Bonum Certa Men Certa

Summits of Open Bear Traps: The Open Core Summit and Other 'Open' Events That Actually Attack Software Freedom

Openwashing Report part II

Weekly openwashing report



Summary: Conferences that call themselves "open" something are sometimes nothing but an attack on openness (not to mention freedom) and promotion of FUD about Free/Open Source software (FOSS); there's an ample set of examples to that effect

THIS weekend, just like this past week, there's much attention being paid to the same old scam which is "Open Core", fetishised by people who care about money a lot more than they care about freedom. Simon Phipps (OSI) commented about it some days ago; he's against it. It's because of some stupid summit set up by foes of Software Freedom.

"Who else was there? Microsoft and several of its proxies, companies that profit from attacking and slandering Open Source, e.g. Snyk and WhiteSource."One can typically tell the motivation of an event based on who chooses to sponsor (i.e. bankroll) it. The Open Core Summit is no exception; Remember Microsoft with its "Open Cloud" charade. Who was actually there? The chief of the Linux Foundation, who told the crowd that "Open Source loves Microsoft..."

Who else was there? Microsoft and several of its proxies, companies that profit from attacking and slandering Open Source, e.g. Snyk and WhiteSource. One can rest assured that FUD about "Open Source" will carry on as long as companies look to destroy (or hijack) it.

Days ago we caught this report. It exposes GitHub as a threat because it attracts dumb employees who use it to upload sensitive data. Did the media blame Microsoft? No, it never does. Notice how corporate media loves playing along with the Microsoft lie -- the intentional lie that GitHub is somehow separate from Microsoft. This is designed to entrap people and harm them. Same for Facebook with WhatsApp and Instagram. Or Google with YouTube...

"Notice how corporate media loves playing along with the Microsoft lie -- the intentional lie that GitHub is somehow separate from Microsoft."Citing BNNBloomberg, one reader told us about it yesterday. "Here's a fun one," the reader said, citing this report from David George-Cosh. "The Bank of Nova Scotia "inadvertently" uploaded sensitive login credentials to an open source repository..."

As the article put it: "The Bank of Nova Scotia is working to remove internal computer code reportedly containing sensitive login credentials for some online services that was inadvertently uploaded to an open-source repository." (of Microsoft)

Remember that Microsoft is currently being sued by Capital One over a similar incident. GitHub is reckless about what's hosted and served through it. Disclaiming liability is a classic pattern of Microsoft behaviour across a broad spectrum of its activities. Later on Microsoft says Open Source is a risk and a danger; whose fault is it though?

"That's just classic FUD; this is the sort of thing that fills up Microsoft-run 'open' events. It's all about attacking FOSS and making it look bad."Analytics India Magazine, a Microsoft-friendly site, has just published this piece of FUD. Citing an-anti FOSS firm which is Microsoft connected they try create the stigma that so-called 'technical debt' is a uniquely FOSS issue (like they do "security" and "licensing").

That's just classic FUD; this is the sort of thing that fills up Microsoft-run 'open' events. It's all about attacking FOSS and making it look bad.

There's another new corporate 'summit' with lots of openwashing; it's led by Alluxio.

Going back to the BNNBloomberg article, here's what it says: "The Register, a U.K.-based technology website, reported on Wednesday that a Canadian IT worker discovered the uploaded source code on Github, a website that hosts programming code that is freely available for other programmers to access.

"The code contained information related to the bank's backend systems as well as code related to Scotiabank’s mobile apps for its Central American and South American customers, the website said."

"Open Core is just proprietary software with openwashing-themed marketing."Whose fault is it? Or rather, if Microsoft serves this data, is it exempted from accountability?

Speaking of The Register, that same reader noted: "Now some crap about open core..."

We mentioned this in Daily Links. To quote: "Analysis On Thursday, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, companies building open-source code gathered to figure out how to survive having Amazon, Google, and Microsoft sell their software as a service without paying for the privilege.

"The confab has a name, the Open Core Summit, where "Open Core" refers to the marketing strategy of offering a core service for free and charging for complementary capabilities. Presumably, "Freemium Summit" didn't pass muster.

"The inaugural conference is focused on helping commercial open-source organizations develop viable business models. It's organized by OSS Capital, a venture-capital firm founded by entrepreneur Joseph Jacks and given street cred through the presence of board partner Bruce Perens, one of the pioneering figures in the open-source movement."

"So they sponsor turning FOSS into proprietary software. In 'the cloud'..."Open Core is just proprietary software with openwashing-themed marketing.

And "note the next paragraph links to the final Stallman interview," our reader said, quoting "whatever those [sic] may be..."

Here's the part in question, using words like "partisans": "Free Software partisans describe open source as a development methodology without the Free Software movement's moral and philosophical aspirations, whatever those may be. Distinctions aside, a common thread in the two intermingled communities continues to be figuring out how to get paid for code offered under a permissive license."

Fun quote from the article: "Open-source licenses like Apache 2.0 have no requirement to compensate those actually crafting such software."

Compensate? Seriously?

Here's the full context: "Several of the companies attending, such as Elastic, have become poster children for the peril of cloud-provider parasitism. Open-source licenses like Apache 2.0 have no requirement to compensate those actually crafting such software. So, mostly, the cloud giants that deploy services based on open-source projects don't bother to pay outsiders who improve and maintain the code."

"Those are not FOSS companies; they're proprietary software."And here's more: "If you ask nicely, these companies may sponsor your conference, as AWS has done for the Open Core Summit. At the same time, it's tempting to see a certain zero-sum symbolism in the conference's morning donut service, "brought to you by AWS," not to mention interstitial music cues like Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer and Imagine Dragons' Whatever It Takes."

So they sponsor turning FOSS into proprietary software. In 'the cloud'...

As the article notes, "in March, Amazon Web Services debuted its fork of the Elastic project, all the while insisting it's not a fork.

"During the lunch break, a co-founder of a prominent open-source project pointed to AWS's banner for its Open Distro for Elasticsearch as "a giant f– you" to the open-source companies in attendance."

The "article includes this note," the reader noted: "Editor's note: we are happy to clarify that Ben Golub described open-source software as a loss leader, and not Upbound CEO Bassam Tabbara as first reported."

"Proprietary software giants sponsoring "open" things is matter of tossing 'slush funds' to improve perceptions."Lightbend participates in this nasty conference that promotes proprietary software under the guise of 'open'. It even issued this press release to brag about it; these openwashing attacks on Free software's legitimacy (showing how the licence is 'worked around' in 'the cloud') is nothing to brag about. It should be a source of shame. But Lightbend keeps paying to spread this. Larry Augustin also sold us all out by joining Amazon AWS (his former employer SugarCRM has betrayed all customers by becoming proprietary software as well... whereupon the fork SuiteCRM came to their rescue). From the press release: "Brewer joins panelists Larry Augustin, VP Amazon Web Services (formerly CEO of SugarCRM) and Scott Collison, CEO Anaconda..."

Those are not FOSS companies; they're proprietary software.

Proprietary software giants sponsoring "open" things is matter of tossing 'slush funds' to improve perceptions. Mac Asay does this all the time at such companies (now Amazon/AWS).

"IBM wants to stay proprietary; it can leverage Red Hat to pretend otherwise. Microsoft does more or less the same thing."There's also this new press release [1, 2] entitled "Top five open source-powered solutions to mitigate the impact of natural disasters announced as finalists in Call for Code global coding challenge" ("Call for Code" is not the same as "Call for Open Source Code").

Just like AWS, "open source-powered" means "exploits FOSS but remains proprietary software itself" because it's not about freedom but leveraging freedom to deprive others.

The "Call for Code 2019 is focused on creating solutions to help mitigate the effects of natural disasters and help communities better prepare and respond to the needs of survivors..."

IBM is OK with it being proprietary; it is, after all, just a PR stunt for them. IBM wants to stay proprietary; it can leverage Red Hat to pretend otherwise. Microsoft does more or less the same thing.

Recent Techrights' Posts

IBM HR "Process is Similar to Raising Farm Animals"
IBM "silent layoffs" won't stop
Brett Wilson LLP Has Just Lost a Case of Its Biggest Client "IN THE COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION)"
Is Brett Wilson LLP proud of such clientele?
Gary Smith Says Brett Wilson LLP Engages in SLAPP Against Him Over LinkedIn Post, "This is the Streisand Effect in Real Time"
"Lawyers who front SLAPP‑style threats on behalf of powerful institutions are not “defending reputation”; they are abusing legal process to intimidate and silence legitimate public‑interest scrutiny."
 
Links 02/07/2026: China "Ethnic Unity" Law a Global Threat, "EU Imposes €3 Duty on Parcels From China"
Links for the day
Japan's Share of GNU/Linux Has More Than Doubled
GNU/Linux now sits around 3.5% compared to about 1% two years ago
'Largest Single Layoff Event In Gaming History' or 'Largest Single Layoff Event In Microsoft History'?
we need whistleblowers, not official or semi-official statements from Microsoft
Off-putting Terms or Behaviour That Keep Women Away From Areas of Technology (Not What IBM and GAFAM Tell Us)
the use of language
Microsoft Windows "Goes South" in South America, GNU/Linux Popularity Soaring
Brazil and its neighbours must have paid attention to what happened earlier this year in Venezuela
It's Not the Layoffs, It's the Debt
PIPs and/or "silent layoffs" are about the companies flouting obligations to staff, reducing or eliminating the compensation packages
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Cutting Ribbons in Sintra While the EPO Burns
Like the Roman Emperor Nero, Campinos fiddles in Sintra while the EPO burns
In Spain, GNU/Linux Now Measured at 5.5%
Microsoft and Windows are generally shrinking
North America: GNU/Linux Leaps to 8% "Market Share"
the trend is clear
statCounter: GNU/Linux Has Risen to All-Time High of 6% Worldwide (July 2026)
GNU/Linux has massive gains
Not Tolerating Death Threats
Death threads are a serious matter
Silent Layoffs, 'Happy' Layoffs, and 'Buyouts' (Pretending to Voluntarily Retire)
We've been seeing lots of that at IBM and Microsoft
SLAPP Censorship - Part 125 Out of 200: Litigants in Person (LIPs) Handling American Lawfare Funded by Third Parties (About a Million Pounds for 100 Kilograms of Legal Papers)
An appeal to the Court of Appeal can be justified at one point
Attacks on the Sites
These are clearly censorship attempts
Links 02/07/2026: Microsoft May be Shutting Down 5+ Studios, Slop Got Too Expensive, "RAMpocalypse" Discussed
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, July 01, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, July 01, 2026
Gemini Links 02/07/2026: Kondo, Theological Thought, and X4
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2026: Apple and Microsoft Price Hikes, Political Catchup
Links for the day
Parroting the Script of RAs and PIPs, "Buyouts" and Layoffs by Any Other Name
Over time people will find out just how many people "leave" IBM
Slop Gives No Real Edge, It's Just Falsely Marketed That Way (FOMO)
Plagiarism in some measurable form is always bad, irrespective of what we call it
The Microsoft-Owned Media Shows What Spin Microsoft Will Use Amid Mass Layoffs
Microsoft says goodbye to over 10,000 workers this month
The Media is Shooting Its Own Foot by Peddling Slop and Spam
Nobody wishes to read slop; as soon as people realise "the news" (or "news site") is LLM trash, they will walk away
Gemini Links 01/07/2026: Wild Flowers, Slop, and Waystone Tools
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2026: Bending Spoons Makes an 'Exit' ("Going Public"), US Supreme Court Rules on Many Issues
Links for the day
Misattributing Blame, the Core Issue is Slop
that issue has nothing to do with Bash
Microsoft: Layoffs Are an Investment
Sales of the console will take another plunge and debt will skyrocket
Links 01/07/2026: MElon (Elon Musk) "Confronted With List of People He Has Killed", Microsoft Ignores Union, Chooses "Bloodbath"
Links for the day
The Register MS: Paid-For SPAM Advocating Chinese Colonialism in Africa, Not Even a Disclosure (as Before)
Does The Register MS recognise what this piece is promoting and who for?
Techrights Never Defended Rapists
In the past, I and others got falsely accused of "defend[ing] a rapist"
"Regular Silent Layoffs and PIPs" at Microsoft, According to Microsoft Insider
Many people leave without a fuss, only a signed NDA
Gaming Companies Help Promote Rootkits ('Anticheat') and Help Microsoft Take Control of People's PCs
The industry in its current form acts a bit more like a cabal of power-hungry companies that actively try to back-door everything and smear people who oppose that
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) Turns 38 Next Month
IRC did well because over 300k users are on significant networks (simultaneous, also counting bots and cross-network overlaps)
opensourceforu.com is a Slopfarm, It's Not "Open Source" and It's Not "For U"
Slop "For U"
DRM and Ownership
We now even have PCs that "expire"
GNU/Linux Reaches 6% in North America
Tomorrow around 10AM we'll see what preliminary data they get for July
IBM Layoffs Still Happening in 2026, They're Just Not Being Reported
The demise of IBM accompanies the demise of the media
SLAPP Censorship - Part 124 Out of 200: The Court Deems My Wife Connected to the Case of the Serial Strangler From Microsoft, Invites Her to the Hearing Last Week
Brett Wilson LLP does not play by the rules
Paying Severance to Staff Laid Off by Microsoft Too Expensive for Microsoft Now?
When companies earn such a bad reputation (not paying severance to people they discard) it lowers morale even further
Microsoft Mass Layoffs Due to Money Problems (Debt, Lack of Money to Complete Payroll), Not "Hey Hi"
If Microsoft later comes up with some "Hey Hi" narrative, then immediately reject it
Stop Conflating Free Software With Slop Plagiarism and Time-wasting
Even decades ago people could use "compute" for lots of fuzzing, then file away false or unaudited reports using bots
What Security Means
Security does not mean asking Microsoft for permission
Microsoft May be Losing 10,000+ Workers This Month
Here's the quick math
BSN Senior School Leidschenveen is Shutting Down and What That Means to the European Patent Office (EPO)
Follow-up meeting with Site Manager VP1 on school matters
Gemini Links 01/07/2026: Keeping (Relatively) Cool plus Adventures in Solar, Camp Snap Cameras and XTEINK X4 Ereader Reviews
Links for the day
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Different Strokes For Different Folks
Organisation operating in two parallel universes
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
IRC logs for Tuesday, June 30, 2026
GNU/Linux Measured at 4.4% by statCounter, Even More by analytics.usa.gov
GNU/Linux has fared well
Getting Skyped: Closure of Studios Microsoft Bought
wait till July and the mass layoffs outside XBox
Several Waves of Red Hat Layoffs This Year, Is This Still Going on Under IBM?
The PIPs and NDAs hard to get a clear picture
Sabine Hossenfelder Versus IBM Scamming Shareholders
IBM has become a garage of BS
Some XBox Layoffs Underway, At Least Five Studios to be Shut Down
Insiders are in a state of panic
Gemini Links 30/06/2026: Music Theory, Addiction, Clown Computing
Links for the day
Links 30/06/2026: France Recorded 1,000 Excess Deaths During Heat Wave, Slop Replaced by Human Staff
Links for the day
WordPress Becoming What We Feared It Would Become
WordPress and other such bloatware (WordPress used to be fast and light) are moving in the same trajectory that GAFAM leads
People Given the Totally Wrong Idea That "Secure Boot" is About Security (It's the Opposite, It's About Handing Control Over to NSA/Microsoft)
"Secure Boot" with capital "B" is conflating compromise with security.
Today The Register MS is Publishing Fake Articles About "AI", 100% of All "Content"
Maybe the media is dying because it is selling its soul [...] The Register MS has no standard
America Has Cost Europe Too Much
Countries ought to be controlling all their own systems
GAFAM Debt Will Surge, in July We'll Know by How Much
Do not fall for slop or sloppy narratives
Call for European Patent Office (EPO) Whistleblowers
The European Patent Organisation (EPO) might not reform the Office
400-Page US Federal Court Against Abuses by Google, Microsoft and Front Groups That Abuse Volunteers for American Corporations
There are 386 pages in total (in the US claim)
Projection Tactics - Part IV: SLAPP by Americans Against Techrights (UK) to Hide Serious Abuses Against American Women
"PRs need to stop being complicit in suppression of information via SLAPPs"
Five Years Ago, After We Broke the Story About Richard Stallman Rejoining the FSF's Board, All Hell Broke Loose (for Me and My Family)
They generally seem to target anyone who thinks Richard Stallman (RMS) should be in charge or thinks alike about computing
Projection Tactics - Part II: Causing "Serious Harm" to Many People (Even Animals)
Narcissists and sociopaths are like that
Too Many "Marketers on the Payroll" at IBM, Selling Impossible Products That Cannot be Delivered or Will Never Deliver
IBM is rotting away
Media Says Microsoft's (XBox) Layoffs May be Record-Breaking
think somewhere in the range of ~5000 for gaming/XBox alone
Sirius Open Source's Latest Report: Fake (False) Number of Staff, Almost No Money in the Bank, Overdraft, and Growing Debt (About £100,000 More Borrowed)
massive (and still growing) debt
Links 30/06/2026: What's Wrong With EU Age Verification, RSA Keys with Many Zeros
Links for the day
This is Not a Security, This is a Circus
Security does not mean "asked Microsoft for permission"
Communities Need Strong Leadership, Not Dictators Like IBM
Leadership in Free software is not ownership [...] Fedora will only last as long as IBM can somehow make some money out of it or leverage it to attract sharecropping
Patents Are Not "Cash Cows"
People who deliberately don't understand patents (or believe lies about them) will fail to understand how the world works (or does not work)
Sad Lives of People Who Think Women Are Just Sexual Toys (All They Have is Money)
money is still a man-made concept and life is finite
SLAPP Censorship - Part 123 Out of 200: Why Violence Against Animals Matters
Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) we'll begin telling stories about what happened last week
EPO Staff Union's (SUEPO) The Hague Committee, With Help of Lawyer, Challenges Lack of Rewards for Hard Work
The EPO is not about granting valid patents anymore. The horse-trading corrupt officials just see the EPO as some thing that "prints money"
Massive EPO Demonstration Today
It'll start in about 6 hours
More Layoffs in Microsoft's PR Department, Even Ahead of 'D-Day'
Notice they are not even waiting for the official date (nor week)
European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Photo-Ops Galore and Suspicions of Influence-Peddling
coverage of the EPO's Croatian junket
Gemini Links 30/06/2026: Music and Broken Hearts
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 29, 2026
IRC logs for Monday, June 29, 2026