10.19.09

IRC: #boycottnovell @ FreeNode: October 19th, 2009

Posted in IRC Logs at 10:20 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Read the log

Enter the IRC channel now

To use your own IRC client, join channel #boycottnovell in FreeNode.

Permalink Comments off      Send this to a friend

Links 19/10/2009: Uruguay’s GNU/Linux Deployment, Monty Wants Independent MySQL

Posted in News Roundup at 10:15 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Digital Tipping Point: Clip of the Day

Internet Video Celebrity Caitlin Hill 24 (2007)

Digital Tipping Point is a Free software-like project where the raw videos are code. You can assist by participating.

Permalink Comments off      Send this to a friend

The Microsoft ‘Mouthpiece Theatre’ Starts the Vista 7 Marketing Blitz

Posted in Deception, GNU/Linux, Marketing, Microsoft, Vista, Vista 7, Windows at 1:17 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Microsoft marketing goes totally shameless and the press utterly promiscuous a week before the extravagant release

THIS post looks at the latest examples of Microsoft’s marketing for Vista 7 and the reality behind it.

As most people are probably aware, since Microsoft has ensured this did not escape the attention of a single publication, Vista 7 officially comes out at the end of the week in order to divert attention away from Microsoft's poor results. ThisIsLondon says that “Microsoft stakes all on new Windows.”

Microsoft is releasing a new version of its Windows software that experts say could be make or break for the computer giant.

Jacqueline Emigh from IDG/BetaNews/Linux.com speaks about “the proverbial hype machine”:

With the countdown now on for the official shipment of Windows 7 next Thursday, Microsoft and friends have been cranking up the proverbial hype machine, but not without a few clinks and clanks along the way.

The hype machine actually kicked into gear quite a while ago. See for example:

• Cringely Argues Vista 7 Promotion Includes “Bribes”, Hype Balloons Nonetheless
• Microsoft Offers Gentle Bribes to People Who Mention Vista 7 in Twitter
• Microsoft Cheats and Bribes Again to Distort the Reality Regarding Vista 7

In the past week’s news (we use Google News for this), we have found 6 strings of headlines about “Vista”, most of which (4 out of 6) are just implicit adverts for Vista 7, namely articles that say everything will change when Vista 7 is released to replace Vista. These same talking points are easy to spot in the mainstream (and printed) press. Here are just two new examples and another which contains lots of quotes from Steve Ballmer and from Microsoft analysts.

“With Vista it was almost like they had a justifiable reason not to upgrade,” says Michael Cherry, an analyst at independent research firm Directions on Microsoft.

An “independent research firm” called “Directions on Microsoft” is unlikely to be very independent when asked about Microsoft. It gets worse though. The same talking points are coming from AFP and the familiar Microsoft hires, such as President, Founder, Head, and “Principal analyst” (or whatever he chooses to call himself today) of the Enderle ‘Group’ (a one-man operation). We have done a lot to show just how closely connected to Microsoft Mr. "amazing numbers" really is. AFP ignores all this and lets him almost ghostwrite the article. Here are some portions:

“It’s a big deal for Microsoft,” analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley said of the Windows 7 launch. “Windows Vista was a train wreck.”

[...]

“Microsoft is still a packaged software company,” Enderle said. “If people don’t buy their updated packages, they feel it.”

[...]

“The fact that Microsoft is trying new things is actually pretty unique,” Enderle said. “They are going to try to show that Microsoft and innovative marketing is not an oxymoron.”

Is this coverage of Vista 7 all about Enderle? Not really. They also talk to Parri Munsell, director of consumer product management for the Windows client group. They also speak to Matt Rosoff of Directions On Microsoft, “a private firm focused on tracking the software firm.” It’s the same as above (Michael Cherry). What did they expect? That a consultancy/analysts group so focused on Microsoft will say something negative about the company on which it depends? This is not journalism, it’s marketing. The reporter is to blame for approaching people from just one side of the story.

Here is another mixed review of Vista 7.

Bottom line: Windows 7 is mostly a cosmetic upgrade for Vista, but sometimes a hefty dose of Botox, a face-lift and a tummy tuck are just what the doctor ordered.

AP’s review advises against an ‘upgrade’ to Vista 7.

Review: Windows 7 strong, but don’t pay to upgrade

[...]

In weeks of testing the final version of Windows 7 on five computers, I encountered only one serious glitch. The backup function simply didn’t work on one computer. The error message was obscure as always, and troubleshooting on Microsoft’s Web site provided no solution. I ended up using third-party backup software. Given that regular backups are essential for a home computer, one can only hope that this will be an unusual problem that gets fixed promptly.

Another disappointment is that Windows 7 doesn’t seem to improve boot-up times. In my tests, it took slightly longer to get going on Windows 7 than with XP or Vista on the same computer. I don’t think this should be a major issue, though — instead of shutting your computer down, use “sleep mode” instead. This function has improved a lot since XP, and most computers take about 10 seconds to wake up.

The article above shows that the same issues from Vista persist in many areas. At Fortune (CNN), an attractive headline is used to gain attention, only to shower readers with lots of Microsoft praises for Vista 7. This a known technique of creating drama to get a message across.

Looking at Reuters, we find that Microsoft has financial events coming quite a long while after Vista 7′s release. How come? As we stated at the start — and it’s really down to common sense — bad results are to be concealed by the marketing blitz of Vista 7′s launch. It’s not an accident, it’s deliberate. Even months ago Ballmer was using Vista 7 as a distraction for his company's poor performance (see video).

According to the Wall Street Journal, Ballmer still refuses to talk about positive results. More here:

“I am optimistic, but not as optimistic as the stock market,” Ballmer, 53, said Friday at the Chief Executives’ Club of Boston. Businesses will be slow to hire and invest, he said. “We are not through all the issues yet.”

Well, Google has just posted positive results and its CEO was exceedingly happy, unlike Ballmer. Microsoft already knows that it will need to use “the economy” as an excuse for another terrible quarter. Without the “too big to fail” defense, Microsoft will lose business even faster.

“Without the “too big to fail” defense, Microsoft will lose business even faster.”Onwards goes Microsoft with heavy marketing and image control [1, 2], now employing another television phenomenon to market Windows. It previously tried this with Jackass, NASCAR, Bollywood stars, and Seinfled, who were not successful at making Vista a seller. “TV Extravaganza,” as one site puts it, is what Microsoft looks to achieve when paying ‘Family Guy’ to sell out, just as it did with Seinfeld and others (even viral marketing in television shows that displayed Vista simply did not help). “‘Family Guy’ creator and Microsoft team up for Win 7 promotion,” says another article and CRN’s headline claims that “Microsoft Weaves Windows 7 Into ‘Family Guy’,” blurring the gap between advertisements (content from the broadcaster’s point of view) and fill (the stuff that keeps people watching the ads every once in a while). They try to capture the trust of audience of the show and TechCrunch is outraged.

On November 8th at 8:30pm, viewers of Fox in the US will watch in horror as the network gives over thirty whole minutes of airtime to a Windows 7-sponsored episode of Family Guy.

Just take a moment to let the horror of that fact settle in your brain. Multi-millionaire Seth MacFarlane – who, by the way, uses a Mac – has decided to sell the soul of his flagship show to Redmond. For money.

According to the post above, Microsoft is corrupting television just as it corrupted bloggers and commenters in social networks by bribing them. Ironically, TechCrunch was among those blogs that Microsoft bribed. The Microsoft/Redmond press actually criticises Microsoft for the move, but not necessarily because of the negative impact on television. To some people, it’s just a matter of how money gets spent.

That’s why we were so disappointed this week to read that Microsoft has bought a whole 30-minute episode of the show — not commercials during the episode, but the episode itself — to promote Windows 7.

Rather than denouncing Microsoft for destroying this show (it was one of my personal favourites), people other than Lee Pender talk about the whole thing almost from a financial point of view (there are examples of that too).

Within the last year, Microsoft(MSFT Quote) has been Jerry Seinfeld’s pal, a PC, a party planner and a 4-year-old girl. It has been a costly identity crisis.

At another Microsoft corner of the Web, Microsoft Nick parrots Gartner about Vista 7. We wrote about this some days ago, showing that Gartner said the same things about Windows Vista. Why do journalists still pay attention to Gartner?

Further, in the news from Ars Technica we discover that Microsoft gives away more copies of Vista 7 (our reader Oiaohm keeps stressing that never before did Microsoft hand out so many free gifts to create hype). But there is a condition:

Microsoft is giving away 777 copies of Windows 7 Ultimate to residents living in Zevenhuizen, the Netherlands. The catch is pretty straightforward: you can’t be using Mac OS or Linux as your primary operating system.

[...]

In fact, one of the requirements is that you must be in possession of a PC with Windows as the primary OS; those using mainly Mac OS or Linux can’t participate. Another requirement is that the PC gets a green light from the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

How xenophobic, eh?

From Ars Technica we also learn that Microsoft extends its operations in Twitter.

Adding to the hundreds of Twitter accounts it already has, Microsoft has launched one just for Windows 7 information and support: @MicrosoftHelps.

We have been writing about what Microsoft does in Twitter under:

1. More Microsoft AstroTurfing (aka ‘Technical Evangelism’) in Twitter
2. User “Microsoft Incentives” Wants to be Your Friend, Too
3. Microsoft’s Twitter AstroTurf Continues
4. Who is Pumping MSFT and Pimping Microsoft in Twitter?
5. Microsoft Hires Federated Media for Twitter AstroTurfing
6. Does Microsoft Still Create Twitter Accounts for Guerilla Marketing?
7. Microsoft’s AstroTurfing, Twitter, Waggener Edstrom, and Jonathan Zuck
8. Microsoft Twitter Bots, FTC Blowback, and Paid-for Vista 7 Glorification

Based on this new survey, Microsoft is among the top exploiters of social media sites. It’s AstroTurf. It’s nothing to be proud of. Companies like Microsoft are pretending to be social beings, just as they demand human rights like freedom of speech. Intellectuals frequently denounce the moronic treatment of tyrannical (in structure) entities being treated like massive organisms with feelings. There is no reason for a company like Microsoft to run bot accounts in Twitter. It ruins the site for actual people.

Looking further at the news, Vista 7 has already ‘leaked’ into the black market in China, not so surprisingly.

At shops in Shanghai’s bustling Xinyang market, fake Apple iPhones and Bose speakers sit neatly alongside bootleg copies of Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system, a week before its official launch.

As we explained before, Microsoft won’t mind counterfeiting as long as they don’t sell XP or GNU/Linux. Microsoft capitalises on this for the ‘network effect’ to be sped up.

“…Microsoft won’t mind counterfeiting as long as they don’t sell XP or GNU/Linux.”An anti-GNU/Linux shop called Best Buy [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] provides Vista 7 boosting material for CNET, Microsoft’s special Vista partner back in the days. CNET gives more Microsoft-oriented people some personal blogs there, just like in ZDNet. Their more official Microsoft blog is now doing damage control in response to the auctioning of Vista 7 party packs (showing that people with those packs are interested neither in Vista 7 nor in partying over it).

Microsoft employees indoctrinate the public in the middle east ahead of the release of Vista 7 while others are reciting the conventions Microsoft has ‘injected’ into the media with bribes, PR agencies, and partners.

Here is one last item from the Wall Street Journal.

Recently a Microsoft (MSFT) spokesman declined a journalist’s request for comment, but sent along two links to employee blog posts. Professional sports teams have also been among the early adopters in leaning more heavily on player and employee blogs as a source of access for both the media and the public.

It does not say that Microsoft also uses those employee blogs to inject poison into Wikipedia, e.g. the article about ODF. █

“I am currently testing the Beta of Win7 in a closed VM environment. I am considering deleting it. It’s actually worse than Vista. Multiple program crashes, refusal to install any software, naff looks and many other complaints.”

–Moog

Permalink Comments off      Send this to a friend

Google Continues Eating Microsoft’s Lunch

Posted in GNU/Linux, Google, Microsoft, Search, Servers at 11:04 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: A glimpse at how the ‘Web wars’ are going along now that Microsoft loses customers to Google and the Yahoo! deal is blocked

GOOGLE IS not just a search engine anymore. In fact, for Google on the server and in mobile devices, GNU/Linux is the only platform.

Microsoft’s financial results come on Thursday (Microsoft will try to bury these under the rug using the simultaneous launch of Vista 7) and it will suffer greatly from lost business such as this from the news:

Google lands a new blow on Microsoft with Rentokil Initial email agreement

GOOGLE yesterday announced its biggest ever email deal with support services firm Rentokil Initial, estimated by analysts to be worth up to $3.5m (£2.2m).

The internet giant will replace rival Microsoft, after it secured the contract to provide email to 35,000 of the rat catcher’s employees using its Google Apps product – which includes a calendar, integrated chat, email translation and video communications.

This is just one among many such deals. These are not a triumph to Free software because Google’s software is mostly proprietary. “Microsoft and Google battle with cloud computing,” states the following new article.

In the world of computer software, becoming dormant or, God forbid, complacent, is a death sentence.

Microsoft is all too aware of this as they struggle to keep people interested in their operating systems.

Google, a company that seems to never stop to catch its breath technologically, is a rather surprising threat to Microsoft — the undisputed chief among the current thick-client software companies.

A Slate publication (formerly of Microsoft) writes the following:

According to the New York Times, the forecast for Microsoft (MSFT) is “partly cloudy.” While the company is planning a high-profile software release later on this week, doubts remain whether Microsoft can build as much buzz as its rivals. Its chief software architect says the company is reinventing itself or at least trying to.

Google may seem unstoppable given its strong results, as covered in Bloomberg and in BusinessWeek:

Earnings preview: High hopes riding on Google’s 3Q

[...]

Microsoft renamed its search engine Bing in June as part of an upgrade that has been heavily promoted in a $100 million marketing campaign. So far though, Google remains way out in front with a nearly two-thirds share of the U.S. search market compared with about 10 percent for Microsoft.

The article correctly states that Microsoft just renamed its search and threw a lot of money at brainwash (including paid/compensated bloggers). We’re seeing more of the same in China these days, but it seems like a dead end for Microsoft. Even the Yahoo! deal becomes less relevant as Yahoo! continues to decline and antitrust stands in the way [1, 2, 3, 4]. Here is an update on the situation in Europe:

Ballmer: Europe jurisdiction on Yahoo deal unclear

[...]

“Europe’s a little confusing because the Europeans have to decide which jurisdiction, whether it’s the European Commission or some of the national competition authorities,” will have final say over the deal, Ballmer added.

In an analysis which misses the point, no attention is given to the fact that the DOJ, unlike Europe, is likely to approve the deal because of Microsoft influence [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Earlier today we posted a video of Lessig where he talks about the subject. Had there been real justice, the DOJ should (and would) impose sanctions on Microsoft for bullying Yahoo! and selfishly destroying the company for its own benefit. See for example:

• Microsoft Fires Up Proxy War Against Yahoo as Debt Looms Over
• Microsoft Fight Against Yahoo Board Gets Uglier
• Microsoft’s Proxy Fight May Have Begun Weeks Ago, Quietly
• Microsoft’s Latest Ugly Tactics Against Google, Yahoo, and VMware
• As Yahoo Proxy War Looms, VMWare and Nokia Return to One’s Mind
• Microsoft Executives Penetrate Corel, Yahoo; Is Novell Next?
• What if Microsoft Owned Yahoo (and the US Government Establishments’ IT)?
• LawMedia Group May be Another Confirmed Microsoft AstroTurfing Agency
• Microsoft Executives Land Inside Microsoft Rivals
• Update on the Microsoft/Yahoo Situation: Google-Yahoo Alliance?
• Microsoft: 800 lb. Guerrilla
• Who’s Bugging Google and Apple? (Updatedx2)
• Video: Bloomberg on Yahoo/Google/Microsoft
• Eye on Microsoft: Windows Under Attack from Critics, Cyber Criminals; Yahoo! Besieged by Microsoft
• The Microsoft-Influenced US Regulators Wrong on Yahoo!
• Microsoft Hijacked Yahoo! from the Inside (Updated)

In this week’s news we only find that Yahoo! carries on falling (financially), Google is gaining market share in the US while Yahoo! declines, and Microsoft shields its new brand. █

Permalink Comments off      Send this to a friend

FSFE Adds Weight to Call for Mono Resistance

Posted in Europe, Free/Libre Software, FSF, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Mono, Novell, Oracle, Patents, Red Hat, Samba, Servers at 10:22 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: The FSFE’s president writes about Mono and Novell’s former employee writes about Novell versus gratis

THE FSF has already expressed its opinion about Mono and Samba’s Jeremy Allison did so too [1, 2, 3]. He wrote about the subject several days ago (he also put it in ZDNet, as usual, under the headline “Mono-mania: It’s risky business”).

With apparent endorsement from the founder of the FSFE (in Identi.ca), the president of the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) brought attention to Allison’s analysis.

The core problem is that Mono implements technology that is very likely patented by Microsoft. Microsoft, in its turn, has now started to aggressively enforce its software patents, as shown by its lawsuit against TomTom earlier this year.

Former Novell employee Matt Asay is the third person to compare Novell to Avis [1, 2], so if “try harder” refers to trying to get GNU/Linux vendors sued or bullied by Microsoft, then sure, Novell tries harder.

Novell has been positioning itself as the Avis of Linux, a distant but gaining Red Hat competitor that “tries harder.” Like Oracle, Novell argues that it can give customers Red Hat value at a lower price.

There’s just one problem with this marketing spin: the “low-cost alternative” to Red Hat isn’t Novell. It’s CentOS. And CentOS is free as in $0.00.

Boycott Novell runs on a CentOS server whose cost (the software) is $0.00. Microsoft and Novell would like to change that by adding software patent tax. Some people still wonder how Novell harms GNU/Linux. █

Permalink Comments off      Send this to a friend

Has SCO Just Kicked Darl McBride or Did He Quit?

Posted in Courtroom, GNU/Linux, SCO, UNIX at 10:10 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: SCO says goodbye to Darl McBride

A major milestone is approached (and even reached) in the SCO saga now that the monster behind the lawsuits against Linux is leaving. It’s not entirely clear if the Trustee has something to do with it or maybe it's the fraud allegations. From SCO’s filing (earlier today):

On October 14, 2009, The SCO Group, Inc., (“SCO”, “us”, “we”or the “Company”) announced that the Company has eliminated the Chief Executive Officer and President positions and consequently terminated Darl McBride. The current management team comprised of Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Hunsaker, Chief Financial Officer, Ken Nielsen and General Counsel, Ryan Tibbitts, along with the rest of the management team will continue to work closely with the Chapter 11 Trustee and his advisors.

Press coverage has yet to come. █

“On the same day that CA blasted SCO, Open Source evangelist Eric Raymond revealed a leaked email from SCO’s strategic consultant Mike Anderer to their management. The email details how, surprise surprise, Microsoft has arranged virtually all of SCO’s financing, hiding behind intermediaries like Baystar Capital.”

–Bruce Perens

Permalink Comments off      Send this to a friend

Call to Abolish BECTA, Which Appoints Microsoft Children’s Parent

Posted in Apple, Europe, Microsoft at 9:58 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: British school education comes under increased pressure to open up to choices other than Microsoft

IN OUR many writings about British schools, we have shown that not everything was well at BECTA [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. That’s an understatement really. It is reassuring to see this new push to abolish BECTA and open up British education to software other than Microsoft’s.

And the future for BECTA? Here is what the report’s authors conclude:

“Abolish the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA). BECTA oversees IT procurement and technology strategy for schools in England and Wales. This has had negative consequences for many schools, precluding them from organising IT facilities and programmes as they see necessary. It hinders an open and competitive market, and if schools were to be allocated money directly, the sensible option would be to let them purchase the equipment that they required according to their needs. Abolishing BECTA would realise a saving of £11 million.”

It would be a controversial move, but I suspect not one regretted by the vast majority of teachers.

Another plus would be that the gaping hole BECTA’s demise would create in the centre of the main hall at the BETT Show could be used to actually showcase real students (rather than bureaucrats) using technology as part of their leaning.

If BECTA cares about education, then it will teach methods, as opposed to selling products to young people who are paying for these without any choice given. BECTA is notorious for its relationship with Microsoft, which is actually getting worse as an expansionist consumerist. Based on this week’s news, Microsoft shops are coming to create not just Microsoft software but a “Microsoft PC” too. This ought to eliminate some OEM partnerships that Microsoft has enjoyed, but at the same time it threatens to further reduce choice.

Microsoft’s retail and hardware partnerships may hinder its expansion into the retail space, as it seeks to compete with Apple’s brick-and-mortar locations.

Neither Apple nor Microsoft should be acceptable for education. Apple would actually be much worse for education because of the overpriced hardware monopoly. Education wants to be free, as in freedom. █

“Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.”

–Albert Einstein

Permalink A Single Comment      Send this to a friend

Microsoft Executives on the Move

Posted in Marketing, Microsoft, Security, Windows at 9:15 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Flight Simulator development/developers possibly reborn; aQuantive executive joins AdReady while Razorfish is sold; Microsoft-loaded Juniper serves Windows

OTHER than major departures, we do strive to keep track of Microsoft influence on the move. A few weeks ago we wrote about FASA and Bungie, reminding ourselves of what Microsoft did to Ensemble Studios and Flight Simulator. It turns out that developers of Flight Simulator start their own company.

Microsoft has the ability to drive CEOs of companies that it acquires out of the business. Tellme is one example because Tellme's founder quit Microsoft a few months ago and aQuantive would be another example of an "exodus".

Microsoft Nick writes about the finalisation of Microsoft’s goodbye to 2,000+ of its employees that came from aQuantive. It is part of the ongoing layoffs that are greater in size than what Microsoft publicly reports.

One of the fugitives of aQuantive is now becoming the President and COO of AdReady.

He was previously President of Atlas, an online advertising technology provider and operating unit of aQuantive, Inc. (acquired by Microsoft). In this role, Siebrecht helped build Atlas from the ground floor into a leading advertising technology provider, serving many of the largest and most sophisticated advertisers, agencies, and publishers globally across the online advertising industry.

He wasn’t at Microsoft long enough to become too involved, so there is probably not much risk that AdReady will prioritise Microsoft. In fact, Microsoft has just recruited a vice president from Motorola, which is actually in the process of dumping Windows Mobile and focusing mostly on Linux/Android.

Then there’s Juniper, which recently added Microsoft executives to its leadership (including CEO position) [1, 2, 3]. Here is Juniper’s new press release about defending Windows. █

Permalink Comments off      Send this to a friend