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Allegation: Organisation Close to Microsoft 'Unlimited Potential' (EDGI) Helps Derail GNU/Linux in Russian Schools

Train station in Russia



Summary: New anonymised paper is produced to make a case against GNU/Linux in schools and government corruption is said to influence decisions on operating systems

ON MANY occasions in the past we explained how Microsoft was preventing Russian schools from moving to GNU/Linux as planned. We last summarised this in March and one year ago we wrote about the "manuals" trick. Someone dropped some information and links for us last night. It concurs with what we learned before, but there is new evidence which is concrete. Below we have the raw logs.



mpakhi allJul 21 03:22
mpaka couple of news from RussiaJul 21 03:22
mpakRussian project of free software for school is endangered by a "group of experts" claiming that Linux and free software are not suitable for schoolsJul 21 03:23
cubezzz3why unsuitable?Jul 21 03:24
mpakthey published a report where they claim that:Jul 21 03:24
mpak- it is too difficult to install and setupJul 21 03:24
mpak- qualified techs needed to support and maintain itJul 21 03:25
cubezzz3ridiculousJul 21 03:25
mpak- MFD and printers are not well supportedJul 21 03:25
mpak- some software doesn't work well Jul 21 03:25
cubezzz3my installs from 2004 are still fineJul 21 03:25
cubezzz3MFD from HP are fine, others I'm not sureJul 21 03:26
mpak- no educational guides were made by the ministry of educationJul 21 03:26
cubezzz3anyways, I avoid MFDJul 21 03:26
mpak- existing educational guidelines are not aligned with the free softwareJul 21 03:26
mpak- MS office documents cannot be opened correctlyJul 21 03:26
cubezzz3it is a huge problem mpakJul 21 03:27
cubezzz3so don't use MS file formats :)Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3very simpleJul 21 03:27
mpak- teachers need additional training to use new softwareJul 21 03:27
mpak- etcJul 21 03:27
cubezzz3how about some reasons on the other side?Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3Microsoft -> Giving money to a U.S. companyJul 21 03:27
mpakwhole report is available here: http://www.infox.ru/infox/expert_judgement.pdfJul 21 03:27
TechrightsBotTitle: Not a web page! Aborting application/pdf type .::. Size~: 0 KBJul 21 03:27
cubezzz3that can't really be too popular right? :)Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3OKJul 21 03:28
mpakcan you see the link? Bot complains on meJul 21 03:28
cubezzz3yesJul 21 03:28
mpakthe report is in Russian, of course, it is 3mb pdfJul 21 03:28
mpakthere is an article with a preliminary analysis of the reportJul 21 03:28
mpakhttp://tiny.cc/v0a7f -- Rus-to-Eng translation of the articleJul 21 03:29
TechrightsBotTitle: Google Translate .::. Size~: 1.01 KBJul 21 03:29
cubezzz3ok, mpak first of allJul 21 03:29
cubezzz3consider what the schools did _before_ MIcrosoft came alongJul 21 03:29
cubezzz3obviously they functioned OK right?Jul 21 03:29
cubezzz3so it's definitely wrong to say you have to use MIcrosoftJul 21 03:29
mpakyep. Jul 21 03:30
mpakso the article says that the report is largely "anonymous" Jul 21 03:30
mpakpeople didn;t bother to put their names on itJul 21 03:30
cubezzz3yeah :)Jul 21 03:30
ender2070meaning they didnt want toJul 21 03:30
cubezzz3they don't want backlashJul 21 03:30
cubezzz3we didn't even use MIcrosoft when I was at schoolJul 21 03:31
cubezzz3we used Commodore PETsJul 21 03:31
cubezzz3Russia has good programmersJul 21 03:31
DaemonFChmmm, the latest Chrome dev build truncates downloads to the first 40 MB :PJul 21 03:32
mpakbut the organization that made it works closely with Microsoft on their Unlimited Potential programJul 21 03:32
mpakit* == reportJul 21 03:32
DaemonFCChromium it is thenJul 21 03:32
cubezzz3so there should be a healthy GNU/Linux or FOSS community in Russia I thinkJul 21 03:32
ender2070chromium > chromeJul 21 03:32
cubezzz3yeah so it's basically bullshit :)Jul 21 03:32
DaemonFCcubezzz3: their government doesn't frown on unlicensed sharing of WindowsJul 21 03:32
ender2070think of it like this, chromium is debian, chrome is ubuntuJul 21 03:32
DaemonFCso they probably all have Pirate XP user groups :)Jul 21 03:32
cubezzz3well don't break copy right lawJul 21 03:32
DaemonFCit's RussiaJul 21 03:33
DaemonFC:PJul 21 03:33
cubezzz3well maybe, I don't knowJul 21 03:33
cubezzz3Lots of European Linux people Jul 21 03:33
ender2070you kidding?Jul 21 03:33
ender2070they almost threw a teacher into a gulagJul 21 03:33
cubezzz3Russia is a big part of EuropeJul 21 03:33
ender2070for pirating microsoft productsJul 21 03:33
mpakguys, please see it this way: government in Russia is very corruptedJul 21 03:34
cubezzz3mpak, no text? Then I can use google translateJul 21 03:34
DaemonFCdoesn't Russia have that big MP3 site the government won't shut downJul 21 03:34
DaemonFCthat's selling unlicensed musicJul 21 03:34
mpakthey will use any means to get more moneyJul 21 03:34
ender2070thats goneJul 21 03:34
cubezzz3ok, so why give money to Microsoft? Save your moneyJul 21 03:34
cubezzz3easy :)Jul 21 03:34
mpakhah, it is a usual schemeJul 21 03:35
cubezzz3Canada isn't any betterJul 21 03:35
cubezzz3we are like Microsoft North hereJul 21 03:35
mpakyou're government official, you pay money from budget to some company to buy their products, this company pays you back 30% in cashJul 21 03:35
mpakthat's how it works in RussiaJul 21 03:36
cubezzz3ok, but that is still 70% to Microsoft Jul 21 03:36
cubezzz3yeah, I get itJul 21 03:36
mpakif Microsoft wins this school project, Microsoft will receive just 70% of money, and 30% will be stolenJul 21 03:36
cubezzz3we didn't have that problem beforeJul 21 03:37
mpak30% is just an example. in real life it could be 10% to company and 90% stolenJul 21 03:37
cubezzz3yes, that is a problemJul 21 03:37
cubezzz3many many systems better than Microsoft thoughJul 21 03:37
mpakif the organization that made the report will convince government to push MS-oriented programJul 21 03:37
cubezzz3why pick the worst?Jul 21 03:38
mpakthey will receive more money and wil be able to steal a halfJul 21 03:38
cubezzz3see, that is not a philosophical problem like open source/ closed sourceJul 21 03:39
cubezzz3it is a social problemJul 21 03:39
cubezzz3a people problemJul 21 03:39
cubezzz3well you can complain to the government I supposeJul 21 03:39
DaemonFCMicrosoft even made it so that Windows 7 ultimate will accept any language packJul 21 03:39
DaemonFCit's practically gift wrapped for pirates :PJul 21 03:40
mpaki will complain to the government that the government steals money? :)Jul 21 03:40
cubezzz3I complained to CBC, government of Canada and my municipal government too :)Jul 21 03:40
cubezzz3hehJul 21 03:40
cubezzz3sure complain to the newspapers Jul 21 03:41
cubezzz3complain to the radio stationsJul 21 03:41
cubezzz3I fixed my councilman's computer one time so he had to listen to meJul 21 03:41
cubezzz3at least they used pdfJul 21 03:41
mpakoh, i need to fix someone's computer then :)) Jul 21 03:42
mpakit is not them, it is a newspaper that get the reportJul 21 03:42
mpakthe report was in paper formJul 21 03:42
DaemonFChttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtHiut6hzTgJul 21 03:42
TechrightsBotTitle: YouTube- KEEP YOUR STUPID KIDS OFF THE INTERNET .::. Size~: 105.16 KBJul 21 03:42
DaemonFCWindows 7 Ultimate with Canadian language packJul 21 03:42
*DaemonFC hands one to cubezzz3 Jul 21 03:42
DaemonFCeh?Jul 21 03:42
*cubezzz3 sits on itJul 21 03:43
*mpak puts a cup of coffee on itJul 21 03:43
cubezzz3dude, I'm the last person on the planet to use windows 7Jul 21 03:43
DaemonFCcubezzz3: You love Windows 7Jul 21 03:43
DaemonFCand you know itJul 21 03:43
cubezzz3I'll tell you whatJul 21 03:43
mpakyeah, hypnotize himJul 21 03:43
cubezzz3you make it work on my 486 and I'll use itJul 21 03:44
cubezzz3no cdrom drive :)Jul 21 03:44
DaemonFCbut it DOES work on a 486Jul 21 03:44
*DaemonFC waves his hand in front of cubezzz3 Jul 21 03:44
ender2070overclock it to 800mhzJul 21 03:44
ender2070give it 512 mb ramJul 21 03:44
DaemonFCThis is the operating system you're looking forJul 21 03:44
ender2070it'll work thenJul 21 03:44
cubezzz3even windows 2 suckedJul 21 03:44
DaemonFCyou WILL buy new hardwareJul 21 03:44
cubezzz3and every version after thatJul 21 03:44
cubezzz3jedi tricks don't work on me, only money!Jul 21 03:44
DaemonFCyou HAVE moneyJul 21 03:45
ender2070what if you received a free legit copy?Jul 21 03:45
cubezzz3yeah but I don't spend it on Microsoft productsJul 21 03:45
mpakhttp://tiny.cc/j8uwbJul 21 03:45
*DaemonFC dumps out his monopoly box set and hands the money to cubezzz3 Jul 21 03:45
DaemonFCyou guys use that stuff up there, right?Jul 21 03:45
mpaksorry about the previous linkJul 21 03:46
cubezzz3lol Jul 21 03:46
mpakit was http://tinyurl.com/2arjpgfJul 21 03:46
TechrightsBotTitle: korobkin: Forefront Security for what it is worth .::. Size~: 31.52 KBJul 21 03:47
*DaemonFC wonders if the Canadian serial killers are politeJul 21 03:47
DaemonFCshame this isn't 1990, I could get a Canadian hitman for half priceJul 21 03:47
DaemonFChave him whack the neighborsJul 21 03:47
DaemonFCwith a hockey stickJul 21 03:47
DaemonFCor maybe let his hockey hair devour them wholeJul 21 03:47
DaemonFCbones and allJul 21 03:47
DaemonFC:DJul 21 03:47
mpakok, have a good day guysJul 21 03:48






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