Gujarat Education Board(India) goes Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| For the uninitiate, this is the turning point we have been waiting for that
| would take Linux to every computer user. Imagine millions of students who are
| aware of what Open Source Software and Linux is before they join
| universities. Who in their right mind is going to use Vi$ta after trying out
| openSUSE 11.0 in all it’s compiz glory?
`----
http://dev.compiz-fusion.org/~cyberorg/2008/06/22/gujarat-education-boardindia-goes-open-source/
Speaking of eye candy:
Tweaking Ubuntu: Release the Geek!
,----[ Quote ]
| I've just got a new computer and it's only 4-5 years old so it rocks! I'm
| running ubuntu on it and i've been tweaking the compiz setting to do cool
| stuff with the desktop, getting that mac like functionality.
`----
http://edwardrapley.co.uk/tweaking-ubuntu-release-geek
Microsoft India seems to harming ICT plans by 'donating', as seen/caught just
weeks ago. It seems similar to the OOXML corruption ('donations' in return for
favours).
Recent:
Microsoft to put $20 mln more in India education
,----[ Quote ]
| "We have invested approximately $20 million between 2003 and 2008. We'll have
| a similar investment over the next five years," Ravi Venkatesan, chairman of
| the company's Indian unit, said.
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSDEL9524120080604
Someone who is familiar with this in India pointed to this:
Syllabus Review of Indian Educational Institutes to filter out Brandings
http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Syllabus_Review
Recent:
Microsoft, Czech Republic Sign Pact On Licensing And Supply
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer signed the deal with Czech Interior
| Minister Ivan Langer. The agreement is aimed at simplifying the software
| licensing process over the next three to five years.
|
| Deputy Interior Minister Zdenek Zajicek said the arrangement would save the
| government about EUR28 million.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200805221553DOWJONESDJONLINE000914_FORTUNE5.htm
Microsoft Launches OnMyWay
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has just launched a program called OnMyWay, by which Microsoft will
| offer training and financial help to young people.
|
| [...]
|
| I have a working theory for your consideration. I noticed something striking.
| While the ads are being run so far only in those four countries, and it's
| supposed to be a global branding campaign, if you look at who is on the list
| of those who have gotten help from the program already, you see groups from
| the UK, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland and
| Italy. I took a look at how each country on this list voted on OOXML in
| March.
|
| The Czech Republic, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Finland and Norway all voted to
| approve OOXML.
|
| This was a change for each of them. In September, the Czech Republic, the UK,
| Denmark, and Norway had voted to disapprove, so this was a change in
| Microsoft's favor. Finland abstained in September, and it voted to approve in
| March as well.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080525134433446
The Embrace, Extend, Extinguish of ODF Begins? - Updated
,----[ Quote ]
| I believe Sun pays Durusau to work on ODF as the OpenDocument Editor, OASIS
| TC. Sun? What's up with that? Seriously. What's going on here? If this is who
| is steering ODF in OASIS, I'm extremely worried. And if there is a secret
| working group rewriting the directives, while Microsoft and Alex Brown both
| say they want ODF transferred to ISO for ongoing maintenance, I'd say the
| Embrace, Extend, Extinguish of ODF has officially begun.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080524063506630
Microsoft influencing partner NGOs to support OOXML in India
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is encouraging its business partners to promote its Office Open XML
| specification (OOXML) to the Indian Bureau of Standards (BIS) and Ministry of
| IT. This move has incensed supporters of the rival OpenDocument Format (ODF)
| who fear that the "soft" Indian state may not be able to stand up to
| Microsoft pressure tactics.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/128528
Microsoft India using NGOs to fake support for OOXML
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-44038/microsoft-india-using-ngos-to-fake-support-for-ooxml
Becoming a better company: Microsoft helps NGOs in India
,----[ Quote ]
| Of course, there has to be some trade-offs, because there should never be
| free lunch, even for the ones who starve: Microsoft, according to this
| article, has conditioned its help to Indian NGOs to their support of OOXML.
| What the NGOs had to do was to send letters of support on OOXML to the
| federal government of India.
`----
http://standardsandfreedom.net/index.php/2008/02/29/becoming-a-better-company-microsoft-helps-ngos-in-india/
Microsoft "persuades" NGOs to support OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| Our friends at Linux Delhi have put up a copy of the form letters that
| Microsoft has been sending NGOs on the OOXML issue. Apparently, these NGOs
| have been sending copies of these letters to the Ministry of IT and Bureau of
| Indian standards.
`----
http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/02/microsoft-persuades-ngos-to-support.html
Developers around the world, unite!
,----[ Quote ]
| Monopoly and proprietary software have an advantage in influencing state and
| governmental institutions because of their large market base and ready
| capital. Unscrupulous ways of influencing state governments have persisted in
| India, for example, where executives of proprietary software cajole
| government heads to promote their brands in lieu of some form of charity
| given. FLOSS activists must overcome this huge challenge in order to get
| their philosophy accepted and model implemented for the good of people who
| are still on the barren side of the digital divide.
`----
http://thepost.com.pk/OpinionNews.aspx?dtlid=147277&catid=11
Using NGOs to Push Agendas
,----[ Quote ]
| The extent to which Microsoft can go in its efforts to get OOXML is
| interesting. Microsoft has "persuaded" several non-profit organizations to
| bombard the Indian IT Secretary and the Additional Director General of the
| Bureau of Indian Standards with letters supporting its OOXML proposal. A copy
| of the form letter they have been circulating to NGOs is given below.
| Somebody should interview these NGOs to see how much they really know about
| OOXML and open standards.
|
| The sequence of events leading up to the spamming of GoI? is:
|
| Letter from an NGO thanking Microsoft (name changed to protect their
| identity)
`----
http://wiki.linux-delhi.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/OpenStandards/MsNgoLobby
An Open Letter to Wipro, Infosys and TCS
,----[ Quote ]
| This letter is to express our deep disappointment over your open support to
| the OOXML format forced through ISO by Microsoft. Being the top IT giants and
| thus the representatives of the IT industry in the country, it is a great
| shock to us that you do not stand with academia of the country and its
| representatives like the IITs, IIMs and IISc in supporting the Open Document
| Format (ODF) which is a true Free and Open Standard already recognised as an
| ISO Standard. Considering that a major portion of your employees come from
| such institutions, it is a wonder to us that you have decided to go ahead
| with this decisions.
`----
http://www.fossmeet.in/node/128
Candle Light Vigil for Document Freedom
,----[ Quote ]
| The Candle light vigil demands India to appeal ISO approval of ooxml based on
| its comments and no vote. We also demands the Department of IT to draft a
| clear national policy for the use of Free standards for data storage.
|
| This programme is planned as a starting point for various events & awareness
| campaigns on Document freedom.
`----
http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Campaign_for_Document_Freedom#Candle_Light_Vigil_for_Document_Freedom
Microsoft wins Open XML vote, frowns at Indian panel
,----[ Quote ]
| Industry experts said they were "unhappy" with the Microsoft which has almost
| accused the committee of being packed with "open document format (ODF)
| supporters".
|
| "I am very upset and uncomfortable with such complaints. In fact, the
| chairperson of the committee (LITD 15) offered to step down over the
| allegation," D.B. Phatak, professor at IIT Mumbai, told DNA Money.
|
| IIT Mumbai is a member of LITD 15, and Phatak was part of the deliberations
| that have been taking place within IIT on the issue.
|
| Phatak said a Microsoft official was asked if it would withdraw the
| complaint, but the company refused as the "complaint was made by some higher
| officer in Microsoft".
|
| Jaijit Bhattacharya, country director of government strategy for Sun
| Microsystems India, a company that has been at loggerheads with Microsoft for
| years, talks in a similar vein.
|
| "I am surprised that such allegations are made against India's top academic
| and government institutions … such allegations lack credibility,'
| Bhattacharya said. Venkatesh Hariharan, co-founder Open Source Foundation of
| India said, "I am just amazed and shocked at the depths to which Microsoft is
| willing to descend."
|
| He said Microsoft's complaint is a "great disservice to the committee, its
| chairperson and the BIS".
`----
http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14636329
OOXML: decision time is nigh
,----[ Quote ]
| Wipro, Infosys and TCS are the three big companies that accept business
| process outsourcing from the American and other markets, hence their vote for
| Microsoft is not a surprise at all. These are companies that maintain the
| status quo, conservative to the core and willing to do the bidding of the
| piper. Nasscom represents the interests of the bigger IT companies and it
| probably had no choice but to fall in line.
`----
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/17353/1148/
Microsoft files complaint on OOXML vote to apex office and Ministry of Consumer
Affairs
,----[ Quote ]
| At the meeting held on 20th March 2008, we were informed that Microsoft has
| complained to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and to the apex office of the
| country about the constitution of the committee and also cast aspersions on
| the impartiality of the chairperson of LITD15, Mrs. Neeta Verma. The
| chairperson was furious and offered to step down from her post. She pointed
| out that the committee has met numerous times and Microsoft never brought
| this issue up in front of the committee nor did they check the facts with her
| or her organization before complaining to the apex office.
`----
http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/03/microsoft-files-complaint-on-ooxml-vote.html
Should India change its vote No vote for OOXML? - please?
,----[ Quote ]
| Well done to the Bureau of Indian Standards for standing firm against this
| raging bully. Hopefully one day the bully will learn how to play fair and
| contribute positively to the standards process, and not try to manipulate its
| way in.
|
| Truly despicable behaviour. Shame on you, Microsoft, yet again. How will we
| ever trust you?
`----
http://www.openmalaysiablog.com/2008/03/should-india-ch.html
Steve Ballmer was in India?
,----[ Quote ]
| Interestingly, that was the day when BIS met to discuss OOXML. For those who
| have been following this issue, India's final vote on the subject will be on
| 20th May 2008. Talk about timing!
`----
http://osindia.blogspot.com/2008/03/steve-ballmer-was-in-india.html
|
|
