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. ⬆

mpak	hi all	Jul 21 03:22
mpak	a couple of news from Russia	Jul 21 03:22
mpak	Russian project of free software for school is endangered by a "group of experts" claiming that Linux and free software are not suitable for schools	Jul 21 03:23
cubezzz3	why unsuitable?	Jul 21 03:24
mpak	they published a report where they claim that:	Jul 21 03:24
mpak	- it is too difficult to install and setup	Jul 21 03:24
mpak	- qualified techs needed to support and maintain it	Jul 21 03:25
cubezzz3	ridiculous	Jul 21 03:25
mpak	- MFD and printers are not well supported	Jul 21 03:25
mpak	- some software doesn't work well	Jul 21 03:25
cubezzz3	my installs from 2004 are still fine	Jul 21 03:25
cubezzz3	MFD from HP are fine, others I'm not sure	Jul 21 03:26
mpak	- no educational guides were made by the ministry of education	Jul 21 03:26
cubezzz3	anyways, I avoid MFD	Jul 21 03:26
mpak	- existing educational guidelines are not aligned with the free software	Jul 21 03:26
mpak	- MS office documents cannot be opened correctly	Jul 21 03:26
cubezzz3	it is a huge problem mpak	Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3	so don't use MS file formats :)	Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3	very simple	Jul 21 03:27
mpak	- teachers need additional training to use new software	Jul 21 03:27
mpak	- etc	Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3	how about some reasons on the other side?	Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3	Microsoft -> Giving money to a U.S. company	Jul 21 03:27
mpak	whole report is available here: http://www.infox.ru/infox/expert_judgement.pdf	Jul 21 03:27
TechrightsBot	Title: Not a web page! Aborting application/pdf type .::. Size~: 0 KB	Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3	that can't really be too popular right? :)	Jul 21 03:27
cubezzz3	OK	Jul 21 03:28
mpak	can you see the link? Bot complains on me	Jul 21 03:28
cubezzz3	yes	Jul 21 03:28
mpak	the report is in Russian, of course, it is 3mb pdf	Jul 21 03:28
mpak	there is an article with a preliminary analysis of the report	Jul 21 03:28
mpak	http://tiny.cc/v0a7f -- Rus-to-Eng translation of the article	Jul 21 03:29
TechrightsBot	Title: Google Translate .::. Size~: 1.01 KB	Jul 21 03:29
cubezzz3	ok, mpak first of all	Jul 21 03:29
cubezzz3	consider what the schools did _before_ MIcrosoft came along	Jul 21 03:29
cubezzz3	obviously they functioned OK right?	Jul 21 03:29
cubezzz3	so it's definitely wrong to say you have to use MIcrosoft	Jul 21 03:29
mpak	yep.	Jul 21 03:30
mpak	so the article says that the report is largely "anonymous"	Jul 21 03:30
mpak	people didn;t bother to put their names on it	Jul 21 03:30
cubezzz3	yeah :)	Jul 21 03:30
ender2070	meaning they didnt want to	Jul 21 03:30
cubezzz3	they don't want backlash	Jul 21 03:30
cubezzz3	we didn't even use MIcrosoft when I was at school	Jul 21 03:31
cubezzz3	we used Commodore PETs	Jul 21 03:31
cubezzz3	Russia has good programmers	Jul 21 03:31
DaemonFC	hmmm, the latest Chrome dev build truncates downloads to the first 40 MB :P	Jul 21 03:32
mpak	but the organization that made it works closely with Microsoft on their Unlimited Potential program	Jul 21 03:32
mpak	it* == report	Jul 21 03:32
DaemonFC	Chromium it is then	Jul 21 03:32
cubezzz3	so there should be a healthy GNU/Linux or FOSS community in Russia I think	Jul 21 03:32
ender2070	chromium > chrome	Jul 21 03:32
cubezzz3	yeah so it's basically bullshit :)	Jul 21 03:32
DaemonFC	cubezzz3: their government doesn't frown on unlicensed sharing of Windows	Jul 21 03:32
ender2070	think of it like this, chromium is debian, chrome is ubuntu	Jul 21 03:32
DaemonFC	so they probably all have Pirate XP user groups :)	Jul 21 03:32
cubezzz3	well don't break copy right law	Jul 21 03:32
DaemonFC	it's Russia	Jul 21 03:33
DaemonFC	:P	Jul 21 03:33
cubezzz3	well maybe, I don't know	Jul 21 03:33
cubezzz3	Lots of European Linux people	Jul 21 03:33
ender2070	you kidding?	Jul 21 03:33
ender2070	they almost threw a teacher into a gulag	Jul 21 03:33
cubezzz3	Russia is a big part of Europe	Jul 21 03:33
ender2070	for pirating microsoft products	Jul 21 03:33
mpak	guys, please see it this way: government in Russia is very corrupted	Jul 21 03:34
cubezzz3	mpak, no text? Then I can use google translate	Jul 21 03:34
DaemonFC	doesn't Russia have that big MP3 site the government won't shut down	Jul 21 03:34
DaemonFC	that's selling unlicensed music	Jul 21 03:34
mpak	they will use any means to get more money	Jul 21 03:34
ender2070	thats gone	Jul 21 03:34
cubezzz3	ok, so why give money to Microsoft? Save your money	Jul 21 03:34
cubezzz3	easy :)	Jul 21 03:34
mpak	hah, it is a usual scheme	Jul 21 03:35
cubezzz3	Canada isn't any better	Jul 21 03:35
cubezzz3	we are like Microsoft North here	Jul 21 03:35
mpak	you're government official, you pay money from budget to some company to buy their products, this company pays you back 30% in cash	Jul 21 03:35
mpak	that's how it works in Russia	Jul 21 03:36
cubezzz3	ok, but that is still 70% to Microsoft	Jul 21 03:36
cubezzz3	yeah, I get it	Jul 21 03:36
mpak	if Microsoft wins this school project, Microsoft will receive just 70% of money, and 30% will be stolen	Jul 21 03:36
cubezzz3	we didn't have that problem before	Jul 21 03:37
mpak	30% is just an example. in real life it could be 10% to company and 90% stolen	Jul 21 03:37
cubezzz3	yes, that is a problem	Jul 21 03:37
cubezzz3	many many systems better than Microsoft though	Jul 21 03:37
mpak	if the organization that made the report will convince government to push MS-oriented program	Jul 21 03:37
cubezzz3	why pick the worst?	Jul 21 03:38
mpak	they will receive more money and wil be able to steal a half	Jul 21 03:38
cubezzz3	see, that is not a philosophical problem like open source/ closed source	Jul 21 03:39
cubezzz3	it is a social problem	Jul 21 03:39
cubezzz3	a people problem	Jul 21 03:39
cubezzz3	well you can complain to the government I suppose	Jul 21 03:39
DaemonFC	Microsoft even made it so that Windows 7 ultimate will accept any language pack	Jul 21 03:39
DaemonFC	it's practically gift wrapped for pirates :P	Jul 21 03:40
mpak	i will complain to the government that the government steals money? :)	Jul 21 03:40
cubezzz3	I complained to CBC, government of Canada and my municipal government too :)	Jul 21 03:40
cubezzz3	heh	Jul 21 03:40
cubezzz3	sure complain to the newspapers	Jul 21 03:41
cubezzz3	complain to the radio stations	Jul 21 03:41
cubezzz3	I fixed my councilman's computer one time so he had to listen to me	Jul 21 03:41
cubezzz3	at least they used pdf	Jul 21 03:41
mpak	oh, i need to fix someone's computer then :))	Jul 21 03:42
mpak	it is not them, it is a newspaper that get the report	Jul 21 03:42
mpak	the report was in paper form	Jul 21 03:42
DaemonFC	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtHiut6hzTg	Jul 21 03:42
TechrightsBot	Title: YouTube- KEEP YOUR STUPID KIDS OFF THE INTERNET .::. Size~: 105.16 KB	Jul 21 03:42
DaemonFC	Windows 7 Ultimate with Canadian language pack	Jul 21 03:42
*DaemonFC hands one to cubezzz3		Jul 21 03:42
DaemonFC	eh?	Jul 21 03:42
*cubezzz3 sits on it		Jul 21 03:43
*mpak puts a cup of coffee on it		Jul 21 03:43
cubezzz3	dude, I'm the last person on the planet to use windows 7	Jul 21 03:43
DaemonFC	cubezzz3: You love Windows 7	Jul 21 03:43
DaemonFC	and you know it	Jul 21 03:43
cubezzz3	I'll tell you what	Jul 21 03:43
mpak	yeah, hypnotize him	Jul 21 03:43
cubezzz3	you make it work on my 486 and I'll use it	Jul 21 03:44
cubezzz3	no cdrom drive :)	Jul 21 03:44
DaemonFC	but it DOES work on a 486	Jul 21 03:44
*DaemonFC waves his hand in front of cubezzz3		Jul 21 03:44
ender2070	overclock it to 800mhz	Jul 21 03:44
ender2070	give it 512 mb ram	Jul 21 03:44
DaemonFC	This is the operating system you're looking for	Jul 21 03:44
ender2070	it'll work then	Jul 21 03:44
cubezzz3	even windows 2 sucked	Jul 21 03:44
DaemonFC	you WILL buy new hardware	Jul 21 03:44
cubezzz3	and every version after that	Jul 21 03:44
cubezzz3	jedi tricks don't work on me, only money!	Jul 21 03:44
DaemonFC	you HAVE money	Jul 21 03:45
ender2070	what if you received a free legit copy?	Jul 21 03:45
cubezzz3	yeah but I don't spend it on Microsoft products	Jul 21 03:45
mpak	http://tiny.cc/j8uwb	Jul 21 03:45
*DaemonFC dumps out his monopoly box set and hands the money to cubezzz3		Jul 21 03:45
DaemonFC	you guys use that stuff up there, right?	Jul 21 03:45
mpak	sorry about the previous link	Jul 21 03:46
cubezzz3	lol	Jul 21 03:46
mpak	it was http://tinyurl.com/2arjpgf	Jul 21 03:46
TechrightsBot	Title: korobkin: Forefront Security for what it is worth .::. Size~: 31.52 KB	Jul 21 03:47
*DaemonFC wonders if the Canadian serial killers are polite		Jul 21 03:47
DaemonFC	shame this isn't 1990, I could get a Canadian hitman for half price	Jul 21 03:47
DaemonFC	have him whack the neighbors	Jul 21 03:47
DaemonFC	with a hockey stick	Jul 21 03:47
DaemonFC	or maybe let his hockey hair devour them whole	Jul 21 03:47
DaemonFC	bones and all	Jul 21 03:47
DaemonFC	:D	Jul 21 03:47
mpak	ok, have a good day guys	Jul 21 03:48