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Re: the caring face of Microsoft - NOT!

__/ [ Gordon ] on Monday 05 February 2007 16:15 \__

> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6332441.stm

Very interesting. When Microsoft smells a wallet, it is willing to no longer
turn a blind eye to piracy. Recently in the news:


Hackers attack Gorbachev's Web site

,----[ Quote ]
| The perpetrators posted photographs of the suppressed rally on the
| Web site and published an open letter to the former leader, blaming
| him for the deaths of more 130 people -- a tragedy known in Azerbaijan
| as the Black January.
`----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070120/ap_on_hi_te/russia_gorbachev

http://toolbar.netcraft.com/site_report?url=http://www.mikhailgorbachev.org
http://toolbar.netcraft.com/site_report?url=http://www.gorby.ru


It was running Windows, of course.


Then there's this, which relates to the BBC article.


Linux and Windows in Russian schools

,----[ Quote ]
| I just noticed this blog entry (in Russian) from an advanced Linux
| user, where he offers free help to every teacher (or their boss) 
| who'd like to start teaching Linux, and gives a few links to
| other such projects, such as "The winter Linux school for teachers"
| (in Russian) organized by ALTLinux together with a few other
| institutions. A few other projects do exist. Hopefully, such
| projects, together with the "antipiracy" campaign will lead to
| more Linux and open source in Russian schools.
`----

http://blog.linuxtoday.com/blog/archives/070130-080943.html


There's hope.


Russian Government Will Migrate to OpenSource

,----[ Quote ]
| Russia decided to follow after EU countries, where opensource
| solutions are more spread then in Russia. Currently, some Russian
| companies can offer their own Desktop Linux OS (the major companies
| are ASPLinux, ALTLinux, Linux-Online and LinuxCenter).
`----

http://danays.blogspot.com/2006/12/russian-government-will-migrate-to.html


And let's hope Microsoft shoots itself in the toes.


Gates: Russia Tackling Software Piracy

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corp. chairman and co-founder Bill Gates said Tuesday
| that Russia has made progress tackling software piracy, a problem
| that has threatened the country's bid to join the World Trade
| Organization.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061107/russia_bill_gates.html?.v=2


I guess Gates hasn't got the scent of money in Romania (yet!).


Romania: Software piracy made us what we are today

,----[ Quote ]
| Experts have called for stronger action from Romanian officials on
| software piracy, with prosecutors encouraged to stop dismissing
| potential cases. The International Intellectual Property Alliance
| in 2006 said dismissals are acting as a disincentive on police to
| clamp down on criminals, who are mostly end-users and distributors.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/02/romania_microsoft_piracy/


When it's in America, then that's another matter altogether.


California man busted for software piracy

,----[ Quote ]
| A Southern California man was arrested for allegedly producing
| and selling thousands of dollars worth of pirated software
| from Microsoft and Adobe, according to the Riverside County
| Sheriff's department.
`----

http://www.theregister.com/2007/02/01/counterfeit_arrest/


Ask the Chinese how they feel.


Chinese attitude on buying Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| I've mentioned above,the price of Vista is higher than RMB2000 (about
| USD257) may not shake users in developed countries, but do you know it
| is equal to the average monthly salary in China's economic center
| Shanghai!So please take this fact into consideration before
| criticize our behavior of buying pirate softwares.
| 
| recent survey of public opinion from China's portal NetEase shows that 81%
| of netizens think Microsoft is forcing them to use pirate Vista...
`----

http://ya.iyee.cn/2007/02/chinese-attitude-on-buying-vista.html


And there's a reason for this.


Why Piracy Hurts Open Source

,----[ Quote ]
| "...John looks at this from a different direction. He shows you why
| software piracy hurts Open Source software--the free stuff you are using."
`----

http://www.tuxmagazine.com/node/1000266


Microsoft seals its Windows and opens the door to Linux

,----[ Quote ]
| Now comes the really interesting question. With Vista's activation
| technology, Microsoft has the power to stamp out piracy everywhere. But
| will it choose to do so everywhere? After all, if folks in China or
| Thailand or Ethiopia have to pay for Vista, they won't be able to run
| it because they won't be able to afford the licence fee. In which case
| they may finally wake up to the attractions of free software such as
| Linux - and it's easy to imagine what that will do to Microsoft's
| plans for world domination.
|
| It's a delicious prospect: Microsoft impaling itself on the horns
| of a dilemma it has created for itself. Roll on Thursday.
`----

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1956941,00.html 


How Piracy Opens Doors for Windows

,----[ Article's summary ]
| Bill Gates may not be entirely dismayed by software thieves. They
| seed the world market and make Microsoft a standard.
`----

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-micropiracy9apr09,0,414067.story?track=tottext


Beware: Half of Pirated Vista Is Malware

,----[ Quote ]
| About half of all downloads that claim to be free versions of
| Microsoft's Vista operating system are actually malicious
| Trojan horse software, security vendor DriveSentry warned today.
`----

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/003622.html


Gates found a balance between lockin and extortion. The idea is that you
squeeze the most money out of people. If you can double the cost in the UK,
why not? If you face threat from Linux, then temporarily suspend charges.
Still, it's a vacuum cleaner of cash.


-- 
                        ~~ Best wishes 

Roy S. Schestowitz      | "Black holes are where God is divided by zero"
http://Schestowitz.com  |  RHAT GNU/Linux   ¦     PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
         run-level 5  Jan 23 00:41                   last=S  
      http://iuron.com - help build a non-profit search engine

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