Changelog: FSF, SFLC, OOXML, and Questions to Mark Shuttleworth
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2007-07-01 08:21:39 UTC
- Modified: 2007-07-01 08:21:39 UTC
FSF has mercy...
Viciousness (on the licensing side) didn't prevent Novell from being
reluctantly jubilant at the end. The following bit is quite
quote-worthy:
When Stallman released the final draft of GPLv3 on June 1, he told me he had decided to include a cut-off date in paragraph 7 of section 11 of the draft to make it possible for Novell to continue to distribute software covered under GPLv3 as part of its deal with Microsoft. In other words, the man was being merciful to a company which has sought to pervert the GPL.
Moglen's latest public talk...
You can watch Eben Moglen's talk which he gave
just days ago. Proprietary and patent-encumbered codecs are seemingly needed. Some transcripts can be found
in Groklaw.
OOXML and blogs...
This isn't the first time that I see what
appears to be a pro-OOXML blog. Why would a blogger promote lockin? Microsoft has already been caught using astroturf-type tactics to promote document format monoculture where Microsoft always takes the lead. Examples include paid-for Wikipedia edits, starting a petition in favour of OOXML, calling business to support OOXML at massive scale (phonecalls and E-mails), and even setting up pro-OOXML Web sites which pretend to be Microsoft-independent. Let's not even mention the stuff they do on the 'political' side.
Mark Shuttleworth interview questions...
We received a large number of questions not only
in this Web site, but also in a few others (which linked to us). I have assembled them all together (no legitimate questions were left out). Since Mark is traveling and his time is limited, I worry that not all questions can be answered. I fear that altogether excluding some of them would be unproductive and even offensive to readers. I might sent him a subset of these questions and let him answer only the ones he feels most comfortable with (and has time to address).
Comments
John Drinkwater
2007-07-01 10:43:26
Roy Schestowitz
2007-07-01 11:25:50
Venkatesh Hariharan
2008-02-11 11:43:52
Roy Schestowitz
2008-02-11 11:50:54
Read the following item. http://boycottnovell.com/2007/11/23/astroturfing-microsoft-examples/
It contains various examples of what is known as AstroTurfing. This happens to also shows you that Microsoft rewards bloggers in India for praising its technologies, without any disclosure. This is illegal in some parts of the world and it is the lowest form of advertising, sometimes better known as "shilling" or -- as some journalists put -- "bribing bloggers".