Bonum Certa Men Certa

Almost Nobody Reporting What IBM is Doing to the Free Software Community

Video download link | md5sum 7fb515e7322d72b20a16ed1370af628f Not the Open Source Way Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0



Summary: The most disturbing aspect of what IBM does to the community (users of CentOS, volunteers in Fedora, readers of OpenSource.com etc.) is the lack of media coverage; IBM has captured a number of 'news' sites that mindlessly promote IBM (barely disclosing the sponsorship) and almost nobody questions IBM's motives

THIS year we did not write much about IBM, but over a week ago we noticed that last month's layoffs had an effect on OpenSource.com (Open Source Way) and other sites of Red Hat.



Knowing that the media barely covers or doesn't cover IBM layoffs (the layoffs are not reported until/unless they are very, very considerable), we decided to write about it and today we publish a video. That's not unlike Microsoft by the way. Microsoft must have fired 20,000-30,000 people this year alone (4.5 months) if one counts temps and contractors. Microsoft is collapsing but it is rigging/cheating the market, bribing the media, defrauding shareholders, and worse. Where's the media?

"Microsoft is collapsing but it is rigging/cheating the market, bribing the media, defrauding shareholders, and worse. Where's the media?"Generally speaking, the only community IBM understands is the "shareholders community".

Earlier today we wrote about Ben Cotton and his important role in Fedora, not just his past role in OpenSource.com. Why did IBM let him go? Why is OpenSource.com, among other sites, inactive? By now, we think, dozens of blogs or news site should have written something about this. The same is true for Linux.com, which back in 2019 became inactive. Where was the media back then? That just comes to show what sort of "media" is left... a lot of defectors (journalists-turned-marketers). SJVN too has become a stenographer of the Linux Foundation because that's where the money is.

"The video above speaks about the track record of IBM before ranting about the lack of media scrutiny."So we've ended up with 'news' sites that fail to investigate/report Microsoft layoffs, fail to condemn massive bank bailouts, and while Microsoft keeps attacking Linux nobody says a thing, except lies ("Microsoft loves Linux"). 20+ years ago when SCO filed the infamous lawsuit there was still media online. The same was true when Iraq was invaded. When important news goes under the radar society is worse off. When it comes to the EPO, we've become almost a sole voice. Why don't news sites explain what's going on there? A decade ago they used to actually cover scandals, but they suddenly stopped mentioning the EPO except when EPO management paid them to produce/reprint some piece.

When sites like OpenSource.com and Linux.com just die so quietly (no pushback) one has to wonder to what degree corporations' sheer power squashed the press and the Web. The video above speaks about the track record of IBM before ranting about the lack of media scrutiny.

Recent Techrights' Posts

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
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: Games and More
Links for the day
Links 01/04/2025: Apple Fined $162M for Privacy Abuses, Disinformation Online a Growing Concern
Links for the day
Why We're Reporting Brett Wilson LLP for Apparently Misusing Their Licence to Protect American Microsofters Who Attack Women
For those who have not been keeping abreast
Newer Press Reports Confirm That Microsoft Shuts Down 'Hey Hi' (AI) Labs Despite All the Hype
The "hey hi" (AI) bubble is not sustainable
Links 01/04/2025: Mass Layoffs at Eidos and "Microsoft Pulls Back on Data Centers" (Demand Lacking); "Racist and Sexist" Slop From Microsoft
Links for the day
Stefano Maffulli and His Microsoft-Funded OSI Staff Are Killing the OSI and Killing "Open Source" (All for Money!)
This is far from over
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: XKCDpunk and worldclock.py
Links for the day
50 Years of Sabotage and a Gut Punch to Computer Science (and Science in General)
Will we get back to science-based computing rather than cult-like following?
Techrights Headlines as Semaphore
"If you are hearing this, thank you"
3 Months in 2025, 4 Waves of Mass Layoffs at Microsoft, Now Offices Shut Down Permanently
"A recent visit by the South China Morning Post confirmed that the office was dark, unoccupied, and had its logo removed."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 31, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 31, 2025