Re: MS and Largo- DANGER

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Re: MS and Largo- DANGER
by Jens on Tuesday 13/Nov/2001, @14:24

Don't put this off too lightly.

Microsoft knows they have a hell of a lot to loose as soon as their customers figure out they have a choice. Microsoft's software doesn't sell so well because it's good, or because it's cheap, but because most of their customers just assume they have to live with it.

The City of Largo showed them otherwise. They've got clued admins, satisfied users, GOOD community feedback and a well supported and running network - all without not a single Windows machine (or 'because of lack of', more likely). Microsoft doesn't like that and will chase their PR people to hell and back over this.

So watch out, and help. Do some (sane!) local advocacy. Get friends to try out Linux (and not your own überhacker distro, but a distro they won't feel completely stupid with). Tell workmates you refuse to open 'winmail.dat' attachments because of virus danger (they probably won't understand the problem with 'because only Outlook can read them'). Etc.

Read http://www.jensbenecke.de/sicher-trotz-windows.php - through babelfish if you don't grok German.

Make people *AWARE* they have a choice, and they don't have to take this any more.

Microsoft doesn't care about money or ethics here (as if they ever did). They want something and they will build snow castles in Africa if that's what it takes to win them over.

Example: One of the people of the German government (very vivid OSS supporter now) was recently invited to the US to be "educated" by Microsoft people. He came back and was "shocked", he was constantly treated by MS officials who told them it's ridiculous for the state to make such (ie. "non-Windows") purchase decisions, it's absurd that an organization as big as his relies on a bunch of hackers, etc etc etc. Result? Some time later another branch opened a competition(?) for companies to stock their new IT center. Lowest price wins. Catch: One of the requirements was "everything must run Windows". I wonder how much money they got from MS.

One other very influential society that acts like this is Scientology. I'm not proposing there are any more ties than there really are (e.g. disk fragmenter in Win2k), but who knows.

cheers,

Related Links

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Re: MS and Largo- DANGER
by AC on Wednesday 14/Nov/2001, @06:21

For what it's worth, there is a scientology building in Redmond... Pretty close to a mall, I saw it when I went to visit the evil empire last summer.

(Wanted to know what we're up against... ;-) )

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Re: MS and Largo- DANGER
by patrick darcy on Wednesday 14/Nov/2001, @10:59

if u want to know more about what we're up against go
to rickross.com punch in microsoft and landmark as your search.
u just might be surprised as to what u find.

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