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IRC: #boycottnovell @ FreeNode: August 13th, 2008

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twitterThis Tim fellow has some nerve to say, " without Silverlight would we all be using the OGG Theora format and the HTML 5 video tag? In reality, the alternative is Adobe Systems' Flash."Aug 13 02:46
twitterThe Internet Archive and Wikipedia already use OGG Theora.  More fundamentally, if it were not for software patents we would not have needed Theora.Aug 13 02:48
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schestowitztwitter: just found (and recovered your blog comment about Mandriva  from a month ago... not checked the queue for ages.Aug 13 08:46
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schestowitzZiggyFish: it seems like AU is the first victim of ASUS "tying up" with Microsoft" (according to ASUS spokesman), but this one stands out, too (will they keep the promise?): "While the Windows version comes with an 80GB hard drive, the Linux version could come with an SSD instead, as with the Eee Notebooks, but Carr couldn’t confirm absolutely at this stage – clearly decisions on Linux specs are still being made." http://www.itAug 13 09:08
schestowitzwire.com/content/view/20000/1105/1/0/Aug 13 09:08
schestowitzhttp://www.itwire.com/c...Aug 13 09:09
*ZiggyFish shakes his headAug 13 09:10
kentma1Such things are bound to happen, but they're not long-term sustainable.Aug 13 09:10
schestowitzIt's important to challenge them to keep the promise, though (to ensure they don't BS to keep people off their backs). This one from yesterday is a good example: http://boycottnovell.com/2008/08/1...Aug 13 09:15
ZiggyFishhad an interview with someone the otherday (BTW it's my birthday today), almost got into a Windows V Linux argument, but decided not toAug 13 09:16
schestowitzHappy birthday. Was it a job interview?Aug 13 09:18
ZiggyFishyeahAug 13 09:18
ZiggyFishfor a c# jobAug 13 09:18
schestowitzGNU/Linux skills are sought-after, but if the person...Aug 13 09:18
schestowitzOh, I see. Well, it's not good to argue with those that dislike 'something else'.Aug 13 09:19
ZiggyFishyeah, same thoughtAug 13 09:19
ZiggyFishmost jobs in AU are C#Aug 13 09:19
schestowitzJava remains the top P/L and it's GPLed.Aug 13 09:20
schestowitzAU is like the UK... close to the US. DMCA, software patents, lock-inware, DRM... etc. The change comes from other countries that do not merely obey other English-speaking nations (SA being the exception). I recommend you watch this engaging talk: http://lessig.org/blog/20...Aug 13 09:21
ZiggyFishI've watched a couple of his talks beforeAug 13 09:23
ZiggyFishdo like themAug 13 09:23
ZiggyFishlike the way he plays on wordsAug 13 09:24
schestowitzThis one is excellent. He doesn't talk about FOSS but it fits perfectly  in the same context. Also sent to me by the producer of DTP: http://digg.com/linux_unix/15_to_...Aug 13 09:24
schestowitzIt seems to have a chance of making the front page, but with a direct link to an Ogg file, that would be hilarious.Aug 13 09:25
ZiggyFishlolAug 13 09:25
ZiggyFishOne of the videos that I love is the richard stallman oneAug 13 09:26
schestowitz"What is .ogg? Is that a virus?"Aug 13 09:26
ZiggyFishno it's an anti-virusAug 13 09:26
ZiggyFish;)Aug 13 09:27
schestowitzI suppose Win/IE will recommend downloading the fileAug 13 09:27
ZiggyFishif you think about it, Windows in everyway is a virus (very much so in the technical sense)Aug 13 09:28
schestowitzSpyware -- yes. Virus? I'm not sure. It doesn't pass itself from one machine to another. Anyway, when FF 3.1 is spread around, Ogg will be a safe bet on Digg (most readers there use FF, I imagine).Aug 13 09:29
ZiggyFishit attaches it's self to the BIOS though, which means it's a virus.Aug 13 09:31
ZiggyFishhttp://blogs.msdn.com/wga/a...Aug 13 09:32
ZiggyFish;)Aug 13 09:32
schestowitzIt's the perfect model of hypocrisy. If you're a big felon (in a suit), then it's okay... you know, like the big boat. If you're the small guy doing this (the 'pirate' in the dingy), you're a dangerous criminal with an eyepatch.Aug 13 09:33
schestowitzI posted this to BN.com yesterday and now Glyn Moody comments on this: http://opendotdotdot.blogspot.com/200...Aug 13 09:34
schestowitz"Another case of do as I say, not as I do.""Aug 13 09:34
ZiggyFishlolAug 13 09:35
schestowitzNikon exits Microsoft photo contest - http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/_Aug 13 09:35
schestowitzGrisoft subpoenas Microsoft - http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news...Aug 13 09:35
schestowitzSchool sues Microsoft over copyright - http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2...Aug 13 09:35
schestowitzMicrosoft to eBay name for $1m - http://www.theregister.co.uk/20...Aug 13 09:35
schestowitzPortuguese firm Microsoft to auction name on eBay - http://www.reuters.com/article/market...Aug 13 09:35
schestowitzMicrosoft infringing on one of Apple Patents? - http://www.noheat.com/2007/06/22/mic...Aug 13 09:35
schestowitzHandling of Microsoft's copyleft violation - http://www.niallkennedy.com/blog/archi...Aug 13 09:35
ZiggyFishlolAug 13 09:37
kentma1hi all.  debate on desktop/mobility took an interesting turn.Aug 13 10:03
schestowitzWho with?Aug 13 10:04
kentma1Oh, several - Phil Da Lick, Jedi, Will poaster.Aug 13 10:04
schestowitzNew from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/h...Aug 13 10:04
schestowitz"The demands of the digital nomad is expected to drive laptop sales to over one billion in the next five years."Aug 13 10:04
kentma1I've realised that many people are confusing the relatively recent concept of "cloud computing" with mobility of /people/ generally.Aug 13 10:04
kentma1It's funny - this is almost word for word what I've been trying to get over to our cola skeptics.Aug 13 10:05
kentma1the bbc article, I mean.  are you going to post it?Aug 13 10:06
schestowitzYes, in a moment.Aug 13 10:06
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kentma1excellentAug 13 10:20
schestowitzHasta la Vista, Vista. http://www.schneier.com/blog/ar...Aug 13 10:21
schestowitzMicrosoft used Ed Bought [sic] and other talking heads to challenge this paper. Schneier doesn't seem to buy it: "This is huge..."Aug 13 10:22
kentma1Wow, that's amazing.  The whole of Vista's security castle is in ruins at the feet of IE, activeX and .Net.  Nothing changes in MS-land, does it?Aug 13 10:24
ZiggyFishnopeAug 13 10:24
schestowitzAsay's disdain for Linux gets no luv (he's a Mac fan of the extreme type)! http://www.linuxtoday.com/new...Aug 13 10:25
schestowitzMiguel love ActiveX and .NETAug 13 10:25
schestowitzAnd yet, some incognito (to me anyway) post this: http://www.trausch.us/2008/08/08/o...Aug 13 10:26
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**** BEGIN LOGGING AT Wed Aug 13 11:39:19 2008
*Now talking on #boycottnovellAug 13 11:39
*Topic for #boycottnovell is: Exploring the reality behind exclusionary deals with Microsoft and their subtle (yet severe) implications (publicly logged)Aug 13 11:39
*Topic for #boycottnovell set by schestowitz at Wed Jun 4 08:34:16 2008Aug 13 11:39
-ChanServ-[#boycottnovell] Welcome to the #boycottnovell channelAug 13 11:39
*ChanServ gives channel operator status to schestowitzAug 13 11:40
ZiggyFishdoes anyone know when OO 3.0 is meant to be releasedAug 13 11:47
ZiggyFishanyway found itAug 13 11:52
ZiggyFishlove this comment thoughAug 13 11:53
ZiggyFishAlso, I have no idea how the speed of typing words into a computer could even depend on the software you use, so how MSO works faster for you must be related to the fact that you've spend and arm and a leg for that fuzzy feeling you get when you're ripped off but havnt a clue it actually happened.Aug 13 11:53
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kentma1schestowitz: just noticed this:  Subject: News] Free Software on the Clouds and Demise of the Desktop PlatformAug 13 12:47
kentma1If you miss the first [ off, my script won't find it...Aug 13 12:47
schestowitzOh. it must be a rare human error.Aug 13 12:48
kentma1I'm sure it was, I just wanted to highlight it to you in case you hadn't spotted it.Aug 13 12:49
schestowitzUnrelated to this, I'm trying to find a Python or Perl script that takes ah HTML file (IRC log in this case)  and shortens the URL by truncating them. I can't find any.Aug 13 12:50
schestowitz*URLs I mean, all of them which are long and contained in the HTML.Aug 13 12:50
kentma1why do you want to shorted teh URL?Aug 13 12:50
kentma1shorten theAug 13 12:50
TallkenI know of a bot who is on an IRC channel and everytime someone pastes a URL it returns a tinyURL automaticallyAug 13 12:51
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kentma1I'm not sure that's what Roy wants?Aug 13 12:52
Tallkenno, he doesn't want to have a botAug 13 12:53
Tallkenbut the end effect would be kinda similarAug 13 12:53
Tallkenor notAug 13 12:53
Tallkendon't know lolAug 13 12:53
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schestowitzIt's just that some URLs end up being too large when I post the logs, so I need to shorten them manually.Aug 13 12:57
schestowitzI've almost given up searching for a script (most of them are PHP) and PetoKraus tried to hack the Python script I have, without success (there were bugs).Aug 13 12:57
schestowitzThis one seems close... http://search.cpan.org/~ashley...Aug 13 13:01
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kentma1schestowitz: do you just want to eliminate the URLs, or replace them with something, or what?Aug 13 14:28
schestowitzJust truncate them. So [a href="whatever"]whatever[/a] becomes [a href="whatever"]what[/a]Aug 13 14:31
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kentma1ah, you want to keep the actual url, but truncate the title bit.Aug 13 14:34
kentma1sounds like an ideal job for a sed script to me.Aug 13 14:35
schestowitzHeh. I thought about it, too.Aug 13 14:36
kentma1You're only ever in 3 states, I think - searching for href, ..", finding the closing" and then capturing up to /a, and not copying more than X characters out, then you start searching again, until EOF.Aug 13 14:44
kentma1It's very similar to my News detecting script.Aug 13 14:44
kentma1I could send you a copy of that, if it might help.Aug 13 14:44
schestowitzShould I mail you an example input file?Aug 13 14:45
kentma1you can, but it'll be a while before I get chance to look at it... v.busy atm.Aug 13 14:45
kentma1go on, I might get chance.Aug 13 14:45
schestowitzAh, not  aproblem.Aug 13 14:45
kentma1ah, Radio 3 just replaced the Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme of from this year's proms - brilliant.Aug 13 14:47
kentma1replayed, I meant!Aug 13 14:47
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kentma1Hmm, my strategic decision to rename the digests slightly seems to have been effective...Aug 13 14:59
schestowitzYes, I can see that. It also seems like, other than the crossposted floods, trolling has gone down slightly.Aug 13 15:03
kentma1summer hols, perhaps?Aug 13 15:04
schestowitzMaybe, but it was noisy in July. The news hasn't shown signs of abatement, expect for in Microsoft's case. It has no new products, but Linux adoption continues.Aug 13 15:06
trmanco:)Aug 13 15:07
schestowitzI probably start drifting too deep into other topics like Microsoft, corruption, and patents. I'm spending lots of time on posts like this new one ( http://boycottnovell.com/2008/08... ), which have become a daily recurrence.Aug 13 15:07
twitterTo shorten the urls, why don't you just use the name of the source.  I use "here" or "this article" myself.  The url is preserved by the link itself.Aug 13 15:08
schestowitzIf that was the best solution, I'd just carry on doing it manually. Cryptic URLs lack merit and covering does not help much.Aug 13 15:10
schestowitz*hovering.Aug 13 15:10
twitterHovering always helps in a reasonable browser but it is nice of you to think of those who use unreasonable ones.  I'm afraid it's always going to be a manual job though because urls change so much that you won't get much use out of any given rule.  Joint articles, like a business week/fortune/cnn article I read yesterday show that the sources are all the same anyway.Aug 13 15:41
twitterConsolidation by Gates, Murdoch, etc, continues unabated.Aug 13 15:43
schestowitzReally? Got source?Aug 13 15:43
twitterNo, it's just observations.  Murdoch's purchase of MySpace, M$ buy in to Facebook and the Gates Foundation purchase of the respected independent papers like the San Jose Mercury News, all of it adds up to no escape faux news from old media.Aug 13 15:49
schestowitzYes, I know about these.Aug 13 15:50
schestowitzI want to add to my list things that are lesser-known. The funding channels can be tricky to see sometimes.Aug 13 15:50
twitterYou probably also know about recent proposed (passed?) changes to US law that allows even more cross ownership of newspapers and broadcast.Aug 13 15:51
schestowitzMandatory disclosures helped me identify some of the many media companies Gates Foundation funnels money to.Aug 13 15:51
schestowitzYes, FCC riot.Aug 13 15:51
schestowitzI wrote about that.Aug 13 15:51
twitterThe net result is the same talking points everywhere but very little real news.Aug 13 15:53
schestowitzYes. One American reader in BN called it United States of Advertising.Aug 13 15:53
twitterNews brand names are about as meaningful as US car brands.  Everything comes from two or three sources, regardless of how many clever names they think of or steal.Aug 13 15:54
schestowitzHeh. Well, before I did an interview with PJ she needed to check what Jupitermedia was affiliated with. They now have lots of Microsoft ads, so I left for the time being.Aug 13 15:56
schestowitzWierd attack against the message: http://www.fsdaily.com/Opposition/How_Micro...Aug 13 16:04
schestowitz*Weird, I mean.Aug 13 16:04
schestowitzHaha. I'll be so funny if it makes the front page because it's a direct link to an Ogg. 44 Diggs in 8 hours: http://digg.com/linux_unix/15_to_25_...Aug 13 16:13
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schestowitzHi, alfauros Aug 13 16:37
alfaurosyoAug 13 16:37
alfaurosi still haven't quite figured out, what are the possible legal problems with mono. or is it mono or c# at all or is it just the .net part?Aug 13 16:38
schestowitzIt's Microsoft's patents and what it will probably try to claim, some time along the line, is a 'ripoff' of it 'intellectual  property'.Aug 13 16:40
alfaurosbut c# itself should be ok, since it is an ecma standard?Aug 13 16:41
schestowitz*Itts .   With things like Samba, it's possible to find workarounds. With Mono, they can try to torpedo applications, which are the substance.Aug 13 16:41
schestowitzJust being an ECMA standard (or a standard in general) does not mean that there are no patents and RAND.Aug 13 16:42
schestowitzSee http://boycottnovell.com/2008/05/27/...Aug 13 16:42
alfaurosi thought that standards are to be used by anyoneAug 13 16:43
schestowitzNot freely though. I'll get you an example.Aug 13 16:43
schestowitzMaybe not a perfect example, but see http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08...Aug 13 16:44
alfauroshmAug 13 16:47
schestowitzMicrosoft is likely to turn into services/licensing company in the future. It pulls off the shelves the shrink-wrapped stuff (last it was Money).Aug 13 16:51
alfaurosmaybeAug 13 16:51
alfaurosoh well, i guess i won't learn to program with monoAug 13 16:51
schestowitzThis was insinuated by Ballmer too and Midori is a clue.Aug 13 16:52
schestowitzAjax or java seem to be a good bet.Aug 13 16:52
alfauroswe'll see what midori brings, windows 7 already was supposed to be the next big thing but it seems to follow the vista lineAug 13 16:53
schestowitzSee this chart: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1...Aug 13 16:53
schestowitzYes, 7 is just like Service Pack at best. To use refs:Aug 13 16:53
alfaurosi'm not too wild about java, it's just too damn heavyAug 13 16:53
schestowitzPHP is good.Aug 13 16:55
alfauros1) i plan to make gnome apps 2) for what i've heard, php is a horrible piece of crapAug 13 16:55
schestowitzI got some links for you about why not to bet on Windows/.NET.Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzSilly stories about Windows 7 - http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/...Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzWhat we do know about Windows 7 - http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1413Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzCIOs Uncensored: For The Sake Of IT, Leave XP Alone - http://www.informationweek.com/news/manageme...Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzWindows 7: The information lockdown continues - http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1406Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzMicrosoft Clears Gates-Induced Confusion about Windows 7 - http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Mic...Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzThe BBC Has Drunk its Brain - http://opendotdotdot.blogspot.com/20...Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzEight Things About Windows 7 - http://www.microsoft-watch.com/conte...Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzVista's big problem: 92 percent of developers ignoring it - http://news.cnet.com/8301-135...Aug 13 16:59
schestowitzCoders Tell Why They're Avoiding Vista - http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/1460...Aug 13 16:59
alfaurosit'll take a long while read those, luckily i just made teaAug 13 17:00
schestowitztwitter: see a /proper/ announcement of OGL 3. No panic, no outrage: http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir... . As for Slashdot and the gaming, I've just found this: http://bitate.blogspot.com/2008/...Aug 13 17:20
twitterYou don't need too many examples of abuse to know why to avoid C##, mono and all that.  Even if perl (slashdot uses perl), php, and other free alternatives are not as good as non free software, you should use free software.  In reality, the free software stack is vastly superior to M$'s offerings, which is why Google, Wikipedia, the Internet Archive, Digg, Slashdot, Facebook and even Hotmail use it.  If you chose the M$ way, you will have licensinAug 13 17:20
schestowitzYour message got chopped there at the end. BTW, have you concrete proof of Hotmail still running FOSS? I keep hearing about it, but I want something that can't be refuted.Aug 13 17:22
twitterNo, just like you I just keep hearing about it.Aug 13 17:22
twitterI don't see where my message was chopped off, so I can't fix it.Aug 13 17:23
schestowitzOn BSD @ Microsoft: http://boycottnovell.com/2008/01... http://boycottnovell.com/2008/08/06/bala... http://boycottnovell.com/2008/08/04/...Aug 13 17:24
schestowitzIt reads: " If you chose the M$ way, you will have licensin"Aug 13 17:24
twitterI'm not really worried about OpenGL.  If Khronos falls down, someone else will stand up.  Xorg is a good example of that.Aug 13 17:24
twitter....  If you chose the M$ way, you will have licensing costs as well as support issues and you force your users down the non free path.  Don't ever believe that M$ will let mono be as good as their own stuff, so your site will be third rate at best.Aug 13 17:24
schestowitzBTW, I've posted another "Eye on Microsoft" item. Because you guys asked for them. Maybe another one coming tonight...Aug 13 17:25
twitter:)Aug 13 17:25
schestowitzwhen kentma posts from  Pidgin, his messages here appears as chopped as well. Maybe an XChat problem... or protocol with message length limits.Aug 13 17:26
schestowitzI figures BoycottNovell is already seen as "anti Microsoft" by its critics, so there's nothing to lose by going all the way.Aug 13 17:27
twitterI have not noticed other chopped posts, I'll have to watch more closely.  I hope Pidgin does not catch mono.Aug 13 17:31
schestowitzBirds might immune to Mono (sexually-transmitted disease). Glad it's not GAIM anymore...Aug 13 17:33
twitterOn astroturf at Slashdot, half of them tell you "I'm a GNU/Linux user" or similar before they do their dirty work.Aug 13 17:34
schestowitzNo, they says "I'm a GNU/Linux user, BUT" ;-)Aug 13 17:35
schestowitz*say   ; There are other opening lines for credibility like "I hate Microsoft as much as the next guy, BUT"Aug 13 17:35
schestowitzGood breakdown here: http://penguinpetes.com/b2evo/...Aug 13 17:36
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twitterIck, that lead, via links, to Beranger (probably pronounced Bear or Bare Anger).Aug 13 18:30
schestowitzI speak to him sometimes. You hate him?Aug 13 18:30
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twitterI don't like what I sawAug 13 18:40
twitterTalking to someone like that is a waste of time.Aug 13 18:41
schestowitzI hardly ever link to him, but I read his blog because he has good links sometimes. He pisses me off when he slams Linux, but his political views and take on patents is right on point.Aug 13 18:42
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schestowitzFWIW, Susan links to him, but I felt concerned when I saw this: http://www.junauza.com/2008/08/we-do...  (read first para). I saw other slamming him too when he published "sad state of open source".Aug 13 18:44
twitter"that there is no such thing as a "troll". This is a word invented by the most puerile of the FOSS aficionados" he says, but that would mean he does not exist.Aug 13 18:45
schestowitzI've just noticed that Radu replied to Juna.Aug 13 18:45
kentma1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)Aug 13 18:47
schestowitzBeranger has major depressions, but at least he puts his identity behind his rants.Aug 13 18:48
kentma1twitter: that was the url to the wiki article on troll definition, btw.Aug 13 18:49
schestowitzThe Vista advertisement campaign is going at full force it seems: http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/...Aug 13 18:52
kentma1:-)Aug 13 19:01
twitterCould be a real person ... could be made up, I can't tell and it does not matter.  Didio, Ou, Lyons, O'Gara are all real people who put their names behind their poisonAug 13 19:03
twitterI put my identity behind my rants too.  I only conceal the extent of my ranting, which could be used by enemies to make me look like a distracted lunatic.Aug 13 19:05
schestowitzHmmm... this one appeared in this morning's news: http://www.financiarul.ro/2008/08/12/micro... ( Microsoft Romania seeks bilingual IT experts ). Sounds like a job for Beranger, except the Microsoft bit (he's Romanian and multi-lingual). BTW... his attacks on ODF, OLPC, and banning from several forums don't perfume the flowers. Suspicion rises though. He doesn't slam Microsoft all that often.Aug 13 19:16
twitterHis stuff looks exactly like the shut up bullshit I see on Slashdot every day.  The specific page I looked at was so typical, I wonder how many sock puppets he has there.Aug 13 19:24
twitter"How not to advocate FOSS"  like he cares.Aug 13 19:25
twitterIt's not worth reading when you know it's wrong and wrong headed.Aug 13 19:25
twitterYes, I read his CV.Aug 13 19:26
twitterYou can read mine if you Google search for my email address.  :)Aug 13 19:27
schestowitzI don't believe he's with 'them'. He's just a bit of a... *ahem* sociopath.Aug 13 19:30
schestowitzGood CV.Aug 13 19:34
schestowitzThe Jeff Gould Microsoft Shill is exploiting Linux Today again. Let me know if he strikes with his nym 'AlexGr' in Slashdot. http://www.linuxtoday.com/new... http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_sto...Aug 13 20:06
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twitterSlashdot is almost all fluff today.  There are a couple of interesting law and political stories.  These might attract shills but only as a place to karma farm.Aug 13 20:55
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schestowitzJust let me know if Microsoft Shillgould, AKA AlexGr manages to slide it up (or down) one of Malda's orifices. He always submits that way to both LT and /.Aug 13 20:56
schestowitzhttp://boycottnovell.com/2008/0...Aug 13 20:56
trmancohttp://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-...Aug 13 21:23
schestowitzYes, he pisses me off sometimes.Aug 13 21:23
schestowitzI've finally found a very importantant Economist article: http://etheridge.ca/articles... "For instance, Microsoft, the world’s most valuable company, declared a profit of $4.5 billion in 1998; when the cost of options awarded that year, plus the change in the value of outstanding options, is deducted, the firm made a loss of $18 billion, according to Smithers."Aug 13 21:30
trmancocoolAug 13 21:31
schestowitzThey article 'disappeared' some years ago and a professor I know complained about it. Many articles that say bad things about Microsoft (e.g. back doors) just vanish ove time.Aug 13 21:41
trmancomicrosoft's monopoly again :|Aug 13 21:43
trmancohttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/...Aug 13 21:44
trmanco"These are just used to ensure that we're compliant with US export regulations," said Scott Culp, Microsoft's security manager for its Windows NT Server software.Aug 13 21:45
schestowitzI suspect SUSE is the same (maybe Red Hat too) because it went into NSA 'inspection'. See http://boycottnovell.com/20...Aug 13 21:48
trmancothey call backdoors "plugin devices" , lolAug 13 21:49
schestowitzMicrosoft recently confirmed this again with Gartner. And nowadays, thanks to those back doors, about half of all machines are zombies, _despite_ having firewalls and 'security' snakeoilware.Aug 13 21:51
*ZiggyFish (n=ziggyfis@123-243-163-103.static.tpgi.com.au) has joined #boycottnovellAug 13 22:21
*dent (i=[U2FsdGV@linux.fjfi.cvut.cz) has joined #boycottnovellAug 13 22:36
*cozub has quit (Read error: 113 (No route to host))Aug 13 22:42
schestowitzStranger with a candy: http://technology.inquirer.net/infot...Aug 13 23:14

Recent Techrights' Posts

Creditors beware: VMS Enterprises Ltd vs Brexit Party (Reform UK Party Ltd)
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Slop-Posting is a New Form of S---posting
We recently caught several more "linux" sites (with "linux" in their domain name) turning to slop
 
Gemini Links 01/10/2026: Gemini-to-Web Proxies Considered Harmful, ROOPHLOCH 2026 at Griffith Park Observatory
Links for the day
"SPONSORED FEATURE" of HPE and NVIDIA at The Register MS Has Just Mentioned "AI" 68 Times in One Page!
Meanwhile, grown-ups ignore the hype and get work done without slop
Microsoft's XBox Layoffs Not Finished, Won't be Finished, It's Called "Forever Layoffs"
Microsoft will shut down (XBox) after shrinking it, there's no need to sell anything (a straw man)
IBM's Red Hat Lost Lots of People Today, Chief People Officer (CPO) Dethroned
Headcount falls shortly in secret.
Microsoft is "Pushing Up Daisies" Amid Mass Layoffs (Secret Ones)
"Longtime Microsoft research leader Peter Lee and former LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky to depart"
Links 01/10/2026: "Lawyer Cites ChatGPT-Invented Fake Witnesses in Murder Appeal" and The 'Linux' Foundation Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Has Vacuum
Links for the day
Brigading Against Women - Part XIII - The Offer We Didn't Ask For (and Under Threats to a Lady at the Webhost, a Form of Extortion From America)
Two and a half months ago Garrett made an offer to my wife
Techrights Turning 20 Next Month
Our image is under attack, our finances are constantly under attack and so on
Links 01/10/2026: "Meat Proxies" and "Japan’s Far Right Is Courting Young Voters"
Links for the day
Red Hat Being Phased Out of Existence (Like Many Other Companies That IBM Bought)
The "Red Hat" brand (and badge) is being dissolved some more today [...] IBM is imploding 'creatively'.
IBM Layoffs Cover-up
thelayoff.com is censoring threads
"Restricted Boot" Garrett's State is Now Implementing Kill Switches (Just What We've Warned About All Along)
The underlying concept is hardly new
Brett Wilson LLP Has Had No Annual Report in 16 Months
A cynic might hint that they try to hide something
Reform UK last minute accounts filing
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 01/10/2026: "Babel With Better Hardware", Software Input That's Slop, and DWeb Cascadia 2026
Links for the day
Today is D-Day at Red Hat and People Leave in Droves
They said there would be "bluewashing", we're mostly seeing people announcing they're leaving
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Gemini Links 30/09/2026: Fish Leather, Slop Formation, and ROOPHLOCH
Links for the day
In a Lot of Europe (or EU) Android (With Linux) is Bigger Than Windows
For example in Greece
EPO Cocainegate: Lots of Money (Over a Million Euros) for Cocaine Addicts, Not for Children With Special Needs
Next month we'll bring out some more Campinos scandals
High Court victory: Nigel Farage is 'the Company's own candidate'
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
It Took GNOME's Code of Conduct Committee (CoCC) Over 8 Months to Realise CoC Reports Went Into /dev/null/
It would be ironic if the blunder's culprits were punished for it, would it not?
Links 30/09/2026: Microsoft "OpenAI Ignored Employees’ Warnings About Safely" and "Pentagon Personnel Agency Data Breach Impacts 3 Million People"
Links for the day
The Register MS "Events" As Paid Spam That Promotes and Keeps Afloat Hype About Slop
This dreary sort of media reads like a soup of words, i.e. like the thing it is advertising
Digital Independence in the UK and in Western Europe
We have the technical capacity and skilled personnel to achieve this
IBM's Anderon as a Mass Layoffs Ritual With a Bailout (From US Taxpayers to IBM) and Other Perks
Like those empty promises in the first term of the Cheeto dictator
Gemini Links 30/09/2026: David Bowie, Web Rendering Proxy, Ink and Letters, Gemlog Nostalgia
Links for the day
EPO Annual General Meeting (AGM) Will Speak of Financial State of the EPO's Union
Their work is needed because the EPO breaks the law
Rust Causes Upgrade Issues in Ubuntu
They could just keep GNU coreutils in place (nothing was broken about it) and avoid Microsoft's back doors and TPMs
Losses From Slop Are "Investment", Hundreds of Billions in Debt Are "Growth Opportunity", Layoffs Are "Great to See", and Loss of Business Means "We Need a Slowdown" (for "Safety")
Microsoft is removing staff, as investment is apparently the act of shrtinking
Brigading Against Women - Part XII - Toxic Masculinity, Hunting Women, Will Code for Sex
Who says things like these?
The Microsoft Lunduke Slop Problem
Microsoft Lunduke does not support Software Freedom; he serves to discredit many ideas championed by Free software or ideals articulated which are apolitical for the most part
Links 30/09/2026: "Understanding the LLM Bubble" and "Florida Senate Threatened Legal Action Against Newspapers"
Links for the day
It Looks Like Mass Layoffs at "Nordcloud, an IBM Company" Today (a Day Ahead of Red Hat)
Expect the same from Red Hat next
British Prime Minister Recognises Social Control Media as National Cohesion Problem
one has to wonder if addiction to social control media is not compatible with peace
The Future Isn't Social Control Media (Nothing Will be Left of It, Not Even Archives)
"Error code: 502 Bad Gateway"
GNU/Linux Usage in China is Increasing
China is leaving Microsoft and Windows behind
43 Years of GNU and GAFAM's (Especially Microsoft's) Attacks On It
GNU is very widely used (when people say "Linux commands" they typically mean "GNU programs"), hence it's being attacked a lot
CDMAG Covers Free Software, New Magazine From Decent People
If enough people accessed their site, they would not rely on social control media (third parties, censorship platforms)
Brigading Against Women - Part XI - An Abject Lack of Social Skills (and Not Knowing How to Handle Women)
GGG enjoy - if that's the right term - very bizarre or esoteric sex life
Gemini Links 30/09/2026: Accelerationism, "The Billionaire is Wrong", Rant About LLM-generated Support E-mails
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
IRC logs for Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Black Brit on "Pictures Comparing Me to a Monkey" Because of Brett Wilson LLP Client
"Like Firm, Like Clients..."
President of the EPO Should be Kicked Out, Not Have His Term Terminated in 2028
The President is facing more scandals soon
David Gordon at The Register MS Keeps Feeding the Pyramid Scheme With Fake Articles That Say "AI" Dozens of Times
How can such a publisher still be taken seriously?
The Local Staff Committee The Hague (LSCTH) at the EPO Explains the Working Conditions and Crisis of Plunder (Less for Workers, a Lot More for Dictators Who Refuse to Leave Leadership Roles)
Next week will be epic
EPO Will Stop Working for 10 Days to Protest Against 'Cocaine King' and His Assault on Democracy, Lawfulness, Transfer of Power at EPO
Strikes, work stoppage, all rolled onto one
IBM Brings Avalanche to Red Hat October 1st 2026 (Thursday)
IBM is turning up the heat on staff
Links 29/09/2026: Mass Layoffs at Microsoft and Backlash Over Data Center Policy of Microsoft
Links for the day
Techrights is International
There are many sites that focus on local communities or nations. We're not one of those sites.
5 Years Ago (September 29, 2021) Richard Stallman's Talk in Ukraine Noted
Let's hope the war will end soon
Links 29/09/2026: Acceleration, Morale, and ROOPHLOCH 2026
Links for the day
Links 29/09/2026: "Scam Altman Is Driving Drunk" and Anthropic Lies About Slop Usage
Links for the day
Brigading Against Women - Part X - When Actions of American Men Are Not Judged by Other American Men
"There is not the slightest suggestion that either Dr or Mrs Schestowitz did anything to invite or deserve it. They are both clearly and justifiably angered, dismayed, distressed and hurt by it."
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: A Source of Pride for Portugal?
In this part our focus returns to the main theme of this series, namely the current reappointment campaign of the EPO President, as we consider whether Campinos can still expect to enjoy the same level of support from the Portuguese political establishment as he did during the earlier stages of his career
Computers Freeze Because of UEFI Restricted Boot
damage is also done to computers running Windows
It is Very Expensive to Slow Down Techrights
Garrett's expensive hearing (costing the British taxpayers about 120,000 pounds; he doesn't live here and does not pay tax here) slowed us down for a few days, but we've picked up the pace since
Linux Has Conquered Mobile, But Desktops and Laptops Matter More
When people say the desktop "doesn't matter" they seem to be missing the point that workplaces use desktops (or laptops) and a lot of the work gets done not on skinnerboxes but "workstations" or terminals
Brigading Against Women - Part IX - "What Are You, a Racist?"
Because behind every strong man is a strong opinion?
Gemini Links 29/09/2026: "Digital Sabbath", Starting a GemCapsule, and Sterrenkijker 1.1.0
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 28, 2026
IRC logs for Monday, September 28, 2026