Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft Inside — Part IV: Microsoft Everywhere, Looking to Poach Developers, Not Disclosing What It Really Wants

Not a new strategy

Master Skywalker Youngling: Microsoft loves Linux? 'Course we do



Summary: As it turns out, just about everyone looking to recruit for a Microsoft-connected project/company (working on Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu etc.) near Microsoft is 'former' Microsoft, but people who are being approached aren't being told so, at least not upfront; those are very familiar and old tactics, which merit a word of caution to all

THIS is the last part of this series (see the first part, second part, and third part for some background and context). It concerns what people from Microsoft, who really dislike GNU/Linux, are working on while trying to enlist people who actually do like Linux. It is reminiscent of what Microsoft did to rivals which were companies rather than a community (the latter is harder to squash as if it was a cockroach). The language of 'pest control' is used by Microsoft itself:



“Linux infestations are being uncovered in many of our large accounts as part of the escalation engagements.”

--Microsoft Confidential



In Part III we showed some correspondence between a bunch of Microsoft people and a prominent developer, whom we won't name. 2 days later the Microsoft contact said: "So, what’s the best number to reach you? Phone interviews are going on today. I’d like you to speak with the Hiring Mgr."

Guess who...

"The Hiring Mgr is Aubrey Edwards. Please look at his LinkedIn so you have an idea of who you’ll be chatting with..."

We do not grant you the rank of master: Linux sucks; Riiiiight.... We'll destroy Linux; Microsoft being Microsoft; Microsoft loves Linux; Who are you kidding?No response. Notice how pushy...

Same contact, but later that day: "Hi! Just trying to reach you as interviews are going on today. Hiring Mgr is avail 5pst or 6pst..."

The developer belatedly responded: "Hi. I do want to know more about the job but I was thinking about having to work with msft ppl... and I don't know. I may not be the best fit..."

Same developer later: "Here's the thing....if they want to customize Ubuntu...they need to either license or have different repos. So... it's a little challenging license wise..."

Then the contact gave away that he or she had already/also worked for Microsoft: "Haha! There are many fab ppl at Msft! It’s like most companies... some ppl rock and others are ... I’m an ex-Msft ee that left a long time ago. They were great to me tbh!"

Well, paid salaries. How "great"...

Sabotaging companies by breaking the law can be "great"... if all one cares about is money.

The contact persisted: "I’m not clear on the tech specifics. I’d think it would be worthwhile to chat with Aubrey. He can tell you a bit more about the team working on this particular project. Your choice! He’s open tonight and then prolly making a hiring decision since this project is an ASAP fill."

Who's Aubrey? Let's see...

Microsoft Lambastes Linux



The developer thus responded with "thanks... But I don't want anything to do with Aubrey."

It says "Microsoft posts a page denigrating the growing operating system. Critics call it business as usual."

Aubrey is even mentioned by name.

"Thanks anyways," said the developer. How many more such developer were targeted by this same group? Hard to tell...

Even the contact acted all surprised, stating: "Whoa! Interesting. Very interesting."

To summarise, what we have here is a bunch of 'former' Microsoft people (still working near Microsoft and also with Microsoft) using a person to contact GNU/Linux developers without disclosing the Microsoft connections. This contact too used to work for Microsoft and says "I’m an ex-Msft ee that left a long time ago. They were great to me tbh!"

Watch out. These people have plans. They still work for Microsoft, but they aren't saying so.

Recent Techrights' Posts

The FSF Board and FSF Beard
So the FSF's Board has grown
Law Firms Facing the Consequences for Patently Abusive Litigation on Behalf of Microsoft Employees Who Got Arrested for Strangulation and Had Done Even Worse Things
Having spent 1.5 years bullying me with patronising letters on behalf of Microsofters, last week they got served a massive bill and, in effect, lost the Hearing
LLMs Breaking Everything
Computing and the Net became a playground for scammers and "bros", like people who "invented" fake currencies and also try to tell us that LLMs spewing out things will have some real value
 
Links 22/06/2025: Windows TCO Tales and YouTube Getting More Hostile to Users
Links for the day
New Report From the EPO's Staff Representatives in The Hague (LSCTH) Reveals Many Unsolved Issues
Local Staff Committee The Hague (LSCTH) wrote to staff just before the weekend
Links 22/06/2025: More Slop Lawsuits (Copyrights) and "America’s Oligarch Problem"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 22/06/2025: Gigantic Toolchest and Annoying Bots
Links for the day
The Calling
Persist and persevere, justice will come your way
So Far Every BetaNews 'Article' is LLM Slop, So BetaNews is Officially Just a Slopfarm
They just don't seem to value what they have
IBM Rumour: Mass Layoffs (RAs) Lists Being Made for Consulting, With Effect in July 2025
Bogus companies with no viable products and no world-leading (in their field) staff are doomed to perish
Links 21/06/2025: Data Breach With 16 Billion Passwords, Dutch Government Recommends Children Under 15 Stay off TikTok and Instagram
Links for the day
Gemini Links 21/06/2025: Notes about Typst (and LaTeX) and Opos
Links for the day
Microsoft's Competition Tactics: Sabotage GNU/Linux Installs, Block Chrome
Edge is dying
1989: Free Software as "Open" Software (OSI Didn't Coin "Open Source", It Also Predates Linux)
"One man's fight for Free software"
The Microsoft OOXML Modus Operandi: Throw 1,000 Pages of Other People's Work for a Judge to Read Ahead of a One-Hour Meeting
No time to discuss this - that's the point
Formalities Officers (FOs) at the EPO Are in Trouble, Reveals Internal Report
We already know, based on an HR pattern we saw at IBM and elsewhere, that reallocating roles can be prerequisite for dismissal and those who do so expect many to resign anyway
The Web is Slop and FUD, Let's Go to Gemini Protocol
Lupa sees self-signed capsules at 92.4%
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, June 20, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, June 20, 2025
Links 21/06/2025: Phone Bans for Concerts, Tensions in Taiwan Strait
Links for the day
Gemini Links 21/06/2025: Spoilers, Public Yggdrasil Node, Changes to AuraGem Search
Links for the day
"Six years of Gemini!"
From gemini://geminiprotocol.net
Gemini Links 20/06/2025: Summer Updates and Hardware Failures
Links for the day
Links 20/06/2025: Google Shareholder Sues Google and Google Sued for Defamatory Slop ('Hey Hi') Word Salads ('Summaries')
Links for the day
Linux Journal Might Have Become the Latest Slopfarm Targeting "Linux", the Trends Are Concerning for Dying News Sites
They tarnish the Web with junk and then die
On "Learning to Code"
quality may suffer, plus things get bloated
Quick Points Regarding This Week's Court Hearing
it paves the way for us to squash all the SLAPPs from Microsofters
Common Mistake: Believing Social Control Media Will Document Your Writings/Thoughts and Search Engines Like Google Will Help You Find These
Many news sites wrongly assumed that posting directly to Twitter would be acceptable
The Manchester Bees and This Hot Summer
We have had a fantastic week so far this week
Gemini Protocol Enters Its Seventh Year, Growth Has Accelerated!
Maybe in June 20 2026 there will be over 3,500 active capsules?
Mastodon and the Fediverse Have an Issue: Liability for Content (Even in Other Instances) and Costs
self-hosting is the only logical path forward
Why Microsoft and Its 'Hey Hi' (Slop) Frenzy Fail While Sinking in Deep, Growing Debt
Right now, like Twitter around the time it was sold to MElon, "open" "hey hi" is a big pile of debt with a lot to pay for that debt (interest payments)
Europe is Leaving Microsoft, the Press Coverage Isn't Sufficiently Helpful
The news is generally positive, but the press coverage leaves so much to be desired
Slopwatch: Linuxsecurity, BetaNews, and Linux Journal
slippery slope
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, June 19, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, June 19, 2025
Gemini Links 20/06/2025: Gemini Protocol Turns 6!
Links for the day