Bonum Certa Men Certa

Is Microsoft Trying to Derail Another Massive Migration to GNU/Linux in Brazil?

Brazil's ODF cap on Lula
Original



Summary: Microsoft brings "Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum" to a country whose schools abandon Windows en masse

THE WORLD'S largest migration to GNU/Linux probably takes place in Brazilian schools where 52,000,000 students will be exposed to the platform. They are gaining independence in the sense of digital autonomy. It was pretty darn obvious that Microsoft would not let it be as Microsoft just can't leave Brazil alone. It's like the digital equivalent of an uninvited military coup.

People of Brazil ought to be aware of the fact that in a nation of Free software-based education Microsoft has just chosen to host the "Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum". Why did Microsoft choose Brazil? Of all the countries across the world, Microsoft is probably the least invited in Brazilian education.

More than 40 U.S. teachers showcased ed-tech projects in national forum; winners move on to world competition in Brazil

[...]

The project's creators, teachers Harriet Armstrong and Autumne Streeval of Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., took top honors at Microsoft's U.S. Innovative Teachers Forum, held Aug. 17. Armstrong and Streeval will travel to Brazil in November to compete in the software giant's Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum.

"It is really an honor to have won the U.S. Forum," said Streeval, who teaches social studies. "We are excited to go to Brazil to learn more about what is going on in education on a global scale. Teachers often struggle with similar challenges, even in very unique settings, but the Worldwide Forum will allow us to collaborate and tackle obstacles together."

Armstrong, who teaches family and consumer science, added that she hopes to return from Brazil with more ideas and connections to other teachers.


Is Microsoft trying to lure school administrators and teachers in Brazil to join the celebrations and lobby against GNU/Linux? It sure seems possible if not very likely. Microsoft has various schemes for turning students into customers of Microsoft while they are still young. The Live@Edu programme is one example of this and we have just found what's pretty much an advertisement disguised as an article about Live@Edu. There is no shame. Microsoft is advertising Live@Edu despite admitting that its E-mail services get hijacked -- a quality only to be expected from Microsoft.

Microsoft pointed to e-mail account "hijacking" as becoming an increasing problem, especially among Windows Live Hotmail users.

[...]

According to Microsoft, a hijacked user account would allow a hacker to send e-mails to the user's contacts, which could result in both the user and those contacts unwittingly downloading worms onto a workstation. From there, such malware can spread to the network.


There is a lot more to be said about Hotmail and we wrote about it in:

  1. Has Microsoft Fired Its CIO Because Hotmail Secretly Runs on Free Software?
  2. Why Microsoft Doomed Exchange... and E-mail Too
  3. Microsoft is Not Interested in Interoperability. Free Labour on the Other Hand...


No doubt Microsoft is still fighting to prevent children from being exposed to GNU/Linux at schools. Brazil is hopefully paying close attention to Microsoft's moves. There are lessons to be learned from India.

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

How to 'Sell' Software Freedom to People
In my experience, it helps when one speaks about control, not freedom, including confidentiality
The "Cool Kids" Are Already Using GNU/Linux, Microsoft is Just Cheating
The future and the present are Linux
IBM Going International (and India)
It's Monday and a national holiday
Microsoft Lunduke Belongs in 4Chan
Assuming Microsoft Lunduke is aware of the full context, he is now trolling not one but two decent organisations
 
By Buying Twitter, MElon and Cheeto Now Control EU Politicians, Even at the Highest Levels
"the top level politicians make the egregious mistake of trying to treat Xitter as if it were a communications medium"
The Washington Post (Jeff Bezos) Dies in Darkness
spread it on
Gemini Links 18/02/2025: Downloading Gemini Files with Emacs and Elpher, Gopher on Devuan
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Confirms His Next Talk, "Free/Libre Software and Freedom in the Digital Society" (Next Monday in Free University of Bozen-Bolzano)
He could already advertise this more than a week ago
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, February 17, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, February 17, 2025
IBM's Chronic Neglect Won't Save Anything and It Might Even Get IBM Sued
The problem is likely a lack of manpower, not deliberate shoddiness
Gemini Links 17/02/2025: Ideal OS, AuraRepo Alpha, and Simple Code
Links for the day
Links 17/02/2025: War on Dissent and Bloggers, Nationalism a Growing Theme
Links for the day
GeekWire: Microsoft Bribes Us While We Cover Microsoft Affairs (Spin Doctoring), Hence We Are "Independent"
What good is a "journalist" sponsored by the very same company he or she writes about?
The Attacks on LinuxQuestions.org
Going to Clownflare only worsens the problem
The GNU Manifesto Turns 40 Next Month
The guardian of Free software (definition, licences, philosophy, hosting and so on) has managed to endure and persevere for 40 years. Very few others can say the same.
In Europe and in India Richard Stallman Need Not Duck Anymore, People Trying to Cancel His Talk Have No Sway
the last time a talk by Dr. Stallman got canceled was about a year ago
Back From a Short Break
We can now resume and try to stick to the usual pace
Links 17/02/2025: LLMs Failing and Patreon Support Becoming a Burden to Bloggers
Links for the day
Links 17/02/2025: Blogroll Conundrum; Research, Scientists Under Siege
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, February 16, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, February 16, 2025
Links 16/02/2025: Nostalgia for Physical Media and the US Government Actively Promotes Pro-Kremlin Politicians in the EU
Links for the day
Gemini Links 16/02/2025:Life, Cynicism, and languages
Links for the day
Links 16/02/2025: Oligarchs "Collect Your Data and Control Your World", Global Temperatures Shoot Up
Links for the day
Promoting Microsoft Windows With LLM Slop
What is the policy at BetaNews regarding LLM slop?
Alex Oliva, the Potential 'Successor' of RMS, Has a New Web Site
More freedom for Alex Oliva
Links 16/02/2025: "Microsoft Is Laying Off Employees" and Internal Dissent Brewing at Facebook Over Regime Complicity
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, February 15, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, February 15, 2025