Bonum Certa Men Certa

The Attacked/Attacker Paradox

"If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good."

--Bill Gates, Microsoft



Gates animation



Summary: Microsoft's cult-like tactics have never been this blatant; the Microsoft 'mascot' keeps doing 'media tours', pretending to be an expert at things he hasn't the slightest clue about, pretending to save the world because he cannot even save his own company anymore (and the other co-founder died years ago)

Paradoxically perhaps, if not as expected, when one 'wins' one becomes the target of attacks. The famous saying goes like this (attributed to various people, with slight variations): "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." (Usually attributed Mahatma Gandhi).



"Microsoft's entryism, including takeover of GitHub (on which Microsoft loses loads of money each quarter, desperate to somehow control the rivals), may in fact be somewhat symptomatic of the fact that GNU/Linux and Free software take over everything and Microsoft tries -- even at great expense (expenditure) -- to sneak its ugly head into the photograph."What we're trying to say here is, in 2020 GNU/Linux makes big gains on servers (even Azure uses GNU/Linux on almost two-thirds of instances) and on the desktop, not to mention Android in mobile and all sorts of embedded devices or gadgets (Linux is almost the de facto standard on all). Windows lost majority market share about a decade ago (depending on what form factors are counted). Being Microsoft's common carrier, without Windows domination the Microsoft we once knew cannot sell all sorts of other junk. They go in bundles. There have been many Microsoft layoffs since Vista and quarterly losses were sometimes announced (then spun by media moles).

Microsoft's entryism, including takeover of GitHub (on which Microsoft loses loads of money each quarter, desperate to somehow control the rivals), may in fact be somewhat symptomatic of the fact that GNU/Linux and Free software take over everything and Microsoft tries -- even at great expense (expenditure) -- to sneak its ugly head into the photograph. Remember that, as per insiders' account, Azure loses loads of money. Datacenteres are being shut down, customers complain about provisioning problems, and Munich is said to have dumped Microsoft partly due to this. It's in the French media this week.

"Are they so desperate to fake the number of users that exist on GitHub?"Whatever concerns we have about Microsoft hijacking projects using GitHub, sometimes by bribing the projects at hand (Python is one recent example of it) or infiltrating them by hiring particular people, we need to assess the exit barriers/costs. GitHub is proprietary software designed to entrap and 'addict'; using the network effect it makes it hard for developers to leave. The other day I checked my GitHub account which I deleted within hours of rumours of Microsoft buying GitHub. Turns out, they never truly deleted it. Even request for complete deletion cannot be honoured by thugs from Microsoft and it's still publicly listed (yes, a deleted account). Are they so desperate to fake the number of users that exist on GitHub? We once heard that many GitHub projects and users had quit, causing somewhat of a panic at Microsoft. Did they pay for a dud after all? Is there a long-term plan/business model?

"Microsoft therefore resorts to the mentality of sacrificial death cults or suicide bombers, trying to cause us all to drown along with Microsoft."Bill Gates left Microsoft a couple of months ago to further pursue his political career, pushing his patents for power and for profit. He too may have realised that Microsoft doesn't have much of a future. He took his money and ran, looking to profit at vastly higher rates from billions of "shots" and maybe implants. We'll spare the mention of conspiracy theories related to this; the actual facts were covered here before and they're different from what a bunch of yahoos on the Web claim rather baselessly, doing a disservice to informed critics of Gates. The Gates-funded publishers/broadcaster (NPR for example) spend a hufe amount of space and time ridiculing them, collectively painting all Gates critics as outright insane. A couple of days ago NPR 'journalists' started blocking Twitter users who merely pointed out that Gates had paid part of their salary as recently as 2018 (they pay in 'installments' -- conditionally -- to ensure NPR keeps saying what Gates wants... to keep that money coming).

Gates lost the argument ("letter to hobbyists") a long time ago. Free software is the way to go. Paul Allen is dead. Our prediction is that Microsoft will die before Bill Gates. His father is still alive (albeit clinically demented, as acknowledged by the media), so "Junior" might be around for a few more decades, sowing destruction and poverty, as usual.

The fight or the 'war' isn't over. But it's rather clear that in terms of "mindshare" and market share GNU/Linux is 'winning'. Microsoft therefore resorts to the mentality of sacrificial death cults or suicide bombers, trying to cause us all to drown along with Microsoft. Don't cooperate with them; never negotiate with radicals. Only the radicals stand to gain.

"Where are we on this Jihad?" [Against Linux]

--Bill Gates

Jihadi John



Recent Techrights' Posts

EPO Strike a Week From Now, After That Strikes Can Become Permanent
A week from tomorrow there will be another strike
Your Site Should Implement Its Own Search (Before It's Too Late)
GAFAM was never trustworthy
 
Streisand Effect and Justice
This weekend this site has served over 8 million Web requests
Gemini Links 22/03/2026: "Woman of Tomorrow" and "First Steps in Geminispace"
Links for the day
SLAPP Censorship - Part 19 Out of 200: They Were Ill-prepared for Tough Questions in Cross-Examination
Very ill-prepared for the deteriorating situation caused by their clients' past behaviour towards many people, including high-profile figures who offered to testify
The Media Sold Out to Slop Bros
If you wish for the hype to stop, then stop participating in it
The Only Non-IBM Staff in Fedora Council/Leadership Attacks Booting Freedom (Just Like the Master Wants)
Last week IBM laid off almost 1,000 people in Confluent and the media didn't write anything about it, so don't expect anyone in what's left of the media to comment on Fedora's demise and silent layoffs at Red Hat
Just Like a Founder of XBox Said, Microsoft XBox is Collapsing, Management Continue to Jump Ship
Nowadays Microsoft tries to promote this idea that Windows is XBox and XBox is Windows
Links 22/03/2026: Slop Triggers Emergency at Meta, Energy Prices Rise Sharply
Links for the day
Links 22/03/2026: Microsoft 'Open' 'AI' in Legal Trouble (Plagiarism, Distortion, Misrepresentation); Facebook/Meta Kills Off "Horizon Worlds"
Links for the day
Racism Dressed Up as "Choice"
Racism is rampant at IBM
Probably an All-Time Record
Our investment in our own SSG is paying off
Gemini Links 22/03/2026: LLM Slop Attacks USENET, Announcing Pig (New Game in Gemini Protocol)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 21, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, March 21, 2026
SLAPP Censorship - Part 18 Out of 200: Third Parties Funding Attacks on the Messengers, Lawsuits Against GAFAM-Critical Voices That Uphold Real National Security
Women are like kryptonite to them
Never Trust People Who Write Their Own Wikipedia Pages (Vanity Pages About Themselves) or Ask Friends to Do So. Also: Jono Bacon is Married to Microsoft.
We'd hardly be the first to point out Wikipedia isn't what it seems
No Tolerance for Attacks on Family Members
Being a Free software activist ought not lead to "collateral damage" like attacks on family members, including doxing
Sirius Open Source is Just a Zombie Firm With Shell Entities
Many companies fake their health and their size
Communities Can Only Survive When Trust Prevails
PCLinuxOS is still a vibrant and authentic community
Techrights Was Always a Community Site
The harder we're attacked, the more people participate in the site
Maintenance Reminder
We'll carry on publishing
Behind the PR Smokescreen and Microsoft-Sponsored Chaff, Microsoft Layoffs in "AI" Alleged This Month
In an age when ~1,000 simultaneous layoffs aren't enough to receive any media coverage, what can we expect remaining publishers to tell us about Microsoft layoffs in 2026?
EPO "Cocaine Communication Manager" - Part VIII - Mobbing and Silencing of Dissenting Staff
that's the very cornerstone of functional democracies with real opposition parties
Bluewashing at Confluent: Some Workers to Leave Within 3 Months (IBM Mass Layoffs)
Is the "era of AI" an era when none of the media will mention over 800 layoffs? [...] There's a lesson here about the state of the contemporary media, not just IBM and bluewashing
Microsoft OpenAI, Drowning in Debt and Forced to Make Significant Cuts (as Reports Reveal This Month), Does Hiring Disguised as "Takeovers" to Fake Value or Alleged Potential
Remember what happened to Skype last year
Reader Shares Recent Memes on Slop and 'Coding' by LLMs
"just some funny memes I thought were relevant to current coverage."
Slop Does Not Replace Art, It Contaminates Everything With Reckless Nonsense
many Computer Scientists do not want programs to get contaminated by slop
Coders Don't Just Reject 'Vibe Coding' Because They're "Luddites", They Just Know the True Cost of Slop
if some programmer says slop sucks, don't rush to assume selfishness or defence of one's occupation
When Nobody Else Covers the News
There's an obvious "media blackout" regarding the mass layoffs
Links 21/03/2026: David Botstein Dies, Slop as Censorship Apparatus
Links for the day
Links 21/03/2026: Metastablecoin Fragmentation and Crescent Moon
Links for the day
Gemini Links 21/03/2026: Historic Ada Docs; The Lurking LLM on the SmolNet
Links for the day
HSBC the Latest Failed Bank Using Slop as Excuse for Its Financial Failure
"HSBC is planning on cutting as many as 20,000 jobs in the near future as the company allies with AI revolution."
Invitation to General Assembly After 1,200 EPO Workers Participated in the Demonstration 3 Days Ago
"the strike of 19 March was also very well followed."
A/Prof Susan G Kleinmann, Enkelena Haxhija & Debian-private risk to MIT
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, March 20, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, March 20, 2026
SLAPP Censorship - Part 17 Out of 200: A Long Track Record of Online Abuse, Then Choosing a Low-Cost Law Firm to Muzzle People Who Have Illuminated This Abuse for Over a Decade
Censorship by targeting ISPs and webhosts isn't unprecedented
Plagiarism in "Linux" Clothing (LLM Slop in linuxiac.com, LinuxTeck.com, and linuxsecurity.com)
The net effect of those slopfarms is very negative
Links 20/03/2026: Facebook Weaponised Politically, Openwashing by LF and NVIDIA, Encyclopedia Britannica Sues Microsoft Proxy for Plagiarism
Links for the day
The EPO's Local Staff Committee Munich (LSCMN) Explains to the Administrative Council (AC) How Bad Things Have Become at Europe's Second-Largest Institution, Biggest Patent Office, and Corruption/Cocaine Hub (Jobs Sold to Friends)
We'll say a bit more tomorrow
IBM's Red Hat Diversity: Only 3 Women (Out of 11 Leaders)
For comparison's sake, the FSF is about 50% female
Symptom of Publishers Dying: They Move to Adopt Slop. Symptom of Software Companies Dying: They Move to Adopt Slop ('Vibe').
It'll always fail. It's hype. It's a bubble.
Under IBM, Red Hat Replaces Code With LLM Slop, Fedora is Slopware
Not even hiding it, those things are in plain sight
Gemini Links 20/03/2026: Depictions of Culture and The Social Smolnet
Links for the day
SimilarWeb Was Never a Reliable Yardstick for Traffic
5RB may need some "house-cleaning"
Strangulation, suffocation, Jonathan Carter & Debian toxic culture confirmed
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Reports or Hearsay Suggest Ogilvy Broke Up With IBM and Insiders Report Mass Layoffs in "Infrastructure" (Might Impact Red Hat Entrants)
hearsay in Social Control Media
Scheduled Server Maintenance Tomorrow Night
Starting 9PM
None of the Above (NotA) & Debian snubbing Sruthi Chandran
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 20/03/2026: Cryptography Pioneers Win Turing Award and BMG Sues Anthropic for Copyright Infringement
Links for the day
Even Uganda Understands That Journalists Never Belong in Prison
"Ugandan authorities must respect the spirit of this ruling and abandon any measures that seek to jail Ugandans for the free flow of ideas."
Inaction Helps Your Enemies
Without freedom, there's nothing else left
Windows Down From 99% to ~50% in Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles)
Windows fell by a lot
"systemd is essentially a corporate IBM/Redhat project and corporations of course will comply"
Microsoft and IBM care about users' freedom like Cheeto Lump cares about the US Constitution
Confluent Insiders: IBM Laid Over Over 800 at Confluent, Not Just 800
For the record, the layoffs at Confluent won't be over. After the bluewashing there will be "IBM RAs" impacting Confluent folks, aside from PIPs
The Layoffs at IBM Carry on (Shades of Enron)
Is IBM another Enron?
"IBM boss Arvind Krishna... financial package valued at $38 million in calendar 2025 - equivalent to the average collective pay of 765 Big Blue workers."
continues to ruin the company to enrich himself while pretending he has a strategy
Gemini Links 20/03/2026: Digital Identity Bifurcation and a "Return to Gemini"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, March 19, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, March 19, 2026