If the birthmark fits, Microsoft will wear it
,----[ Quote ]
| When Jason Perlow reported on last week’s Microsoft Technology Summit, he
| sought to compliment the company by giving CEO Steve Ballmer a Gorbachev-like
| birthmark (right).
|
| But Gorbachev was a Communist. He wasn’t elected. He was the product of a
| dictatorial society which was rotting from the inside, and his final
| achievement was to preside over its dissolution.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=2214
Is Microsoft really any more trustworthy?
,----[ Quote ]
| I don't buy it. I'm certain there are some engineers at Microsoft who would
| have no problem working together with open-source developers. But I also
| believe that, so long as Steve Ballmer heads the company, Microsoft will
| never be a real partner for open source. Or, for that matter, that Microsoft
| would prove a trustworthy partner to any company not under its thumb.
|
| Perlow compares Microsoft's relationship to open source with the Soviet
| Union's Glasnost period when it was opening up to the West for the first
| time. It's a good analogy, but I don't think it's an accurate one. Come the
| day when, say, Mark Shuttleworth cribs from Reagan and demands, "Mr. Ballmer,
| tear down these patent walls" and Microsoft does so, then I'll believe that
| the Evil Empire has changed its ways. Until then, I'm going to trust
| Microsoft about as far as I can throw Ballmer.
`----
http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS5008032165.html
Microsoft Isn't Credible About Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's promise of more interoperability is just that, interoperability
| and a promise, not support for creating or benefiting open source software.
| And Microsoft's Open Specification Promise doesn't facilitate open source
| software licensing, just a promise to Microsoft chosen released specs,
| interfaces and APIs in the clear for others to integrate with.
`----
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/26484
When is a Standard Not a Standard?
,----[ Quote ]
| So, now we come to the present day, and an ongoing battle about which
| relatively few people, compared to the world population, know or understand.
| The battle lines were drawn, the positions chosen, and the war began.
| Microsoft can’t stop ODF from being a standard - ODF has already achieved the
| status.
`----
http://tycheent.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/when-is-a-standard-not-a-standard/
Quote for the day:
"The government is not trying to destroy Microsoft, it’s simply seeking to
compel Microsoft to obey the law. It’s quite revealing that Mr. Gates equates
the two."
--Government official
Related:
MA Governor-Elect Names MS Anti-ODF Lobbyist to Technology Advisory Group
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20061128161343183
The Sorry State of Massachusetts
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=2006111603531029
Q&A: Former Mass. CIO feels 'bittersweet pride' after battles with Microsoft,
legislature
,----[ Quote ]
| As CIO of Massachusetts from February to November last year, Louis
| Gutierrez had to endure most of the brunt of Microsoft Corp.'s political
| wrath over a state policy calling for the adoption of the Open Document
| Format for Office Applications, or ODF -- a rival to the software vendor's
| Office Open XML file format.
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9012760&source=rss_news50
,----[ Quote ]
| Quinn: Almost to a person, to anybody involved or who knows about
| the ODF issue, they attributed the story to Microsoft, right, wrong
| or otherwise. Senator Pacheco may be a bully but I do not believe he
| is disingenious and would stoop to such a tactic. Senator Pacheco and
| Secretary Galvin's office remain very heavily influenced by the
| Microsoft money and its lobbyist machine, as witnessed by their
| playbook and words, in my opinion.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060119232859729
Microsoft offers schools in Mass. free software (to stop ODF adoption)
http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-6090196.html?part=rss&tag=6090196&subj=news
Microsoft plays Massachusetts Senate card
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32515
Politics and tech companies: follow the money
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061110-8194.html
Years of deadlock on EU patent bring some new thinking
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/08/business/patents.php
,----[ Quote ]
| A source that deals with the company said unofficially that Gates
| proposed Microsoft's Digital Rights Management technology as a national
| standard to fight piracy at the governmental level.
`----
http://www.kommersant.com/p719683/r_528/
Leaked letter warns of open source 'threat to eco-system'
http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=7109
Study: open source needs official support; Lobbyist disagrees with "flawed"
conclusions
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061017-8011.html
Report Says Nonprofits Sold Influence to Abramoff
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101200889.html
Open Source Foes In Bed With Abramoff
http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/12/2036223&from=rss
EU official joins consultancy serving Microsoft
http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-10-03T134311Z_01_L03693228_RTRIDST_0_TECH-MICROSOFT-OFFICIAL.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna
US ambassador to the EU was former Microsoft lobbyist
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34706
US politicians go to bat for Microsoft
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/26/microsoft_eu_political_lobbying/
Changing the Report, After the Vote
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/09/01/commission
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