IT REALLY ought to be added, further to this previous post which only alluded to political influence, that Microsoft has a nice cycle going on. Microsoft earns money, some of which is passed to personal accounts, such as Gates' (Foundation), which can then be funneled back into governments, whose representatives in turn feel obliged to excessively pay Microsoft for software (e.g. BECTA and the NHS in the UK). The way this is set up, politicians and Microsoft get rich in a closed cycle of money and/or favours, where the only 'feeder' is the taxpayer. GNU/Linux companies are locked out of this cycle because they can't introduce kickbacks and such.
--Richard Stallman
Comments
pcolon
2008-12-28 19:49:41
How can it be considered a valid donation if you control its prices. That is, they're dumping windows on developing countries at 0$, doing the netbooks at $5, and then probably elevating its value for education to the max.
Roy Schestowitz
2008-12-28 20:13:54
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/157903.asp
Roy Schestowitz
2008-12-28 20:16:35