12.14.09

Gemini version available ♊︎

American EDGI Comes to Missouri, Microsoft Crimes in Iowa Produce Coupons

Posted in America, Antitrust, Bill Gates, Free/Libre Software, GNU/Linux, Microsoft at 11:20 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Bills pile

Summary: Microsoft distorts education by turning it into its own vehicle to perpetuate dependency and inertia; Iowa schools to receive $60 million in compensation for Microsoft abuses

THE notion of “American EDGI” is one that we explained many times before. State by state, Microsoft responds to the “threat” of Free software by dumping proprietary software to block it, then calling this “charity” or “goodwill”.

Microsoft is very shameless about this [1, 2]. It conveniently assumes that people won’t be wise enough to understand the real impact and the latest population that Microsoft targets with this vicious campaign is Missourians.

The partnership is called Microsoft Elevate America. It offers free access to e-learning and certification programs from Microsoft.

Missouri is receiving nearly 25,000 vouchers entitling residents to access specialized e-learning programs for Excel, Word and other Microsoft programs and platforms.

More here:

Microsoft partners with state to teach computer software skills

[...]

Missouri is one of the initial states to participate in Microsoft Elevate America, which started in February. The program aims to train more than 2 million people throughout the country during the next three years.

Microsoft redefines training and education. It’s more like indoctrination. Microsoft and Bill Gates turn the education system into training for interests of particular corporations, where “computer software skills” (as phrased above) means “memorising GUIs of Microsoft software.” Microsoft has some accomplices in other countries (South Africa) and a school has just received an “award” from Microsoft for being somewhat of a Microsoft recruitment camp (in Asia). Deep inside the article it states:

Many teachers in MSHS have integrated technology in their work and have availed of affordable laptops through cooperatives in the school. The school has been a Microsoft partner since 2004.

Yes, it is a self-congratulatory award. It is a Microsoft award for Microsoft partner — a fact they hardly make visible.

Several weeks ago we wrote about what Microsoft was doing in Nigerian schools and now there is this propaganda piece from what’s called “Microsoft Academy”.

GOVERNOR Peter Obi has said establishment of Microsoft Academy in the State Secondary Schools would increase job opportunities for students after school. Obi was speaking at the tenth anniversary of Cor Mariae Girls’ Secondary school Nkpor.

This is a highly imbalanced article that serves as advert/propaganda for Microsoft in Nigerian authorities. This country should avoid becoming a vassal of Microsoft, but watch what Microsoft is doing to capture minds:

About 300 representatives from the public, private, non-profit and education sectors gathered at Microsoft on Monday to discuss global development. At the heart of the agenda was the vital role of empowering women and girls to combat poverty.

Here is another Microsoft visit, probably the result of an invitation. Microsoft is inviting people to a Washington campus for its own benefit, just like it did amidst OOXML brainwash sessions [1, 2] with a man who would become a Microsoft employee (but back then pretended to be “independent”).

Looking at some brighter news, after the Comes vs Microsoft case comes this report from the Iowa Independent:

More than $60 million will be given to Iowa schools for the purchase of new technology, thanks to a 2007 settlement to an anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp.

In April 2007, a Polk County judge approved a settlement where the software giant agreed to pay Iowa consumers $179.95 million. Attorneys had brought a lawsuit alleging that Microsoft overcharged Iowa consumers and businesses for certain products. As part of the settlement, Microsoft also agreed to provide half of the funds not claimed by consumers to Iowa public schools in the form of vouchers that may be used to purchase a broad range of hardware products, Microsoft and non-Microsoft software, and professional development services.

This is also covered here and according to the following couple of reports, it is not ‘funny money’ (coupons redeemable only in the form of Microsoft products).

i. Microsoft Settlement to Fund $60 Million for Eligible Public Schools in Iowa

The funds will be distributed in the form of vouchers, which can be redeemed for cash to reimburse schools for their purchase of a wide variety of computer hardware and software products, including both Microsoft and non-Microsoft products.

ii. Public schools get $60 million from Microsoft settlement

About 75 percent of Iowa schools, or more than 1,000 schools, will be eligible to take part in the program. The funds will be distributed to schools through vouchers for software and hardware product purchases.

It’s all about schools.

“At a time when we have tremendous economic challenges, to see this amount of money coming to a lot of our schools is just unbelievable,” Jeffrey said. The money is part of a nearly $180 million settlement in a class action suit alleging that Microsoft overcharged Iowa consumers and businesses for certain products.

These schools will hopefully use this money to avoid the very same company that abused. They can buy O/S-free hardware and put GNU/Linux on it, or even migrate to GNU/Linux on the existing systems and use the money to cover support contracts for Free software expertise.

“Government attorneys accuse Microsoft of using its monopoly position to bully, bribe and attempt to collude with others in the industry, while illegally expanding and protecting its Windows franchise.”

The antitrust case: a timeline

Share in other sites/networks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Reddit
  • email

Decor ᶃ Gemini Space

Below is a Web proxy. We recommend getting a Gemini client/browser.

Black/white/grey bullet button This post is also available in Gemini over at this address (requires a Gemini client/browser to open).

Decor ✐ Cross-references

Black/white/grey bullet button Pages that cross-reference this one, if any exist, are listed below or will be listed below over time.

Decor ▢ Respond and Discuss

Black/white/grey bullet button If you liked this post, consider subscribing to the RSS feed or join us now at the IRC channels.

DecorWhat Else is New


  1. Microsoft Has Also Infiltrated the OSI's Board of Directors After Rigged Elections

    Weeks ago we warned that this would happen and for the third or fourth time in 2 years the OSI’s election process broke down; today the Open Source Initiative (OSI) writes: “The polls just closed, the results are in. Congratulations to the returning directors Aeva Black…” (Microsoft employee)



  2. Links 22/03/2023: Official Thunderbird Podcast Starts

    Links for the day



  3. IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, March 21, 2023

    IRC logs for Tuesday, March 21, 2023



  4. Many More Microsoft Layoffs Later Today

    Yesterday we shared rumours about Microsoft layoffs being planned for later today (there were 3 waves of layoffs so far this year). There are several more people here who say the same. How much noise will Microsoft make in the “media” in order to distract? Will the chaffbot "ChatGPT" help create enough chaff?



  5. Links 21/03/2023: JDK 20 and GNOME 43.5

    Links for the day



  6. Germany's Lobbyists-Infested Government Sponsors the War on Ukraine via the European Patent Office (EPO)

    The chief UPC ‘judge’ is basically seeking to break the law (and violate constitutions, conventions etc.) to start a kangaroo court while dodging real courts, just like Vladimir Putin does



  7. [Meme] The Meme That Team UPC (the Collusion to Break the European Laws, for Profit) Threats to Sue Us For

    António Campinos and Team UPC are intimidating people who simply point out that the Unified Patent Court (UPC) is illegal and Klaus Grabinksi, shown above, strives to head a de facto kangaroo court in violation of constitutions and conventions (the UK does not and cannot ratify; Ireland hasn’t even held a referendum on the matter)



  8. Microsoft is Sacking People Every Month This Year, Even Managers (While Sponsored Media Produces Endless Chatbot Chaff)

    Lots of Microsoft layoffs lately and so-called ‘journalists’ aren’t reporting these; they’re too busy running sponsored puff pieces for Microsoft, usually fluff along the “hey hi” (AI) theme



  9. 3 Months Late Sirius 'Open Source' Finally Deletes Us From the Fraudulent 'Meet the Team' Page (But Still Lists Many People Who Left Years Ago!)

    Amid fraud investigations the management of Sirius ‘Open Source’ finally removed our names from its “Meet the Team” page (months late); but it left in the page about half a dozen people who left the company years ago, so it’s just lying to its clients about the current situation



  10. Amid Fraud at Sirius 'Open Source' CEO Deletes His Recent (This Month) Past With the Company

    Not only did the Sirius ‘Open Source’ CEO purge all mentions of Sirius from his Microsoft LinkedIn account; he’s racing against the clock as crimes quickly become a legal liability



  11. Web Survey Shows Microsoft Falling Below 15% Market Share in Africa, Only One Minuscule African Nation Has Windows Majority

    A Web survey that measured Microsoft Windows at 97% in Africa (back in 2010) says that Windows has become rather small and insignificant; the Microsoft-sponsored mainstream media seems to be ignoring this completely, quite likely by intention...



  12. Rumours of More Microsoft Layoffs Tomorrow (Including Managers!), Probably Azure Again (Many Azure Layoffs Every Year Since 2020)

    Amazon is laying off AWS staff and Microsoft has been laying off Azure staff for 3 years already, including this year, so it seems like the “clown computing” bubble is finally bursting



  13. [Meme] EPO's Management Brainstorm

    The story behind a misleading slogan told above



  14. The Photo Ops Festival of the Funky President António Campinos and Revolt From the Patent Examiners Whom He Perpetually Oppresses

    European Patents are being granted for no reason other than application and renewal fees, awarding European monopolies to companies that aren't even European (only about a third are actually European); staff of the EPO is fed up as it regards or views all this as an extreme departure from the EPO's mission (and it's also outright illegal)



  15. Links 21/03/2023: Trisquel GNU/Linux 11.0 LTS

    Links for the day



  16. Back Doors Proponent Microsoft Infiltrates Panels That Write the Security Regulations, Press Fails to Point Out the Obvious

    Cult tactics and classic entryism serve Microsoft again, stacking the panels and basically writing policy (CISA). As an associate explained it, citing this new example, Stanford “neglects to point out the obvious fact that Microsoft is writing its own regulations.”



  17. IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 20, 2023

    IRC logs for Monday, March 20, 2023



  18. Links 20/03/2023: Curl 8.0.0/1 and CloudStack 4.18.0.0 LTS

    Links for the day



  19. Standard Life (Phoenix Group Holdings): Three Weeks to Merely Start Investigating Pension Fraud (and Only After Repeated Reminders From the Fraud's Victims)

    As the phonecall above hopefully shows (or further elucidates), Standard Life leaves customers in a Kafkaesque situation, bouncing them from one person to another person without actually progressing on a fraud investigation



  20. Standard Life Paper Mills in Edinburgh

    Standard Life is issuing official-looking financial papers for companies that then use that paperwork to embezzle staff



  21. Pension Fraud Investigation Not a High Priority in Standard Life (Phoenix Group Holdings)

    The 'Open Source' company where I worked for nearly 12 years embezzled its staff; despite knowing that employees were subjected to fraud in Standard Life's name, it doesn't seem like Standard Life has bothered to investigate (it has been a fortnight already; no progress is reported by management at Standard Life)



  22. Links 20/03/2023: Tails 5.11 and EasyOS 5.1.1

    Links for the day



  23. Links 20/03/2023: Amazon Linux 2023 and Linux Kernel 6.3 RC3

    Links for the day



  24. IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 19, 2023

    IRC logs for Sunday, March 19, 2023



  25. An Update on Sirius 'Open Source' Pensiongate: It's Looking Worse Than Ever

    It's starting to look more and more like pension providers in the UK, including some very major and large ones, are aiding criminals who steal money from their workers under the guise of "pensions"



  26. Services and Users TRApped in Telescreen-Running Apps

    TRApp, term that lends its name to this article, is short for "Telescreen-Running App". It sounds just like "trap". Any similarity is not purely coincidental.



  27. Links 19/03/2023: Release of Libreboot 20230319 and NATO Expanding

    Links for the day



  28. Great Things Brewing

    We've been very busy behind the scenes this past week; we expect some good publications ahead



  29. Links 19/03/2023: LLVM 16.0.0 and EasyOS Kirkstone 5.1 Releases

    Links for the day



  30. IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 18, 2023

    IRC logs for Saturday, March 18, 2023


RSS 64x64RSS Feed: subscribe to the RSS feed for regular updates

Home iconSite Wiki: You can improve this site by helping the extension of the site's content

Home iconSite Home: Background about the site and some key features in the front page

Chat iconIRC Channel: Come and chat with us in real time

Recent Posts