"[Microsoft] have the deepest of pockets, unlimited ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make sure that you don't make any money, either. And they are mean, REALLY mean."
--Robert X. Cringely
SHAMELESS tricks are back again, so below we offer just a quick overview with appropriate links.
Paying One's Way to Polluting the Web
It's one thing when Microsoft spreads its DRM and binaries using airlines, football tournaments and the Olympic games [
1,
2]. It is much worse when this competition-hostile technology reaches the public sector. The Library of Congress, which is a public institute, received millions of dollars in 'incentives' to lock public assets into Microsoft [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11] and
it could get even worse. What would taxpayers have to say?
According to Adobe, those millions of dollars handed over to a public library by Microsoft are not the exception. Adobe's CEO is now
accusing Microsoft of simply
buying market share, just as it's
trying to do with Yahoo. it's trying to
starve the competition to make itself the only option and thus a de facto standard.
Shantanu Narayen says Microsoft is 'opening its chequebook' in a failed attempt to get companies to move from Flash to its own Silverlight player
At the moment, under the disguise which is charity (yes,
that kind), Bill Gates is also
boasting 'free' (gratis) tools that enable Microsoft to poison the World Wide Web with Silverlight, using the help of young people to whom this is marketed, almost fed.
Addiction Now, Rehabilitation Later
We already know that Microsoft is 'bribing' journalists, bloggers, and analysts in exchange for positive publicity [
1,
2] and even
offering $15,000 for Mac bloggers to slam Apple.
A couple of days ago we also covered
Microsoft's latest mischief in Korea (paying them to discourage the spread of Free software). Microsoft brings similar tactics to small and poor businesses now, trying to have them dependent on Microsoft while they are still young. Luckily, some reporters were not naive enough for Microsoft (and even Port 25) to fool. Here are some examples of coverage:
1.
Microsoft's Biz Spark is Another Direct Shot at Open Source
2.
A 'First One's Free' Strategy To Lure Startups
3.
Microsoft's Answer to The Open Source Threat
The introduction of BizSpark clearly indicates that Microsoft wants start-ups to defer from using open source software such as Linux.
4.
Microsoft offers free software to start-ups
Microsoft has slashed the cost for internet and technology start-ups to use its software and servers in an attempt to attract the latest generation of programmers away from Open Source rivals like Linux.
The BBC, quite unsurprisingly perhaps (see [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13,
14,
15] for some history), advertised this thing rather than warn about the dangers. It described it as some sort of charity, as opposed to an attack on Free(dom) software. Glyn Moody
wasn't entirely happy, to say the very least.
Why is the BBC Running Microsoft Ads?
[...]
But it's obviously too much to expect a technology reporter in Silicon Valley to mention such trivia in the face of the *real* story about Microsoft's perfervid altruism.
It is unfortunate to see the BBC devolving and descending from a status of "trust" to a apparatus of "spin" or "marketing". Microsoft
deserves much of the blame.
⬆
Prison provides 'free' meals too, but you
don't want to go there
Comments
twitter
2008-11-07 04:19:32
The systems were installed, so the centers were left facing a crash migration or big bills and cancelled projects, or legal pain and remote kill by M$.
The sooner you migrate to free software, the more you save. Things are only going to get uglier as M$'s traditional sales tumble
G. Michaels
2008-11-07 07:57:04
http://slashdot.org/~SockDisclosure/journal/214377
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.
Roy Schestowitz
2008-11-07 07:59:38
If you're stalking and harassing readers without adding anything that's on topic, you'll have to be sent out. Your stalking has gone on for too long.
G. Michaels
2008-11-07 08:28:14
First off, let's not pretend that we're talking about a 'reader' here, your collaboration with this person is well-documented and his Slashdot posting history is littered with his promotion of your website.
Second, I don't consider warning people who extend you the courtesy of replying to your blog entries about the mysterious person whose job appears to be to insult them if they disagree with you (and his posts here support that fully) to be 'stalking' in any way.
Third, this is your blog, you can ban and banish anyone you wish to based on whatever criteria you find comforting, so instead of threatening people with being 'sent out', just go ahead and do it. Perhaps someone else will take the time to warn your actual readers of the nymshifters and trolls in their midst.
Call me crazy, but whenever someone says I'm "full of shit", calls me an "idiotic liar" or asserts I work for "M$", I'd generally like to know who is the internet tough guy behind the 20 personalities who is doing that. I see most people who post here to challenge or correct your posting at least use their real names and email addresses, as do I.
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.
Roy Schestowitz
2008-11-07 09:07:37
stevetheFLY
2008-11-07 14:31:02
Note: comment has been flagged for arriving from an incarnation of a known (eet), pseudonymous, forever-nymshifting, abusive Internet troll that posts from open proxies and relays around the world.
stevetheFLY
2008-11-07 14:42:16
Note: comment has been flagged for arriving from an incarnation of a known (eet), pseudonymous, forever-nymshifting, abusive Internet troll that posts from open proxies and relays around the world.
twitter
2008-11-07 16:24:35
As Roy has noticed, that's all you do here, so I'm force to conclude that you are simply part of M$'s regular program of abuse.
I've explained my reasons for using more than one account on Slashdot before. For those who have not seen it, visit this 2004 journal entry, this one from 2005, the troll zoo. Roy does not approve, I can live with that.
pcolon
2008-11-07 19:05:08
Roy Schestowitz
2008-11-07 19:35:25
pcolon
2008-11-07 19:45:13
G. Michaels
2008-11-10 06:23:25
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.