Bonum Certa Men Certa

AstroTurfers Pretend to be GNU/Linux Users?

"Mind Control: To control mental output you have to control mental input. Take control of the channels by which developers receive information, then they can only think about the things you tell them. Thus, you control mindshare!"

--Microsoft, internal document [PDF]



Appended below is the IRC log from just minutes ago. As regular readers are probably aware, our reader "twitter" has abusive stalkers ('witch hunters') in this Web site. They followed his footsteps all the way from Slashdot just to discredit him personally wherever he goes, whatever he does. Speaking from experience, "twitter" is intimately aware of Microsoft's dirty secrets and he talks about it in public.

The log below (particularly the end) is self explanatory, but the summary is that people who go under names like "Gentoo user" are actually Windows users and they are busily attacking critics of Microsoft. The name is probably supposed to lend them credibility (Gentoo is, after all, a hardcore distribution) and also encourage people to explore distributions that will lead to negative judgment of GNU/Linux.




trmancohttp://news.netcraft.com/archives/2008/11/19/no...Nov 19 15:32
schestowitzYay! Google can shove clocks and weather in my eyes. :-) Well, at least they open-sourced it.Nov 19 15:32
trmanco:-PNov 19 15:32
twitterIck, China to buy GM.  They could make it even more corrupt than it is already.Nov 19 15:33
schestowitzApache still eats Microsoft's lunch.Nov 19 15:34
schestowitz1.8 compared to 1.1Nov 19 15:34
schestowitzRemember that Google's is an Apache fork.Nov 19 15:34
twitterThat lead is going to get bigger, despite the FUD M$ spews.Nov 19 15:35
twitterWAMP is insane.Nov 19 15:35
schestowitzThat's what MS is hoping. It would be interesting to see how Apache/Linux does against Apache/WindowsNov 19 15:36
schestowitzThey keynoted ApacheCon recently. RMS is against it and there's plan to discourage people from attending such events.Nov 19 15:37
schestowitzHow can one give Microsoft such a spot when it's actively threatening to sue?Nov 19 15:37
schestowitzRe: OSCON, PJ said the same.Nov 19 15:37
schestowitzMicrosoft wants the world to believe that there are two Microsofts: good cop and bad cop.Nov 19 15:38
twitterM$ does this on purpose.  It destroys the ability of their "competitors" to communicate.Nov 19 15:38
twitterThey stack the con panel and shove M$ into it.  This destroys the conference.  What's left is M$ only.Nov 19 15:38
twitterDid you see this lovely example of what the M$ world enables?  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/19/d...Nov 19 15:39
schestowitztwitter: yes, Tim O'Reilly had to apologise for saying something negative about the convicted monopolistNov 19 15:39
schestowitz[cause they sponsored his  event]Nov 19 15:39
schestowitzThey gag critics this way. I saw it with Krill.Nov 19 15:39
twitterMore reason to avoid M$ money.Nov 19 15:39
schestowitzAs you say, people like me are already repelled slightly ... wrt ApacheNov 19 15:40
schestowitzAs soon as they defend Microsoft I feel like I need to get a puke pouch.Nov 19 15:40
trmancoschestowitz, "Remember that Google's is an Apache fork." -> I forgot to mention this when I posted the link :-PNov 19 15:41
schestowitzPeople from Apache confronted us in BN. They tried to defend selling out... Microsoft is pressuring many FOSS groups, consortia and LUGs. They try to stink up the place by attending. This IRC channel too used to have 'cj' (for Microsoft).Nov 19 15:41
schestowitztrmanco: Microsoft will surely spin this though as Apache not doing so well. Lies, damn lies, and stats, y'know...Nov 19 15:42
twitterI'm not too worried.  When things really go wrong, projects like Debian fork and everyone runs to the better fork.Nov 19 15:42
schestowitzThat's the stories they'll tell uncritical journos anyway.Nov 19 15:43
twitterStinking up conferences is an old practice.  I read about them doing this to Apple.Nov 19 15:43
schestowitzWait until Microsoft tries to plant some people inside Debian [hypothetical].Nov 19 15:43
twitterMy trolls have already bragged about being Debian contributors.Nov 19 15:43
schestowitzThat would ruin it. All they need to do is seed the project with an apologist or a village fool that will open up the door... like Alex Brown in ISO.Nov 19 15:43
schestowitzMono too is entertaining Microsoft chaps.Nov 19 15:44
twitterI ignored it because the project's commitment to freedom and organization are too strong to let M$ fuck it over.Nov 19 15:44
schestowitzNovell did this in India.Nov 19 15:44
schestowitzHence the protestsNov 19 15:44
schestowitzRead the remarks from Anivar.. they excluded OpenOffice.org, Red Hat, etc. It was Novell stealing the show stealthily.Nov 19 15:45
schestowitzRMS approved what the guys did.Nov 19 15:45
twitterM$ can damage Debian by setting up arguments that waste time but M$ will fail before Debian does.Nov 19 15:45
schestowitzIt's claimed that they already do this in UbuntuNov 19 15:45
twitterThey do it everywhere.Nov 19 15:46
schestowitzRequesting Silverlight, defending Mono's presence, etc. I'm told this by people.Nov 19 15:46
twitter "Mind Control: To control mental output you to have to control mental input.  Take control of the channels by which developers receive information, then they can only think about the things you tell them.  Thus, you control mindshare!"   http://docs.google.com/Present?docid...Nov 19 15:47
twitterEverywhere developers meet, M$ will spew poison.Nov 19 15:47
schestowitzYes, I know.Nov 19 15:47
schestowitzThat's a MUST-ATTEND talk at Microsoft.Nov 19 15:47
schestowitzThe guy who wrote it said so.Nov 19 15:47
twitterM$ wastes untold billions of dollars pushing that kind of poison.Nov 19 15:48
schestowitz"Gentoo user" is one of your stalkers in BNNov 19 15:49
schestowitzThat 'person' never talks about the subjects at hand. Just ad hominem, IIRC.Nov 19 15:50
twitteryes.  They keep posting the same crap.Nov 19 15:50
twitterIt's spam.Nov 19 15:50
schestowitzWho goes by the Linux vanity name "Gentoo user" anyway?Nov 19 15:50
schestowitzAnd why Gentoo? To say "I'm hardcore 1337 *nix"?Nov 19 15:50
twitterFor a while, while it was new and difficult, the M$ trolls were promoting gentoo.Nov 19 15:51
twitterThere's nothing like throwing a newbie to the something like that to sour them on the whole GNU/Linux experience for years.Nov 19 15:52
twitterThe name choice may lend credibility for readers who know nothing, which is what M$ is interested in.Nov 19 15:53
twitterAnyone who knows anything quickly dumps Windows as a platform.Nov 19 15:54
twitterM$ is all about delaying that and staying relevant.Nov 19 15:54
twitterThe trolls used to bug me about the name "twitter" too.Nov 19 15:56
twitterI chose it because that's what I do to equipment to make it work well.  It turned out to be a good choice from the way the M$ people hear my posts like a gaggle of angry birds.Nov 19 15:58
twitterIf Kennedy thinks someone at M$ hates him, Kennedy should watch my stuff sometimes.  :)Nov 19 16:00
trmancoHey cool, Portuguese media promoting Ubuntu: http://ciberia.aeiou.pt/?st=10581Nov 19 16:02
twitterM$FT, still under $20, and they will fall off the cliff with the rest of the market as the GWB administration has promised to sit on it's hands instead of bailing out home owners.  LA Times had a good article on this.Nov 19 16:03
trmancoand some more: http://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/computadores/open_so... | http://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/computadores/ope...Nov 19 16:06
schestowitzMicrosoft promoting Gentoo, eh? I think I know why.Nov 19 16:06
schestowitzCreate some more bitter experiences...Nov 19 16:06
schestowitztwitter: I can check the logs to see what 'Gentoo user' runs.Nov 19 16:07
schestowitz[unless there's header spoofing]Nov 19 16:07
twitterthat will be interesting.Nov 19 16:07
twitterhere's the article http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi...Nov 19 16:07
twitterBasically, Paulson has promised to do nothing and to ignore homeowner problems.  The stock market and economy will tank on that kind of news.Nov 19 16:08
schestowitzHehe.Nov 19 16:10
schestowitzI just realised that Microsoft employed Gentoo's founder. Take that thought further...Nov 19 16:10
schestowitz[sarcasm] What if Microsoft created and promoted the most difficult and frustrating Linux, then promoted it?Nov 19 16:11
twitterThat may have happened but it backfired.Nov 19 16:11
twitterI have yet to try it out but I keep hearing good things about it and that people actually use it.Nov 19 16:13
twitterI like the Debian way better because most people only want to tweak one or two programs at a time.Nov 19 16:13
schestowitzHa!Nov 19 16:15
schestowitzThis is funny.Nov 19 16:15
schestowitzGentoio user in November:Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz┌─(roy@localhost Wed, 19 Nov 08)─—————————————— ——————─(/home/roy/Desktop)────┐Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz└─(16:12 $)─> gunzip boNov 19 16:16
schestowitzboycottnovell.com-Nov-2008.gz       boycottnovell.com-Nov-2008.gz.partNov 19 16:16
schestowitz┌─(roy@localhost Wed, 19 Nov 08)─—————————————— ——————─(/home/roy/Desktop)────┐Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz└─(16:12 $)─> gunzip boycottnovell.com-Nov-2008.gzNov 19 16:16
schestowitz┌─(roy@localhost Wed, 19 Nov 08)─—————————————— ——————─(/home/roy/Desktop)────┐Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz└─(16:14 $)─> grep 12.10.219.36 boycottnovell.com-Nov-2008Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:47 -0500] "GET /wp-content/themes/ocadia/styNov 19 16:16
schestowitzle.css HTTP/1.0" 200 8903 "http://boycottnovell.com/category/irc-logs/" "MozillaNov 19 16:16
schestowitz.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:47 -0500] "GET /category/irc-logs/ HTTP/1.0"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz 200 69745 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) GecNov 19 16:16
schestowitzko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/9Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz35815___mine__.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 17438 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "Mozilla/5.0Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz(Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/9Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz52151_abraham_lincoln.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 12788 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "MozilNov 19 16:16
schestowitzla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz.0.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET / HTTP/1.0" 200 99315 "http:/Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:51 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/jNov 19 16:16
schestowitzonathan_20zuck.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 96877 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "Mozilla/5.0Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz(Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17) Gecko/20080829 Firefox/2.0.0.17Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz"Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz12.10.219.36 - - [03/Nov/2008:12:49:52 -0500] "GET /wp-content/uploads/2008/11/1Nov 19 16:16
schestowitz016609_laundry.jpg HTTP/1.0" 200 9346 "http://boycottnovell.com/" "Mozilla/5.0 (Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzWindows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.17Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzThat's just a portion.Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzIt's always Windows.Nov 19 16:16
schestowitzSeems like your stalker "Gentoo user" has not much to do with GNU/Linux at all.Nov 19 16:17
schestowitzHe came with this IP address several times this month.Nov 19 16:17
schestowitzI assume it's a daily routine because there are gaps in the logs (probably dynamic IP)Nov 19 16:18

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

WordPress Becoming What We Feared It Would Become
WordPress and other such bloatware (WordPress used to be fast and light) are moving in the same trajectory that GAFAM leads
Call for European Patent Office (EPO) Whistleblowers
The European Patent Organisation (EPO) might not reform the Office
400-Page US Federal Court Against Abuses by Google, Microsoft and Front Groups That Abuse Volunteers for American Corporations
There are 386 pages in total (in the US claim)
Projection Tactics - Part IV: SLAPP by Americans Against Techrights (UK) to Hide Serious Abuses Against American Women
"PRs need to stop being complicit in suppression of information via SLAPPs"
Five Years Ago, After We Broke the Story About Richard Stallman Rejoining the FSF's Board, All Hell Broke Loose (for Me and My Family)
They generally seem to target anyone who thinks Richard Stallman (RMS) should be in charge or thinks alike about computing
Projection Tactics - Part II: Causing "Serious Harm" to Many People (Even Animals)
Narcissists and sociopaths are like that
 
Misattributing Blame, the Core Issue is Slop
that issue has nothing to do with Bash
Microsoft: Layoffs Are an Investment
Sales of the console will take another plunge and debt will skyrocket
Links 01/07/2026: MElon (Elon Musk) "Confronted With List of People He Has Killed", Microsoft Ignores Union, Chooses "Bloodbath"
Links for the day
The Register MS: Paid-For SPAM Advocating Chinese Colonialism in Africa, Not Even a Disclosure (as Before)
Does The Register MS recognise what this piece is promoting and who for?
Techrights Never Defended Rapists
In the past, I and others got falsely accused of "defend[ing] a rapist"
"Regular Silent Layoffs and PIPs" at Microsoft, According to Microsoft Insider
Many people leave without a fuss, only a signed NDA
Gaming Companies Help Promote Rootkits ('Anticheat') and Help Microsoft Take Control of People's PCs
The industry in its current form acts a bit more like a cabal of power-hungry companies that actively try to back-door everything and smear people who oppose that
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) Turns 38 Next Month
IRC did well because over 300k users are on significant networks (simultaneous, also counting bots and cross-network overlaps)
opensourceforu.com is a Slopfarm, It's Not "Open Source" and It's Not "For U"
Slop "For U"
DRM and Ownership
We now even have PCs that "expire"
GNU/Linux Reaches 6% in North America
Tomorrow around 10AM we'll see what preliminary data they get for July
IBM Layoffs Still Happening in 2026, They're Just Not Being Reported
The demise of IBM accompanies the demise of the media
SLAPP Censorship - Part 124 Out of 200: The Court Deems My Wife Connected to the Case of the Serial Strangler From Microsoft, Invites Her to the Hearing Last Week
Brett Wilson LLP does not play by the rules
Paying Severance to Staff Laid Off by Microsoft Too Expensive for Microsoft Now?
When companies earn such a bad reputation (not paying severance to people they discard) it lowers morale even further
Microsoft Mass Layoffs Due to Money Problems (Debt, Lack of Money to Complete Payroll), Not "Hey Hi"
If Microsoft later comes up with some "Hey Hi" narrative, then immediately reject it
Stop Conflating Free Software With Slop Plagiarism and Time-wasting
Even decades ago people could use "compute" for lots of fuzzing, then file away false or unaudited reports using bots
What Security Means
Security does not mean asking Microsoft for permission
Microsoft May be Losing 10,000+ Workers This Month
Here's the quick math
BSN Senior School Leidschenveen is Shutting Down and What That Means to the European Patent Office (EPO)
Follow-up meeting with Site Manager VP1 on school matters
Gemini Links 01/07/2026: Keeping (Relatively) Cool plus Adventures in Solar, Camp Snap Cameras and XTEINK X4 Ereader Reviews
Links for the day
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Different Strokes For Different Folks
Organisation operating in two parallel universes
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
IRC logs for Tuesday, June 30, 2026
GNU/Linux Measured at 4.4% by statCounter, Even More by analytics.usa.gov
GNU/Linux has fared well
Getting Skyped: Closure of Studios Microsoft Bought
wait till July and the mass layoffs outside XBox
Several Waves of Red Hat Layoffs This Year, Is This Still Going on Under IBM?
The PIPs and NDAs hard to get a clear picture
Sabine Hossenfelder Versus IBM Scamming Shareholders
IBM has become a garage of BS
Some XBox Layoffs Underway, At Least Five Studios to be Shut Down
Insiders are in a state of panic
Gemini Links 30/06/2026: Music Theory, Addiction, Clown Computing
Links for the day
Links 30/06/2026: France Recorded 1,000 Excess Deaths During Heat Wave, Slop Replaced by Human Staff
Links for the day
People Given the Totally Wrong Idea That "Secure Boot" is About Security (It's the Opposite, It's About Handing Control Over to NSA/Microsoft)
"Secure Boot" with capital "B" is conflating compromise with security.
Today The Register MS is Publishing Fake Articles About "AI", 100% of All "Content"
Maybe the media is dying because it is selling its soul [...] The Register MS has no standard
America Has Cost Europe Too Much
Countries ought to be controlling all their own systems
GAFAM Debt Will Surge, in July We'll Know by How Much
Do not fall for slop or sloppy narratives
Too Many "Marketers on the Payroll" at IBM, Selling Impossible Products That Cannot be Delivered or Will Never Deliver
IBM is rotting away
Media Says Microsoft's (XBox) Layoffs May be Record-Breaking
think somewhere in the range of ~5000 for gaming/XBox alone
Sirius Open Source's Latest Report: Fake (False) Number of Staff, Almost No Money in the Bank, Overdraft, and Growing Debt (About £100,000 More Borrowed)
massive (and still growing) debt
Links 30/06/2026: What's Wrong With EU Age Verification, RSA Keys with Many Zeros
Links for the day
This is Not a Security, This is a Circus
Security does not mean "asked Microsoft for permission"
Communities Need Strong Leadership, Not Dictators Like IBM
Leadership in Free software is not ownership [...] Fedora will only last as long as IBM can somehow make some money out of it or leverage it to attract sharecropping
Patents Are Not "Cash Cows"
People who deliberately don't understand patents (or believe lies about them) will fail to understand how the world works (or does not work)
Sad Lives of People Who Think Women Are Just Sexual Toys (All They Have is Money)
money is still a man-made concept and life is finite
SLAPP Censorship - Part 123 Out of 200: Why Violence Against Animals Matters
Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) we'll begin telling stories about what happened last week
EPO Staff Union's (SUEPO) The Hague Committee, With Help of Lawyer, Challenges Lack of Rewards for Hard Work
The EPO is not about granting valid patents anymore. The horse-trading corrupt officials just see the EPO as some thing that "prints money"
Massive EPO Demonstration Today
It'll start in about 6 hours
More Layoffs in Microsoft's PR Department, Even Ahead of 'D-Day'
Notice they are not even waiting for the official date (nor week)
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Photo-Ops Galore and Suspicions of Influence-Peddling
coverage of the EPO's Croatian junket
Gemini Links 30/06/2026: Music and Broken Hearts
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 29, 2026
IRC logs for Monday, June 29, 2026
Gemini Links 29/06/2026: Using More of GPLv3+ and Merits of Security by TOFU
Links for the day
Links 29/06/2026: Lemote Yeeloong Laptop With OpenBSD, Slop Ruins Code/Development
Links for the day
Antisocial People With No Computer Science Background Are Ruining the Technology Space (Like Officials With No Experience in Patents Destroyed the EPO)
This is a real issue; it needs to be widely recognised and tackled
DDoS Attacks Are a Crime and They Only Increase Interest (Intrigue) in Their Target
Information cannot be DDoSed out of reach/existence, except temporarily
Pushing to the Top
Publishing is about exposing corruption
Whistleblowing and Retaliation by Microsoft Workers Against Microsoft Seems Increasingly Likely
some will go to the press, looking to expose some shenanigans
How Long Can a Company Delay Its Financial Report That Likely Confirms Exodus of Staff, Growing Debt, and Other Problems?
Brett Wilson LLP was meant to release its annual report some time early this month
SLAPP Censorship - Part 122 Out of 200: Garrett's Solicitors Confirm That Garrett is Ban-Evading and Spying on Our IRC Network
his solicitors basically acknowledge this
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Networking With the National Delegates
António Campinos with a prime opportunity to network with the Administrative Council delegates and lobby for his reappointment
PIPs and "Retirements": IBM Layoffs in Anything But Name
That former Red Hat (now IBM) staff threatens to put my wife and I in prison is worse than cruel
Contact Members of the EPO Administrative Council, Tell Them the EPO (Office) Became a Disgrace and an Enemy of Europe's Citizens
If you live in Europe (not just the EU, even Turkey is included), please contact your delegates
The World Needs GNU/Linux for Security, Turn Off "Secure Boot" (It's the Opposite of Security)
They call it "Secure Boot", but what does it mean to say "Secure" when you actively opt for back doors controlled by Microsoft, the FBI, and many more parties?
In Signal of Weakness or Phasing Out XBox (Not Sustainable, According to the CEO) Microsoft "Pauses New Third-Party Game Pass Deals"
Moments ago
Two Pieces About "AI" This Morning Were Paid-For SPAM at The Register MS
The Register MS is the "Tech News" publisher you can pay to promote your company and even key-word-stuff pages for SEO purposes
Week of Microsoft Layoffs, Maybe Record-Breaking Scale
They will mislead about the scale
Links 28/06/2026: More Om Malik Eulogies, Cloudflare Promotes Web Browser Monocultures
Links for the day
IBM's Alderon as "Silent Layoffs", Not Just Bailout From Taxpayers
Seeing through the noise
'Modern' Web: "Stop! You Are Browsing Too Fast!"
Can the Web ever recover from this?
Pensions Tied to Ponzi Schemes Are Themselves Ponzi Schemes
Pensions are becoming more like that as well
Laptop Bricked After Microsoft Certificates Expiry
Is "Jim" dead?
Monoculture in Europe as National (or Continental) Security Threat
We need more browser diversity
Canada 5-0: GNU/Linux Rises to 5.0%, Windows Rapidly Falls to New Lows
Will we be seeing 6-0 (6%) by year's end and will Microsoft be shown two red cards?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 28, 2026
IRC logs for Sunday, June 28, 2026
Gemini Links 29/06/2026: Sansieviera, HiFi, and Self-Signed Certificates
Links for the day