--Friedrich Nietzsche

TRYING my very best to be polite, I rarely post here (as articles) my microblogging rants about the Linux Foundation. When I write articles I also try to omit names (sometimes going to the extremes of 'censoring' names in our sources' messages on the subject). Some of these rants can offend some people even though they're perfectly honest and sincere a bunch of rants. Some have become satirical and cynical; I resort to humour. The truth is, I am really not happy about the pivot of the Linux Foundation and I've noticed, based on responses, that many other GNU/Linux users aren't happy either. They probably just don't say much about it. People refrain from 'disparaging' the Linux Foundation mostly because it has the word "Linux" in its name (never mind if very little or what it does actually supports Linux and most staff aren't Linux users).

"People refrain from 'disparaging' the Linux Foundation mostly because it has the word "Linux" in its name (never mind if very little or what it does actually supports Linux and most staff aren't Linux users)."Earlier this year we took some gloves off, partly because my wife had gotten fed up and said I ought to break the silence. Why do these people get a free pass (avoidance of criticism)? She reads Linux news all day. She runs Tux Machines, which makes this required. The Linux Foundation is "trying to condition the minds of people," she told me this morning, to suggest "that Microsoft is OK..."

And my wife argues this not as a Microsoft basher or hater. She hardly ever minded them (until recent years). Now she uses terms like "entryism" and "conditioning" (which she borrowed from politics). "That's the term there..."

"...Microsoft's attacks on GNU/Linux (from the inside) have left us no choice... sadly, the Foundation that owns or at least monopolises/utilises Torvalds' trademark now actively participates in Microsoft's attacks.""There's no Linux news anymore, it's all about Microsoft," she retorted a couple of hours ago. I too read Linux news all day, every day. So I see the same thing. Some readers sent us E-mail saying the same thing. There's a lot going on behind the scenes. Some people underestimate the work of Techrights, much of which isn't about publishing articles but doing activism in support of GNU/Linux behind the scenes and coordinating actions, e.g. in IRC. We're supporting GNU/Linux a lot better than most 'foundations'. Articles are one component of several activities. Tux Machines, for example helps people find positive stories about GNU/Linux. The same cannot be said about LINUX.com ever since the Linux Foundation effectively shut it down (back in April). It fired all the editors and staff without even a "thank you" or an explanation. Remember that for a "thank you" from the Linux Foundation you need to open the wallet/purse and pay tens of thousands of dollars. Yes, "thank yous" are a service or a product from the Linux Foundation. This is how gross things have become. In our latest daily links we included this report from yesterday; it shows Microsoft giving more money to Jim Zemlin and his PAC/foundation. This does not amuse us. What also isn't amusing is yesterday's news pick from "swapnilbhartiya", who was chosen by the Foundation, maybe based on track record of love for Linux-hostile firms (he uses a "Mac"-branded PC, just like Zemlin). Weeks ago he did puff pieces for GPL violator VMware on the Foundation's payroll and this week (the second week) he continues using the site LINUX.com to promote Microsoft stuff. Zemlin's PAC has put just one single person in charge of LINUX.com news, posting maybe (at most) two paragraphs a day. There's like 50 Linux stories per day (I know this because of my research for Tux Machines and Techrights daily links), so why does he post Microsoft ones?

About 2 years ago I said repeatedly (and it's a matter of public record) that I do not want to cover anything Microsoft and instead focus on GNU/Linux and patent issues. But Microsoft's attacks on GNU/Linux (from the inside) have left us no choice... sadly, the Foundation that owns or at least monopolises/utilises Torvalds' trademark now actively participates in Microsoft's attacks. It is a gradual handover, a passage of ownership, so to speak. ⬆