People Moved to 'Mobile' and "App Stores" (Microsoft's Presence There is Negligible)
Expect a wild ride for Microsoft this year
Google News is Amplifying FUD and Lies About Linux (and OpenSSH/SSH) by Promoting Slopfarms With Machine-Generated FUD and Slop Images
Google should know better
Gemini Links 23/04/2025: Librarians, Anubis, and Refactoring a Gemini Capsule
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Links 22/04/2025: Ending DEI Policies at Adobe, FTC Sues Uber
Links for the day
RMS is Done at KCL, Next Stop is Oxford
The message of RMS has long resonated well in India
US Government Already Bailing Out OpenAI/Microsoft With "Contracts", As Usual, Back Doors You Cannot Remove Becoming 'a Step Closer' on New PCs (Unless Everyone Acts ASAP)
The next "logical" step towards digital prisons
Microsoft Devises PR Stunts to Distract From Impending Mass Layoffs and Likely Bad Results Preceding Those Mass Layoffs
A "voluntary exit plan"
Gemini Links 22/04/2025: Deaths, HamsterCMS, and More
Links for the day
Links 22/04/2025: FTC v. Meta Trial and Google Remedies
Links for the day
In Turkey, Windows Down Rapidly While GNU/Linux Grows
Although Turkey is in NATO (but not the EU), it cannot quite trust computer systems controlled by the United States
GNOME, Microsoft, and GitHub: The Lack of Reporting on Abusive Colleagues Contributed to Profound Media Vacuum (or Blackout), Now Resorting to SLAPPs
This lack of morality/courage has helped enable further abuse, lining up more victims
Richard Stallman Has Updated His Article on Why "Free Software Is Even More Important Now"
Richard Stallman is about to give a talk here in the UK in a few hours
Microsoft Already Attacks the BSDs as Well (the E.E.E. Way, as Usual)
Bearers of bad news
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is in Trouble, May Soon be Out of Business
Openwashing needs to end
Microsoft's Debt Grew Over 6 Billion Dollars in the Last Reporting Quarter (Before Inauguration), Expect Worse Next Week When 'Results' Are Disclosed and Mass Layoffs Resume
Microsoft is bleeding. It does not want people to notice.
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, April 21, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, April 21, 2025
Richard Stallman Gives Public Talk in London in 7 Hours (Need to Register as Venue Limited to 150 Seats), Public Announcements Begin to Appear
These are not announced weeks or months in advance