12.05.08
Gemini version available ♊︎Down with Microsoft… in India (Updated)
Children take it to the streets and protest against Microsoft
JUST over a week ago we wrote about the Indian university which decided to 'sell' its students to an abusive monopolist from another country. Well, protests have just taken place and there are lots of photos too. There are some Boycott Novell graphics on these banners/posters, so we feel very privileged.
We will hopefully be able to include some blog posts about these protests pretty soon.
Microsoft’s B.A.D. is a global problem [1, 2]. The struggling company from Redmond is trying to cause as much damage as possible to young people, with the assistance of corruptible supervisors who permit this to happen. They really should be named and shamed (or at least be educated about the harms they bring). Here is another new example, this time from UAE:
Microsoft GulfMicrosoft GulfLoading… today announced the launch of the Microsoft DreamSpark Student Program in the UAE. Under the program, all high school and university students in the UAE will gain access to the latest Microsoft developer designer and gaming tools at no charge to unlock their creative potential and set them on the path to academic and career success. In its first phase, Microsoft DreamSpark is being piloted in partnership with Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). This broad range of professional level software will be available online on http://www.dreamspark.com/ and students will also have the option of going through HCTHCTLoading…’s website to access DreamSpark.
What is this “Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)”? It sounds like a very unethical relationship that turns young people into digital servants of Microsoft. This is appalling.
Going back to India, Microsoft is once again invading Free/open source events, as the evidence in its Fort 25 [sic] blog suggests. This embrace, extend and extinguish plan needs to be resisted [1, 2, 3]. From Microsoft:
A New Appreciation for Open Source in India – and Our Role in it.
As I stated in my last blog, I am attending the premier Indian Open Source conference, FOSS.IN, in Bangalore.
Someone should tell Microsoft that until its stops threatening to sue Free software, they deserve no role in FOSS.IN, which is described as “one of the world’s largest Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) events, held annually in India.” Microsoft is playing a game there, but it does not seem like an active participant, for a change. They add insult to injury using their ‘buddies’ (from a distance) in order to discourage adoption of Free software.
Microsoft is no friend of Free software [1, 2, 3, 4]. It ‘embraces’ it in order to change and ruin it, just like it ruined ISO (along with international software standards). This destruction is a self-serving routine. █
“Open source is an intellectual-property destroyer [...] I can’t imagine something that could be worse than this for the software business and the intellectual-property business. I’m an American; I believe in the American way, I worry if the government encourages open source, and I don’t think we’ve done enough education of policymakers to understand the threat.”
–Jim Allchin, President of Platforms & Services Division at Microsoft
Update: here is a short report about the protest.
I guess it was a good programme yesterday for free software …we have
to concentrate on the long term aspects…please do write on what we
could do better..please make this a community report on what you thought
is good and bad..We had many people saying “NO TO M$-VTU” Lock In. the nice thing was we
were able to have some new people From colleges : both lecturers and
students ..a good representation from all sections of civil socitey
ᶃ Gemini Space
This post is also available in 
Content is available under CC-BY-SA
Goblin said,
December 5, 2008 at 7:18 pm
You wont get any of your usual MS trolls posting here.
I think this is a topic that they will be very happy to be lost in the ether.
It just shows that no matter which country, or which language we speak, we all agree there is no longer a place for a MS domination.
jo Shields said,
December 5, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Why lost? I think it’s a good cause. Software monoculture is bad, especially from a young age. Too many people learn, say, Microsoft Word instead of word processing.
Roy Schestowitz said,
December 5, 2008 at 7:43 pm
A lot of people are taught OOP without ever knowing how computers work.
Goblin said,
December 6, 2008 at 10:25 am
@Jo
That comment wasnt directed at you unless you are suggesting that you are a MS troll.
I’ll make it simple. MS is proprietary, MS is lock-in. This is a protest against lock in so Id suggest its not a topic your average MS troll would want to keep in the spotlight.
and since Roy hasnt even mentioned your name in this article, and the fact you consider him dishonest, why are you even posting here?
jo Shields said,
December 7, 2008 at 6:52 am
It’s been said (by Roy) that I get paid off for the work I do – and by others (probably twitter, I don’t remember) that I’m part of some grand conspiracy to be mean to Roy on his little blog.
True. But I’m only aware of one actively pro-Windows person who comments on here, and they do so rarely.
Because inevitably this post will be linked to in a different discussion as “proof” of something or other (probably how myself and people like AlexH or Dan O’Brien are being paid for something or other)
Roy Schestowitz said,
December 7, 2008 at 6:55 am
What are you talking about? Did you even read this post?