Bonum Certa Men Certa

Openwashing Report: Microsoft Controlling Linux Means That Open Source Wins, Apparently

"Open Source Wins," declares one headline when "Open source champion Microsoft" (another headline) imposes its specifications on Linux!

Weekly openwashing report



Summary: The Linux Foundation is out of control; it's revealing that it's little more than a propaganda operation of proprietary software giants (something it certainly wasn't at inception back in 2007) and the Foundation's links to media sites amplify this propaganda

TRUTH no longer matters. Apparently. There's "no money" in truth as opposed to distortion thereof.



We were sadly reminded of this a few days ago when we saw this lengthy new article entitled "History of Microsoft: Timeline and Facts" (wow! Facts! Sounds promising!).

Obviously, as one might expect, it's a bundle of Microsoft lies. This perhaps is the publisher's business model (revisionism as a service). You know you’re lied to when Microsoft, in 1994, is called “little company”. It wasn't an underdog back then and it isn't an underdog now. The Street is just doing a bunch of Microsoft revisionism, which we'd rather not quote without a detailed rebuttal (this can take a long time when the lies are long). We want to remind readers that Microsoft in 2019 still commits a lot of serious crimes. The company depends on that. Microsoft has, since its genesis, depended on breaking laws. If there's animosity, distrust and even hostility towards Microsoft, it's very much deserved; Microsoft earned that. Its very own actions are to blame.

We are saddened (but won't regret) to say that the Linux Foundation (LF) is now in the business of reputation laundering/whitewashing of businesses that break the law. It happens almost every day. We'll give an example that is only hours old.

"If there's animosity, distrust and even hostility towards Microsoft, it's very much deserved; Microsoft earned that.""How VMware is becoming a good open source citizen" is an actual headline published yesterday afternoon. It's VMware-sponsored crap, but this time it comes from an LF associate, Swapnil, who received LF money for this propaganda (for a serial GPL violator). We don't find this amusing. Something called LF (where the "L" stands for Linux) is the culprit, not some corruptible media like The Street. There's more of the same, just far too shallow...

What this whole thing boils down to is VMware PR. Hohndel again does revisionism for his employer, aided by (and sponsored by) the Linux Foundation... those associates help relay the Big Lie. The Linux Foundation is an unstoppable propaganda machine that defends GPL violators and attacks GPL enforcers. Why? Because it receives bribes from GPL violators. That's how corrupt that foundation is. A foundation of lies.

The headline of the next piece too is a lie: "VMware Didn’t Violate The GNU/GPL License" (yes, that's an actual headline, which is not even supported by the body).

The piece is about mere belief by a new hire of the company (about something that happened before the hiring). The Linux Foundation's team, or Team Zemlin or whatever, became so obsessed with money that it's willing to intentionally lie for large corporations. Club Linux Foundation is a propaganda operation; an "Infringers' Club" is what Bruce Perens called it.

"Club Linux Foundation is a propaganda operation; an "Infringers' Club" is what Bruce Perens called it."This isn't just about VMware. Swapnil has just eagerly pushed Microsoft proprietary software 'ads' into the site called LINUX.COM, which the LF lets him edit all on his own. This is the LF in 2019: SQL Server promotion.

If we said a decade ago that this would happen...? People would probably laugh at us. So the LF defends GPL violations, proprietary software etc. Not a word about software patents or anything like that...

Who (or what) is this Foundation useful to?

"So the LF defends GPL violations, proprietary software etc. Not a word about software patents or anything like that..."The Linux Foundation in 2019 is the "environmentalist" who tells greens that they're 'too harsh' on oil companies (while taking fossil fuel money) or the "atheist" who says to atheists that they're extremists and that agnostics aren't...

A former Microsoft employee, Jake Hamby, told me this about the Linux Foundation a few hours ago: "Yes, but who else is going to fund them? Of course they're propaganda for Microsoft and friends: those are the guys with the money who need their reputations laundered. Everyone else just uses GNU/Linux for free and doesn't pay anyone or think about it."

So the Linux Foundation is little but a service for "guys with the money who need their reputations laundered..."

Sounds about right. That's Hohndel's job at VMware.

And let's not go into the fact that Hohndel's previous employer had put NSA back doors in every chip and committed loads of crimes while he was openwashing them. The money ('business') is in lying, in whitewashing. Facts don't 'pay the bills'...

Speaking of bills, the latest twist in the Foundation's nonsense? Accusing me of being paid to attack them. Evidence? Nothing. Because it's false. OK, so defaming their critics is the last resort.

"And let's not go into the fact that Hohndel's previous employer had put NSA back doors in every chip and committed loads of crimes while he was openwashing them."Now they try to insinuate -- falsely and without evidence -- that I'm paid to criticise them.

Amazing!

But wait, it gets worse!

A certain ill-minded Foundation staffer/associate has compared me about 6 times to Donald Trump (whom I object to) with no factual basis. Why? Because he has no argument with which to justify their Microsoft lies...

I don't even respond to him, but he seems to be bombarding me with tweets (maybe 8 in a row now; I don't even reply).

The Code of Conduct (CoC) at the Linux Foundation is worthless. Their staff is calling me "fucking idiot" (3 times this week) and I didn't curse or anything remotely like that. Six times or so I've been compared to Trump. Six times. That's how many times these people ('Linux' Foundation) compared me to Donald Trump.

I can take an insult or two (or three, like "fucking idiot", thrice), but comparing me to Trump is basically comparing me to a criminal.

See the logic?

"A certain ill-minded Foundation staffer/associate has compared me about 6 times to Donald Trump (whom I object to) with no factual basis."People who expose the LF's bad behaviour are now the "liars" and the "criminals"; welcome to the LF Logic. Is there a group called "LF Logic" (yet)?

This very much echoes the rhetoric of Microsoft as a company. It pretends to stand for "ethics" while it does illegal things (like unlawfully banning and imprisoning people).

As for VMware?

If VMware still chooses to weakly deny GPL violations, then it's choosing to bribe people to spread lies instead of apologising and seeking to correct what was done. That would only make VMware more of a villain and stain anyone who spreads the lies. Swapnil is just angry because he agrees to spread lies and he doesn't like the consequences of these lies. So now he's flinging insults at me all day long.

As an aside, I guess that to LF folks anyone whom they don't agree with is "Trump" (even Trump opposers).

I also got called "fucking idiot" thrice. CoC anyone? Turns out the Linux Foundation is nowhere as polite as it claims it wants others (e.g. actual Linux developers) to be. Try to concentrate on promoting Linux, dear Linux Foundation, instead of insulting actual Linux advocates, OK? You spend too much energy promoting Microsoft, GitHub etc.

"I also got called "fucking idiot" thrice. CoC anyone? Turns out the Linux Foundation is nowhere as polite as it claims it wants others (e.g. actual Linux developers) to be."It's time to rename perhaps. It's time to recognise that the LF isn't at all dedicated to Linux (its staff certainly isn't!).

"Dear Linux Foundation," I sarcastically wrote yesterday. "Let me tell you about this thing called "WINDOWS"

"Did you hear about it?

"WIN-DOWS.

"It's an operating system

"Microsoft makes it

"Microsoft bribes people to use it

"It competes against Linux."

Linux Foundation staff uses Windows. These people tell us that we're "winning" because Microsoft gave us some patented code, such as exFAT. Fossbytes, in last week's article, went even further. It thinks Microsoft imposing a trap on Linux is "Open Source Wins" (that's right there in their headline).

"Microsoft which has recently become a big Linux fanboy," says Fossbytes in the opening part of the article. Maybe the next sentence will say Trump loves black people because he 'hollers' at Kanye West.

What on Earth? Who writes such nonsense?

"As an aside, I guess that to LF folks anyone whom they don't agree with is "Trump" (even Trump opposers)."Here's another new example: "Microsoft is bringing its exFAT patents to Linux and open source"

Words like "bringing its exFAT patents to Linux" show that TechRadar's authors understand neither patent law nor Linux. The headline alone makes no sense at all. What lunacy. What nonsense.

Here's what happens when your sole "Source" for an article about Linux is... Microsoft, which considers Linux to be something to wage "Jihad" against (Bill Gates' word). They ended up adding the cocky "Microsoft loves Linux" image to the article!

Thom Holwerda (OS News) said: "Microsoft ♥ Linux – we say that a lot, and we mean it!"

He repeats a lie and means it. Great. Reminds me why I boycotted all his articles and blocked them at mail client (Thunderbird) level 10+ years ago.

This is PR at work. A lot of these people know they're lying, but they do so anyway. It's like reverse writ of libel (saying something positive which they know to be untrue).

"This is PR at work. A lot of these people know they're lying, but they do so anyway. It's like reverse writ of libel (saying something positive which they know to be untrue).""Open source champion Microsoft," says the headline of Brian Fagioli (who calls GNU/Linux users, collectively, "cheapskates").

The company that attacks Open Source the mostatent aspec is "Open source champion"... right? Like Ken Livingstone calling Hitler "Zionist" (a real scandal at the time).

Other tabloids did more of the same after the exFAT news, which we covered in [1, 2]. Patent aspects were mentioned as far back as July.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Traf-O-Data, the Company That Jeffrey Epstein's BFF (Bill Gates) (Co)Founded 53 Years and Went Out of Business Due to Heavy Losses
Who will die first, Bill or Microsoft?
A Note on SimilarWeb
Or why SimilarWeb is meaningless for more than 99% of the sites on the Web
IBM Said to be Shutting Down Offices or Sites in the United States
the press can no longer avoid admitting that IBM moves many jobs to India
LLM Slop as Attack Vector on the Reputation of Linux
The attacks on Linux have escalated to information warfare
 
Links 04/04/2025: LLM Slop Bubble Bursting and Korea Music Copyright Association Bans Slop 'Music'
Links for the day
Why Microsoft's Shares Sank Almost 20% in Recent Months (the Bubble is Imploding)
verified press reports from the past 24 hours
GNU/Linux Rises to Almost 5% in Algeria While Windows Sinks to All-Time Low
GNU/Linux grew tenfold
Where to Get More Gags
A valued reader recommended that to us
Links 04/04/2025: Tech Stock (Inc. GAFAM) Fall, Google Pretends to Do End-to-End Encrypted Emails (With Google in Control)
Links for the day
To Participate in Fedora Diversity You Must Use Proprietary Software
Not for the first time either
Yandex About to Be Three Times Bigger Than Microsoft (Bing) in Asia
That's about 60% of the world's population
Gemini Links 04/04/2025: Decoupling Updates, Elaho as Gemini Client
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, April 03, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, April 03, 2025
Microsoft's Trouble in Africa and Asia
A new all-time high for GNU/Linux
Brett Wilson LLP Reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
The saddest thing in all this is that law firms can maintain high standards shall they wish to
Links 03/04/2025: Tariff Pains and C.D.C. Cuts
Links for the day
StatCounter: Microsoft is Masking a Disaster, It's Way Behind DeepSeek Already and Interest in LLMs Has Waned
it turns out the money "raised" for "Open" "AI" may not even exist at all
Links 03/04/2025: SoftBank Money for Microsoft "Open" "AI" Probably Doesn't Even Exist, Wikimedia Foundation Blasts LLM Nuisance While Microsoft Admits Demand Has Shrunk
Links for the day
Gemini Links 03/04/2025: Patch Panel and Pictures
Links for the day
Islamic Republic of Iran: GNU/Linux at All-time High This Month, Windows Falls to 12%
Vista 10 is up this month despite being "end of life" (EoL) soon
Indonesia: All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux
What's noteworthy right now is the growth of GNU/Linux
statCounter Says GNU/Linux Usage is Up Again (Internationally)
some preliminary April data
Only on April 1st Can the Free Software Foundation Associate With Microsoft's Open Source Initiative (OSI)
We saw some pranks that day linking the FSF to Microsoft (e.g. "endorsing" Windows)
Confirmed in the Mainstream Media: A Lot of Microsoft "Workloads" Were Just LLM Slop (Helping to Fake Growth for Years, as Microsoft Had Paid "Open" "AI" to Become a "Client") and Demand is Rapidly Waning, Datacentres Canceled and/or Shut Down
Anything to facilitate further accounting fraud
Taiwan's Media Covers Closure of Microsoft's "AI" Lab, It's Time to Talk About the Gradual Death of Windows and Implosion of the "AI" Bubble
Earlier this week we showed that mostly Asian media had the 'nerve' to mention Microsoft silently shutting down its 'AI' lab
IBM Gets Rid of Kelly Chambliss as Mass Layoffs Reported in IBM Consulting, IBM Loses Key Contracts/Graft
IBM Consulting has been in disarray lately
More Gains for GNU/Linux, Based on Web Surveys
the Steam site shows rapid growth for "Linux" this month
Slopwatch: Anti-Linux Articles, Not Even Written by Humans
Why aren't Web sites more vocal about this problem?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 02, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Links 03/04/2025: Apple Fined Over Secret Surveillance, "Elegant Writer For A More Civilized Age"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: Books and Cold Tea
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: More Layoffs, Nokia Again Takes Advantage of Illegal and Unconstitutional Patent Court With Nokia Staff as 'Judges'
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: Seizures and Returns to Windows of 24 Years Ago
Links for the day
LLM Slop Helps Obscure and Distort News About Layoffs (IBM, GAFAM)
It's hard to find accurate information
Links 02/04/2025: Microsoft Developers Are Threatening to Go on Strike, World Backup Day Noted
Links for the day
Gemini Protocol Has Growing Appeal (the Web Got Too Bloated and Full of LLM Slop)
For any "data plan" with bandwidth limits or "tiers" it would be cheaper to use/browse Geminispace
The Web Can Survive LLM Slop, But Only If We Collectively Shun and Discourage Serial Sloppers
Doing nothing ought not be a possibility
Amid Secret Shut-downs and Mass Layoffs at Microsoft (4 Waves of Layoffs in 3 Months of 2025) Some Microsoft Staff Expected to Go On Strike
workers going on strike
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: No more on Mastodon and Gemini Mention Script in Go
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 01, 2025
My Motion Disbarring or “Striking Off” Brett Wilson LLP for Enabling Violent Americans Who Try to Crush Microsoft Critics in the United Kingdom by Multiple SLAPPs
"Guns for hire" (for Microsoft people who received Microsoft salaries)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hijacked Again by Patent Litigation Industry, as President Cheeto Prioritises Aggressors
The "mafia" has taken over the "industry" and the Federal system (justice and constitutions trampled upon)
Ubuntu Slop and FUD Manufactured With LLMs and Funded (by Oneself) 'Studies'
Slop and FUD are ruining the Web