"The government is not trying to destroy Microsoft, it’s simply seeking to compel Microsoft to obey the law. It’s quite revealing that Mr. Gates equates the two."

--Government official

Some would argue that ODF advocates discredit OOXML advocates, but as Jan van den Beld proves, they are almost always paid by Microsoft in some form or another (watch this profile). On the contrary, the vast majority of ODF advocates simply want fair competition and the right to popularise Free software in the office suites market, especially if merits permit this, bar lock-in.

“It's not so much the resistance to Microsoft specifically as much as it is about anti-competitiveness and sometimes crime.”Without relation this this specific situation, mind the generality of the following issue.

Bruce Byfield's latest column is confusing and mixing bad behaviour and Microsoft. Watch the quote at the top of this post again (from a US government official). It's not so much the resistance to Microsoft specifically as much as it is about anti-competitiveness and sometimes crime. One needn't look further than the OOXML fiasco and also consider deliberate GPL discrimination. It's essentially 'part' of the standard (its OSP). What if Google, IBM or Oracle threatened the GPL in this way? Why don't they?

In another news blog post, use of these wrong assumptions and inclusion of stereotypes (daemonisation as well) receive a timely mention.

So, it appears I am not a Zealot although some would disingenuously call me a Zealot simply because I am an Advocate of Linux and FOSS. We in the Linux community see this type of supposed slander often in USENET news groups and in online forums.

There is a lot to be said about what anonymous posters do to Free software advocates in USENET. And speaking of which, my personal Web site was attacked yet again last night, just a couple of hours after we had made Digg's front page with this story, attracting over 10,000 visitors. ⬆

Related posts:

• Bruce Byfield at it Again with “Conspiracy Theorists”
• A Look Back at Well-documented Microsoft Briberies
• There is No Community and There is No Communism, Either
• Bruce Byfield Misattributes Quotes (Updatedx4)
• Speaking of So-called 'Conspiracy Theories' and 'Coincidences'
• Fighting Inconveinient Truths Using Labels and Stereotypes.
• Since When Does Microsoft Not Sabotage GNU/Linux?