Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft Uses the Word “Linux” to Promote Privacy-Infringing Proprietary Software and Spread FUD

Promises to give malicious software to GNU/Linux are just a PR stunt and opportunism

Linux malware: is it so hard to get it right?
Reference: "Linux malware: is it so hard to get it right?" (article by Sam Varghese about typical and routine misinformation from Catalin Cimpanu, whom ZDNet hired to attack Linux in intellectually-dishonest ways)



Summary: The discussion about "Linux" is being saturated if not replaced by misinformation and marketing of Linux's competition -- owing largely to googlebombing tactics that the Linux Foundation participates in rather than tackle

THE word or the name "Linux" is losing its value; it gets associated with the very competition of Linux (what's inherently antithetical to it) and with lots of negative things, such as "ransom". This is all very much deliberate; internal Microsoft documents reveal this to be part of the company's strategy -- a fact that does not seem to bother the Linux Foundation, guardian of the trademark "Linux" (nowadays the brand is already being hijacked by a drag queen singer, but that's another issue and we don't want to add links*).



"Their writer whom they hired from Bleeping Computer (which was already a notorious site at the time because of intentional FUD) calls unrelated-to-Linux issues "Linux" and spreads such FUD regularly."There might be enforcement, but we're not seeing evidence of it.

Security FUD Every Day



On the issue of security (negative press) we wrote as recently as yesterday. ZDNet plays a considerable role in this; it's owned by CBS, which is paid by Microsoft. Their writer whom they hired from Bleeping Computer (which was already a notorious site at the time because of intentional FUD) calls unrelated-to-Linux issues "Linux" and spreads such FUD regularly. Unskilled writers copy that troll from ZDNet (last night we saw "New ransomware strain appears to target Linux web servers" -- the fourth such article that parrots ZDNet; here's another with "Linux" in the headline). There was a similar article about Exim a few days ago. This started at the anti-FOSS propaganda site ZDNet and our latest Daily Links include this. It "repeats the FUD headline from ZDNet's Bleeping Computer hire," as we noted last night, but "no server is known to have been compromised by this yet. They dramatise this."

"...ZDNet constantly bombards "Linux" with all this negative publicity and then spreads that elsewhere; even if Linux itself isn't at fault (sometimes it's down to weak passwords or some piece of software that can run on top of GNU/Linux, just like Photoshop can run on Windows)."Does the Foundation have no plan to rebut these things? First of all, Exim doesn't run on GNU/Linux or "Linux" per se; it runs on lots of environments and it is not part of "Linux" (or even GNU). But ZDNet constantly bombards "Linux" with all this negative publicity and then spreads that elsewhere; even if Linux itself isn't at fault (sometimes it's down to weak passwords or some piece of software that can run on top of GNU/Linux, just like Photoshop can run on Windows).

Linux is Microsoft



Yesterday afternoon we saw a Microsoft propaganda (PR) site Windows Central publishing this article: "It's official: Microsoft Teams is coming to Linux"

"Does the Foundation have no plan to rebut these things?"Well, "is coming to Linux" is not even "has come to Linux" (that will be another googlebombing opportunity, some time in the future).

As a side note, we saw almost identical reports back in summer. So it's not even news!

This is what currently dominates news feeds about "Linux" -- starting with a site called Windows Central about NSA surveillance and proprietary software from Microsoft. It's about mere intent. That's all. That's also just what GNU/Linux users get away from. It's a deterrent; it's off-putting.

Calling oneself "open" for porting proprietary software with Microsoft surveillance to another platform is laughable.

That's merely spreading non-open things, which makes them worse.

Phoronix wrote moments later: "Microsoft Teams Is Coming To Linux"

"Calling oneself "open" for porting proprietary software with Microsoft surveillance to another platform is laughable."As if this is what GNU/Linux users actually wanted or needed...

Then joined Softpedia News (Marius Nestor) and Microsoft (Mary Jo Foley) at ZDNet, Microsoft's longtime propaganda mill (there are payments involved) along with other Microsoft-connected sites.

Once again you search for "Linux" news and all you get is proprietary software with Microsoft surveillance in the results.

Linux Foundation Part of the Problem



"With Microsoft spamming about "Linux" maybe there is a matter of trademark dilution or similar risks," one person told us. Other people do notice.

"What is the Linux Foundation good for if it won't even bother with the most basic trademark protections?""You've pointed out something similar for Open Source," the person continued, "even though it is not a trademark. IIRC Bruce Perens tried but was denied, which can work to everyone's advantage when making bids for government contracts."

In the case of Open Source we call that "openwashing" and at times we've also spoken of "Linuxwashing" (falsely associating oneself with Linux).

"Back to Linux," the person concluded, "could/would/should Linus drop the LF [Linux Foundation] and take his code and his trademarks elsewhere? He wouldn't do it himself, but if someone at the top did the leg work, I expect he might consider it."

What is the Linux Foundation good for if it won't even bother with the most basic trademark protections? Additionally, look what it did to Linux.com (after firing all the staff back in April). It sometimes feels like it's more about Microsoft and proprietary software than about Linux. ____ * In recent months and as recently as days ago articles showed up in the news about a singer who goes by the name "Linux" (and promotes self by "Linux"). That has nothing at all to do with Linux, the kernel, and this likely merits trademark enforcement.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Michael “Monty” Widenius: It Started in 1983 With Richard Stallman (RMS)
The other co-founder of MySQL is a bit notorious for confronting RMS rather viciously
For the Second Time in a Few Weeks Microsoft Lunduke Makes False Accusations Against Senior Red Hat Staff to Incite a Despicable 'Troll Army'
Nothing that Microsoft Lunduke claims of says can be trusted
su lisa && rm -rf /home/ibm/power
Novell was ruined by another person from IBM, Ronald Hovsepian
A Record Demand at Microsoft: Demand to Cancel
What we're witnessing is a very ungraceful destruction of XBox
Richard Stallman is Going to Finland to Give a Talk Next Thursday
A day later he speaks in Sweden
 
Links 02/10/2025: 'Open' 'AI' Resorting to Gimmicks and Fake Funding, Europe’s ‘Drone Wall’ Discussed
Links for the day
Links 02/10/2025: Brave Passes 100M Users Milestone, Kodak Selling Its Own Film Again
Links for the day
Microsoft is Losing Europe
Hence all the "support" and "discount" offers that are limited to Europe
The Free Software Foundation Starts Fund-raising for 40th Anniversary
New pop-up 2-3 days ahead of the 40th anniversary event
Systemd Breaks Networking in Debian and Microsoft Staff Rushes to Make Face-Saving Excuses in LWN
Microsoft's bluca is already there in the comments, his Microsoft money pays for LWN to let him leave comments early
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, October 01, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, October 01, 2025
What the End of XBox Will Look Like: a Fiery Crash
XBox is the next Skype. It won't last much longer. Expect many more layoffs.
Gemini Links 02/10/2025: SMTP Pipelining and End of ROOPHLOCH 2025
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Plagiarism, Fake Articles, and FUD About Linux
not a day goes by without Google News feeding FUD from slopfarms
Gemini Links 01/10/2025: Chat Control and End of Life
Links for the day
Links 01/10/2025: Long Covid Risk Reiterated, "Bitcoin Queen" Caught
Links for the day
Links 01/10/2025: EA $55 Billion Deal is Debt and Slop "Raises Vishing Risks"
Links for the day
Bluewashing at Red Hat Means Redundancies
The man who sold Red Hat to IBM meanwhile became a Microsoft Mono booster
After Killing OpenSource.com, IBM ('Red Hat') and OSI Told Us OpenSource.net Would Replace It (But That Didn't Happen)
Now it's time to move on, perhaps tarnishing the "Open Source" label some more (for whatever sponsor wants this)
Linux is Not a Community Project, It's a Wall Street Product
The core goal should be freedom
Bad Actors Abusing the Free Software Community, Vandalising It Using Rogue Politics and Old Tactics
Oil giants have long attempted to do this; now, the digital equivalent of Big Oil does this in technology
Social Control Media Isn't the Future, The Federation or Fediverse Isn't Growing, People's Accounts Vanish for Good
users' accounts will get deleted, not just become inactive
IBM is Failing, This Helps Show Wall Street is Entirely Detached From Actual Commercial Performance
IBM is unable to grow, it's just constantly shrinking
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Clerical Aspects of Publishing and Development
In Free software, the management aspects are considerably reduced
Slopwatch: Fake Articles and Google News Promoting "Linux" Spam or Bot-Generated Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD)
These slopfarms help misplace blame
Third Wave of Microsoft Layoffs in September, This Time Many in Liverpool Affected
Be ready for more waves of layoffs ahead of the so-called "results" in late October
Gemini Links 30/09/2025: Motorcycling in Central Oregon, Protocol Styles and the Flag of Sark
Links for the day
Links 30/09/2025: Death Sentences, Internet Censorship, and Internet Shutdowns
Links for the day
Gemini Links 30/09/2025: Social Control Media and ROOPHLOCH
Links for the day
Richard Stallman About to Give More Talks in Europe, Some Confirmed Already
In Göteborg
Links 30/09/2025: CERN in "Have I Been Pwned" and More Windows TCO Blunders
Links for the day
Microsoft Canonical is Selling Mass Surveillance and Back Doors as "Security for Ubuntu"
If you are looking for a GNU/Linux distro to use, just remember that Microsoft has Ubuntu in the bag
Justice for Wildlife
animals cannot speak to humans who hate animals
Cowboys Gonna Be Cowboys (on the Internet, They're Not a New Problem)
Boys will be boys
Cowboys of the "Left" and Cowboys of the "Right"
Don't believe the lie that this is some "leftist" thing
When Codes of Conduct Serve to Protect Criminals From Much-Deserved Scrutiny
CoCs are typically unfit for purpose because enforcement lacks context and suitable understanding of the full background (the "full story")
It Took the Open Source Initiative (OSI) 4+ Years to Address the 'Data Breach' or Data Protection Violation Reported to the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) in March 2025
We may never know the dialogue or its nature
Even Microsoft's Biggest Boosters (and Media Operatives) Are Turning Against Microsoft
Expect many more layoffs before the fake "results" next month
GNU Was Right 42+ Years Ago
Since then the abusive, user-hostile technology has spread like mushrooms
Old Isn't Always Inadequate
How many gadgets manufactured today (in 2025) will still work in 2075?
The Monkey Business of Rust People
Compatibility won't matter
Almost Half of the FSFE's Money (the Fake 'FSF', Misusing the Brand) Comes From Vodafone
That money always comes with strings, even if they're invisible to most of us
Microsoft Lunduke Spreads Deliberate Lies to Incite Online Mobs
Has he lost his reading comprehension skills?
Our 19th Birthday (in Just Over 5 Weeks From Now)
We meanwhile have ongoing, solid plans to cover patent-related issues when the FSF turns 40
British GNU/Linux Distro FydeOS Tops DistroWatch
That seems like a decent site and decent effort to keep an eye on
We'll Soon Have 75,000 GemText Pages
avoid many perils of today's Web
Google Used Free Software to Build a Monopoly. Now Google Kicks Free Software to the Curb
The "G" in "Google" does not stand for GNU. It never did. It's just another greedy company.
Gemini Links 30/09/2025: Retro Hardware, Federated Fragmentation, and Nex Server Written in C
Links for the day
4 More Days Till "4 decades, 4 freedoms, 4 all users"
We are now just 4 days away from the rare anniversary
Two Months After Merging to Hide GitHub Losses Microsoft is Doing It Again (This Time Windows)
Merging those two together is not a sign of strength but a tightening of budget
Speculations About the Next Large Wave of IBM/Red Hat Layoffs
the mass layoffs are likely to happen on week 3 or 4 in October
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 29, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, September 29, 2025