Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft as Political Movement in the US, Maybe India Too

Hypocrisy defined

"Linux is a cult that captures the best-and-brightest kids."

--Jim Gray (Microsoft Research)



Entire separation between technology and politics is a convenient simplification, but it rarely serves the prudent observer who is interested in answers. As Richard Stallman once put it, "geeks like to think that they can ignore politics, you can leave politics alone, but politics won't leave you alone." Google may have had to learn this the hard way because it witnesses not only existing Microsoft employees but former ones aligning against it too. At the same time, Microsoft is inciting Washington DC against Google [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] in what only can be described as a contemptuous display of power. Microsoft uses cronies to achieve this and by all means, that's just putting it as bluntly as it comes, simply because it's true and well substantiated.



Although we mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, PR Watch has just gotten around to explaining how Microsoft uses AstroTurf campaigns against Google.

For PR support in that campaign, Microsoft turned to LMG, a secretive Washington DC public affairs firm that specializes in astroturf campaigns. Thompson and Vogelstein expect the anti-Google campaign to intensify in 2009, with a focus on painting the company as a threat to personal privacy.


Particularly, as the essay points out, LawMedia Group played a role here and PR Watch describes it as follows.

LawMedia Group -- also referred to as LMG -- is a secretive Washington DC public affairs firm. The firm's website says it "unites the worlds of law, communications, strategic counseling and crisis management into seamless campaigns for Fortune 100 companies, trade associations, start-ups and non-profits." [1] Ads for LMG describe its services as including "government relations" (lobbying), "grassroots lobbying," "issue / initiative / petition management," "media production" and "opposition research." [2]


LawMedia is one of those agencies which in a decent society would be dismantled. When AstroTurfing/legalised bribery (commonly known as "lobbying") becomes a 'norm', justice cannot prevail, let alone be ever reached. We've mentioned LawMedia Group on many occasions [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] since its involvement was initially exposed [1, 2] for its dealings with Microsoft. It serves to illustrate that Microsoft's letters-from-the-dead tactics are far from outdated.

In other news, something is happening which involves a former ELCOT officer. ELCOT's success story with GNU/Linux (Ballnux unfortunately) was noted in a video that can be found here and we believe there may have an important update that relates to previous coverage of what Microsoft does in India, namely:



We received some additional information which may suggest that other officers whose choices favour Free software are being moved or removed, but at whose behest? According to a report from the Deccan Chronicle (newspaper in Hyderabad, India), "IAS officer faces wrath, shifted again." Here is the 'meat' of the story:

Jan. 25: Senior IAS officer C. Uma Shankar has set a record of sorts. His transfer last Friday to the Small Savings department from the post of Managing Director of Arasu Cable TV Corporation was the fourth in just six months.

Said to be an efficient, tech-savvy officer and known for his role in developing and promoting e-governance, he has been credited with the introduction of open source software during his brief stint in ELCOT (Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited).

His transfer order came a day after the officer told the media in Vellore that it would be better for the State to take over the Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV). The officer was also critical of the damage caused allegedly by the SCV to the Arasu Cable TV infrastructure in some parts of the state.

Earlier, Mr Uma Shankar was said to have been transferred from ELCOT after he found fault with an errant IT firm that was run by a person with connections.


In response to this, said one person, "It's very sad how a honest govt officer is being harassed for doing his job."

Uma Shankar wrote back: "I saw the postings on my latest transfer today only. I am accustomed to lightning transfers. Transfers cannot affect my morale."

“Why is that whenever someone is encouraging Free software adoption in India, something sudden and abrupt creeps in?”Another person remarks: "It is not good for the government if it punishes the sincere officers who devote their time for the welfare of the state. It will definitely encourage corruption, fraud and maladministration."

Uma Shankar also wrote to a public group about his experience with Ubuntu and SUSE: "I have been using Ubuntu and Suse linux. Of all the distributions, Ubuntu is the best as it comes with full free online upgrade support at no cost. It has a 32 bit and 64 bit version. All of them are free. It is extremely user friendly. I have fallen in love with it."

Why is that whenever someone is encouraging Free software adoption in India, something sudden and abrupt creeps in? The theory remains that Microsoft might be pulling strings as it did in Massachusetts, but evidence is lacking. Can anyone help?

Recent Techrights' Posts

Why We're Reporting Brett Wilson LLP for Apparently Misusing Their Licence to Protect American Microsofters Who Attack Women
For those who have not been keeping abreast
Stefano Maffulli and His Microsoft-Funded OSI Staff Are Killing the OSI and Killing "Open Source" (All for Money!)
This is far from over
Techrights Headlines as Semaphore
"If you are hearing this, thank you"
 
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: Games and More
Links for the day
Links 01/04/2025: Apple Fined $162M for Privacy Abuses, Disinformation Online a Growing Concern
Links for the day
Newer Press Reports Confirm That Microsoft Shuts Down 'Hey Hi' (AI) Labs Despite All the Hype
The "hey hi" (AI) bubble is not sustainable
Links 01/04/2025: Mass Layoffs at Eidos and "Microsoft Pulls Back on Data Centers" (Demand Lacking); "Racist and Sexist" Slop From Microsoft
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: XKCDpunk and worldclock.py
Links for the day
50 Years of Sabotage and a Gut Punch to Computer Science (and Science in General)
Will we get back to science-based computing rather than cult-like following?
3 Months in 2025, 4 Waves of Mass Layoffs at Microsoft, Now Offices Shut Down Permanently
"A recent visit by the South China Morning Post confirmed that the office was dark, unoccupied, and had its logo removed."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 31, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 31, 2025
Links 31/03/2025: China Tensions, Bombs Falling in Myanmar After Earthquake
Links for the day
Gemini Links 31/03/2025: Falling Out of Love With Tech, Sunsetting openSNP
Links for the day
R.T.O. at IBM in Texas and Atlanta (State of Georgia) Expected as "Soft Layoffs" Catalyst This Coming Year
It also sounds like more IBM layoffs are in the making
Law Firms Can Also Lose Their Licence for Clearly Misusing It
The bottom line is, never made the false assumption that because you can pile up SLAPPs in a docket you will not suffer from bad reputation or even get disbarred
Link between institutional abuse, Swiss jurists, Debianism and FSFE
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
LLM Slop Piggybacking News About GNU/Linux and Distorting It
new examples
Links 31/03/2025: Press and Democracy Under Further Attacks in the US, Attitudes Towards Slop Sour
Links for the day
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Privacy Fiasco in Detail: The OSI Does Not Respect Anybody's Privacy
The surveillance mafia that bans dissent or key people (even co-founders) with dissenting views
Gemini Links 31/03/2025: More X-Filesposting and Dreaming in Emacs
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 30, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, March 30, 2025
Links 30/03/2025: Security Breaches, Crackdowns on Dissent/Rival Politicians
Links for the day
Gemini Links 30/03/2025: London Soundtrack Festival, Superbloom, gmiCAPTCHA
Links for the day
Phasing Out Vista 10 in Nations Where ~90% of Windows Users Still Rely on It
Recipe for another Microsoft disaster
The Cost of Pursuing the Much-Needed Reform/Shield Against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs)
“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”
The LLM Bubble is About to Implode, Gimmicks and Financial Shell Games Cannot Prevent That, Only Delay It
To inflate the bubble MElon is now doing the classic trick of buying from oneself for a fictional value
Links 30/03/2025: Contagious Ideas, Signal Leak, and Squashing Lousy Patents
Links for the day
Links 30/03/2025: "Quantum Randomness" and "F-1 Visa Revoked" in US
Links for the day
Gemini Links 30/03/2025: US as a Threat, Returning to the WWW
Links for the day
Links 30/03/2025: Judge Blocks Dismantling Of VOA, Turkey Arrested Many Journalists
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 29, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, March 29, 2025