Bonum Certa Men Certa

The State of Free Software

Third "E" in full swing yet?

Interesting, so Microsoft is integrating VSCode into GitHub. Press dot (.) on any GitHub repo while signed in to see. PS. Seems to have issues with service workers on Firefox

Summary: Microsoft is trying to leverage GitHub to plug developers -- in a sort of a 'shotgun wedding' -- into its proprietary toolsets that spy on both developers and users; the FSF needs to become vocal about it (recently it offered money for essays on such threats)

STATE it upfront: Free software does not have a state. It does not have a country or "territory" as such. It's not controlled by one single company; if you think that it is, then it's likely not Free software but just openwashing. Check carefully because "code available" isn't the same as freedom, no matter whose licence. With regards to its state as in status quo, at the moment it is under a vicious attack by Microsoft, notably through GitHub. What else do you think Microsoft paid for (to only operate at a loss)? Microsoft is still submitting petitions under the name "GitHub", intervening in court cases over software copyrights and APIs; moreover, Microsoft is trying to kill the GPL (or copyright-based copyleft) by making enforcement very hard (or pushing lots of people to violate copyright law inside code, then use "HEY HI" as an excuse... yes, that's what GitHub Copilot is for!).



We urge readers to politely caution all who still host code (or participate in GitHub in any way) to refrain from it. Moreover, GitHub is not a Web site hosting platform (someone needs to explain that to Libera)... nor a blogging platform; those who treat it as such say a lot about themselves. They're OK with proprietary software and Microsoft (where no such need ever arose; Free software does this job vastly better at no cost). Any momentum given to that Microsoft-owned platform is more surveillance (business intelligence) for Microsoft and more fire power to be harnessed by those who attack our movement. The anti-FSF petition was set up on there, the people who signed it had accounts there (Libera hosts both its site and code there), and it is generally getting worse and worse over time. It's a surveillance and censorship platform designed to steer developers away from freedom (autonomy/self governance) and towards more proprietary software, more Microsoft control, and more surveillance both for users and for developers. They already control far too much of our communications -- something that should never have happened.

If there's one very big threat to Free software, it's GitHub. Delete Github.

Recent Techrights' Posts

On Groupthink, Mindless 'Sheep', and Toxic Online Cults
This week, treat yourself to a life free of social control media
BetaNews is Run and Written by Bots That Make Clickbait
At least one author is doing this
Technology: rights or responsibilities? - Part VIII
By Dr. Andy Farnell
GNU/Linux Reaches All-Time High in Europe (at 6%)
many in Europe chose to explore something else, something freedom-respecting
 
Links 25/11/2024: Egypt Harasses Bloggers, The University of Michigan Has Become Like a Corporation
Links for the day
Links 25/11/2024: Climate News, Daniel Pocock Receives a Fake/Fraudulent €17,000 Electricity Bill
Links for the day
[Meme] Microsoft: Our "Hey Hi" Hype is Going So Well That We Have MASS Layoffs Every Month. Makes Sense?
Contradiction
Latest Mass Layoffs at Microsoft Are Confirmed, Bing and Vista 11 Losing Market Share
They tried to hide this. They misuse NDAs.
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, November 24, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, November 24, 2024
Gemini Links 25/11/2024: Purity and Cory Doctorow's Ulysses Pact, Smolnet Portal and SGI
Links for the day
Patents Against Energy Sources That Reduce Pollution
this EV space (not just charging) is a patent mine field and it has long been that way
DARPA’s Information Innovation Office, Howard Shrobe, Values Compartmentalisation But Loses the Opportunity to Promote GNU/Linux and BSDs
All in all, he misses an opportunity
Wayland is an Alternative to X
the alternative to X (as in Twitter) isn't social control media but something like IRC
BetaNews, Desperate for Clicks, is Pushing Donald Trump Spam Created by LLMs (Slop)
Big clap to Brian Fagioli for stuffing a "tech" site with Trump spam (not the first time he uses LLMs to do this)
[Meme] Social Control Media Bliss
"My tree is bigger than yours"
Links 24/11/2024: More IMF Bailouts and Net Client Freedom
Links for the day
Gemini Links 24/11/2024: Being a Student and Digital Downsizing
Links for the day
Techrights' Statement on Code of Censorship (CoC) and Kent Overstreet: This Was the Real Purpose of Censorship Agreements All Along
Bombing people is OK (if you sponsor the key organisations), opposing bombings is not (a CoC in a nutshell)
[Meme] The Most Liberal Company
"Insurrection? What insurrection?"
apple.com Traffic Down Over 7%, Says One Spyware Firm; Apple's Liabilities Increased Over 6% to $308,030,000,000
Apple is also about 120 billion dollars in debt
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, November 23, 2024
IRC logs for Saturday, November 23, 2024
[Meme] GAFAMfox
Mozilla Firefox in a state of extreme distress
Google Can Kill Mozilla Any Time It Wants
That gives Google far too much power over its rival... There are already many sites that refuse to work with Firefox or explicitly say Firefox isn't supported
Free (as in Freedom) Software Helps Tackle the Software Liability Issue, It Lets Users Exercise Greater Control Over Programs
Microsofters have been trying to ban or exclude Free software
In the US, Patent Laws Are Up for Sale
This problem is a lot bigger than just patents
ESET Finds Rootkits, Does Not Explain How They Get Installed, Media Says It Means "Previously Unknown Linux Backdoors" (Useful Distraction From CALEA and CALEA2)
FUD watch
Techdirt Loses Its Objectivity in Pursuit of Money
The more concerning aspects are coverage of GAFAM and Microsoft in particular
Links 23/11/2024: Press Sold to Vultures, New LLM Blunders
Links for the day
Links 23/11/2024: "Relationship with Oneself" and Yretek.com is Back
Links for the day
Links 23/11/2024: "Real World" Cracked and UK Online Safety Act is Law
Links for the day
Links 23/11/2024: Celebrating Proprietary Bluesky (False Choice, Same Issues) and Software Patents Squashed
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, November 22, 2024
IRC logs for Friday, November 22, 2024
Gemini Links 23/11/2024: 150 Day Streak in Duolingo and ICBMs
Links for the day