Back in March 2013 Ted Samson of IDG (InfoWorld, bought by China and most staff laid off) wrote about Microsoft's Miguel de Icaza (he's officially back at Microsoft now) and his rejection of GNU/Linux. The Linux Foundation was asked to comment as if this longtime Microsoft mole was its responsibility. "Jim Zemlin, executive director at the Linux Foundation," it said, "took de Icaza's criticism in stride. "We agree with Miguel that Apple makes great products," he said in a statement to InfoWorld."

"Need we even mention that Jim Zemlin's wife worked for a close Microsoft partner for years (Gold Microsoft Partner)?"So a thing called "Linux Foundation" -- managed by an Apple fan and user (with hypePad and "Mac"-branded PC) -- says "Apple makes great products"; what sort of figurehead is that for Linux? The thing is, this person never really cared about GNU/Linux. When asked by Ken Starks about desktop GNU/Linux about a decade ago his answer was revealing. Nothing has changed except his growing affinity for Microsoft, especially after they started paying him. Globe-trotting on the "Linux" brand, without even using Linux...

Jim Zemlin's wife wrote publicly in LinkedIn: "Outside of business, I love skiing, running, experiencing a few new countries per year with my husband..."

Need we even mention that Jim Zemlin's wife worked for a close Microsoft partner for years (Gold Microsoft Partner)? We're not 'supposed' to know this. Based on the type of role, it's a 6-figure salary, maybe around $200,000/annum (it helps to have connections). The husband pays himself about $800,000/annum, so for a family of three that's an household income of a million bucks, without even using GNU/Linux or creating anything (riding coattails instead). Not quite like the "basement dweller" stigma they're willing to spread while firing all writers and editors at Linux.com. Then there's the question we raised this morning about Linux Journal.

"At some stage we must simply accept that Zemlin works for Linux Foundation but not for Linux."One reader told us this morning: "The Linux Journal is the kind of publication the Linux Foundation should have been backing, if it had been a trade organization for the promotion of Linux instead of a trade organization representing corporate interests inside Linux."

It doesn't seem like today's Linux Foundation serves or cares about Linux. It's like it's infiltrated and compromised.

Microsoft moles inside FOSS are nothing new. Moreover, they should be expected. Microsoft has used this strategy for decades against rivals. See Richard Belluzzo and others like de Icaza and Elop. 8 years ago we named some more examples. At some stage we must simply accept that Zemlin works for Linux Foundation but not for Linux. ⬆