11.11.08
Microsoft Does B.A.D. Things in Kerala
BAD: [B]ribing, [A]ddicting, [D]umping
“Coca-Cola was named back in 1885 for its two “medicinal” ingredients: extract of coca leaves and kola nuts. Just how much cocaine was originally in the Cocaine molecule formulation is hard to determine, but the drink undeniably contained some cocaine in its early days.”
Microsoft’s recent actions in Korea were symbolic of its strategy against GNU/Linux and Free software. As we pointed out last year (backed by actual examples), Microsoft plays similar games in Kerala, whose migration to Free software it is actively trying to stifle. Microsoft also tries getting Keralan people ‘addicted’ to its proprietary software (particularly in education), just like Coca-Cola with added caffeine. Remember Mammootty? Microsoft even tried using celebrities, not only gifts. Now it summons a new strategy which was revealed to us earlier today.
Microsoft and/or its goons are diluting the value of the term “Linux Users Group” by creating a “Microsoft Users Group” in Kerala. Can one be a “Microsoft User” at all? Is there a product or software called “Microsoft”? This smells like brand-jacking, much like Office Open XML (not to be confused with OpenOffice.org) or “shared source”.
Watch this Web site, which is self explanatory.
Microsoft & INETA (international .NET association) provide the technical materials (CDs, books, online resources etc) , infrastructure support and faculties for conducting a statewide seminar drive, which would educate and inform the public and the student community about the Microsoft Technologies.
Talk about user-generated Web sites (grassroots or pseudo-grassroots)…
We were hoping to find out if Microsoft was behind this site, just as it was behind “Voices for Innovation” (lobbying arm for software patents) and an anti-VMware Web site, which was assigned to some marketing firm hired by Microsoft.
This latest one seems innocent though (it’s a Google mail address).
Domain ID:D153405496-LROR Domain Name:K-MUG.ORG Created On:21-Jul-2008 04:07:27 UTC Last Updated On:20-Sep-2008 03:52:20 UTC Expiration Date:21-Jul-2009 04:07:27 UTC Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com, Inc. (R91-LROR) Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED Registrant ID:GODA-050763413 Registrant Name:Sreejumon KP Registrant Street1:#322, 28th main, 8th cross Registrant Street2:HSR Layout 1st sector Registrant Street3: Registrant City:Bangalore Registrant State/Province:Kerala Registrant Postal Code:560031 Registrant Country:IN Registrant Phone:+91.9740063021 Registrant Phone Ext.: Registrant FAX: Registrant FAX Ext.: Registrant Email:sreejumon@gmail.com Admin ID:GODA-250763413 Admin Name:Sreejumon KP Admin Street1:#322, 28th main, 8th cross Admin Street2:HSR Layout 1st sector Admin Street3: Admin City:Bangalore Admin State/Province:Kerala Admin Postal Code:560031 Admin Country:IN Admin Phone:+91.9740063021 Admin Phone Ext.: Admin FAX: Admin FAX Ext.: Admin Email:sreejumon@gmail.com Tech ID:GODA-150763413 Tech Name:Sreejumon KP Tech Street1:#322, 28th main, 8th cross Tech Street2:HSR Layout 1st sector Tech Street3: Tech City:Bangalore Tech State/Province:Kerala Tech Postal Code:560031 Tech Country:IN Tech Phone:+91.9740063021 Tech Phone Ext.: Tech FAX: Tech FAX Ext.: Tech Email:sreejumon@gmail.com Name Server:NS3.ORCSWEB.COM Name Server:NS4.ORCSWEB.COM
One of our readers and informants from India says that Microsoft posted an invitation in a Linux Users Group. That happened recently. Was the invitation to this group perhaps? If so, what would that suggest? An inter-personal connection? Maybe it was a general sort of invitation like ones we hear that Microsoft sends many LUGs in order to deliver talks inside them, e.g. [1, 2]. They often get rejected.
The Web site above says there is meeting on November 15th, which incidentally [wink wink] coincides with a national conference on Free software. It takes place in the very same city on the 15th and 16th.
Microsoft has a known and well-documented habit of organising gigs right next to its competition (geographically speaking), VMware being just one recent example. Apple is another. Timing coincidence is another ugly strategy, Document Freedom Day being a good example, accompanied by search engine manipulation and entrapment.
In other news (not so new anymore) which comes from India, this one is worth bringing to light:
Why Wipro, Infosys and TCS are “The Axis of Evil” for Indian startup space
[...]
Yes you read it right I am calling this trio and their thousands of offshoots “The Axis of Evil” for Indian Software and Start-up space. While it is well known how these companies started the IT revolution in India with an interesting business model “Body Shopping” and post US clamping on H1 visas “Offshore Outsourcing”. The Indian software outsourcing story started off as a great business of labour arbitrage has today left most of its players scrambling for margins and why?
It’s important never to forget what these 3 companies do for Microsoft. They are not “The Axis of Evil”; they are part of a much bigger evil, sometimes gently referred to as the “Microsoft ecosystem” or compared to “Scientology cult” by high officials. For more information see:
- Microsoft Smear Campaigns in India: Watch and Be Disgusted
- Wipro, Infosys and TCS Under Fire for Blind, Self-serving Endorsement of Monopolisation
- Brazil Spills the Beans on OOXML, BRM; India’s Story Told Again
- Who Voted “Yes” for OOXML in India Anyway?
Let us keep who eye open and identify on who is who. Wipro, Infosys, and TCS are no friends of Freedom. One major publication referred to what they do as digital slavery, characterised by sweatshop-level working conditions. They mostly serve Microsoft’s monoculture. █
Join the club, put your shackles on
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G. Michaels said,
November 12, 2008 at 3:26 am
Roy, could you ask your poodle to stop trolling Slashdot? It’s getting really old now:
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1024127&cid=25721311
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.
Sreejumon said,
November 12, 2008 at 3:34 am
Hello Roy Schestowitz,
I am Sreejumon, President of K-MUG. I have been running Microsoft UGs in Kerala from 2001. May be you were not aware of the earlier successful user groups in Kerala. Only thing what we did recently is merged all existing MS user groups in Kerala and formed a kerala wide UG. I am from Kerala, and I have been conducting lots of activities and sessions in Kerala related to technologies. So there is nothing new for me
I guess, you are writing this inaccurate blogs because you don’t much about Kerala and its activities. We have another session planned on 13th Dec at Trivandrum. It would be great if you can attend one session and then write something valid.
We believe that people should have the opportunity to learn about as many types of software, especially while still in college. Through community activities (such as K-MUG), people have the opportunity to learn, share & grow together. If a member of K-MUG wishes to join other communities also, they are definitely entitled to do that. Getting the right facts about a variety of software development approaches will hopefully enable people to make optimal decisions when choosing one type of software over another.
I am not against Linux, and I am not from MS Marketing team also. I do use lots of open source softwares and contribute to them as well. We have to appreciate the good things from all technologies and platforms
Kenney said,
November 12, 2008 at 6:37 am
Yoou are stupid. Post stuff after finding out the truth
Roy Schestowitz said,
November 12, 2008 at 6:43 am
The fact remains that Microsoft distributes freebies in Kerala in order to entice kids (I gave examples before). K-MUG is promoting it:
“Microsoft & INETA (international .NET association) provide the technical materials (CDs, books, online resources etc) , infrastructure support and faculties for conducting a statewide seminar drive, which would educate and inform the public and the student community about the Microsoft Technologies.”
In my eyes, K-MUG is akin to Wipro, which helps Microsoft loot the country by ‘addicting’ people to Microsoft’s non-Free software.
Sreejumon said,
November 12, 2008 at 7:01 am
But what is wrong in promoting good technologies? As I mentioned earlier, I do use LAMP. My blog is based on wordpress. You should not hide the facts because of “ani-MS” blood, If there is something good, you should appreciate. Do you think, Wipro is doing only MS technology work. There are loads of people who work in open source, mainframe etc in Wipro. So please don’t write nonsense, if you are not sure about the facts.
Roy Schestowitz said,
November 12, 2008 at 7:09 am
The degree to which Wipro causes harm to Free software is demonstrated by its software patents policy and favoring of OOXML.
Microsoft too is using GNU/Linux (in-house), but it does not make it a friend of GNU/Linux.
Shyam K said,
November 13, 2008 at 4:58 am
Hi sreejumon,
Myself an engineering student in Kerala.
We have a State with its government school students studying exclusively Swathanthra Software.
You think M$ and other proprietary companies are having “good technologies?” Sorry thats not the truth. If you really want to know the difference, on why We say M$ users are slaves without Freedom, you can read some articles.. from gnu.org/philosophy which explains it the best way i know..
If you still doubt.. i just have one question..
“Can you control your computer?” “Can you say how your computer works?”
Ok, enough of basics..
Best of Luck.
sillyxone said,
November 13, 2008 at 7:38 am
a little entertainment to put you on the track:
http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/
Roy Schestowitz said,
November 13, 2008 at 9:05 am
Here is another decent place to start.
Praseed Pai said,
November 20, 2008 at 12:36 am
Hi Roy,
As a software developer , i want to make a living through software. That is essentially what the promoters of OSS also do. OSS user groups are a lobying point for people who want ot make a living through NetWork administaration , LAMP and other content management tools.
From a TCO (Total cost of ownership ) point of view , the end users are not getting the benifit of OSS software. The OSS enthusiast use this “free” tools to further the objective of profit maximization. And they give moral angle to “software freedom” etc.
MS might be a “evil” for lot of guys. But, it has helped mere mortals to make a living through software. What is wrong for having a user group for M$ products ?
Regards
Praseed Pai