a request for LXER
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| number6x Mar 28, 2006 5:54 AM EDT |
LXER, Could you continue to follow this story? I would love to keep my congresman, and senator informed. I know politicians love the smell of money, and that gives corporate lobbyists a powerful 'IN' in Washington. However, I also know that politicians hate the smell of scandal even more than they love the smell of money. I'm not above reminding my elected officials that it was Preston, Gates, & Ellis that brought the scandal ridden Jack Abramoff to Washington D.C., and then noting PG&E's ties with Microsoft. This might be speculation, but my hope is that there is just enough stink to make decision makers in Washington at least consider the LAMP alternative before blindly following the corporate lobbyist's suggestions. It may not be enough, but it might make some politicians pause and think. That, in itself, is a rare thing. |
| tadelste Mar 28, 2006 6:12 AM EDT |
number6x: I've been following this story for two years and will continue. |
| jimf Mar 28, 2006 7:57 AM EDT |
Now 'this' could be that straw that breaks the camel's back.... National Security issue... Oh Yeah! |
| phubert Mar 28, 2006 12:49 PM EDT |
So, who are the "they" who are 'trying to replace' the OSS vendor's product? And, whose product are "they" trying to replace it with??? |
| helios Mar 28, 2006 1:38 PM EDT |
My suggestion is for someone with a bit of time, to condense the meat into a managable paragraph or two that individuals could use to contact their congressmen and senators. Lower case purely intentional. |
| Skapare Mar 28, 2006 7:49 PM EDT |
number6x: I can confirm that Tom has followed this story for a long time. I've known Tom for years, and he first told me about the beginnings of this a couple years ago. And it appears, given recent political maneuvers, the time to make this well known overall is now. phubert: Apparently Microsoft is the most aggressive with this. We know they will stop at nothing because of the paranoia of losing their monopoly position. It isn't about they money from one project; it's about not letting Linux being seen as succeeding at anything. |
| tadelste Mar 28, 2006 7:55 PM EDT |
phubert: I don't think much ambiguity exists here. To whom do you think we're referring? Billy Joe Bob or Bill Gates? Listen very clearly: This is not some joke. Microsoft influenced people at DHS to question and hold hearings after hearings after hearings to dela for several years the implementation of a nationwide Emergency Response Network. This no longer has anything to do with who has a better OS. Secondly, I get infuriated when people pick on a single item like you did above for the purpose of invalidating an entire story. I see this time and time again. If you have something to say to discredit any report, then show some intelligence, communication skills and agility with the English language. Don't pick on a single word or phase in an attempt to discredit two years of research, following a story and reporting on it. |
| GnuGuy Mar 29, 2006 5:54 AM EDT |
Approaching our 'elected' officials is always worth a try, but their attention is established based on the popularity of the issue or the political value of the problem. If they see the problem as noble, but of great risk to their own career with very little benefit to their own image, well... Nevermind, I'm getting off the topic. I keep wondering why PBS' Frontline hasn't done something with this. Granted, PBS gets TONS of money from Billy Joe Bob... oh, wait a minute, or is that actually Billy Gates. It's so easy to get those two confused. Anyhow, I know I'm asking and answering my own question, but I'd like to think that someone out there still has a sense of fairness and objectivity. It seems to me that the broadcast media tells the story of the highest bidder or whatever is currently chic and popular, but I'd think PBS would be above all that. The stuff that I've seen on Frontline has typically been very balanced and in-depth. I don't feel the same about Bill Moyers' NOW. His front-man David Brancaccio has not convinced me that he's a REAL journalist. Some of his stuff (and maybe through no fault of his own) came off so scripted, rehearsed, and worst of all slanted. He just strikes me as somebody's slick-looking frontman. The problem with PBS is, again, visibility (aka, popularity). Unfortunately, most of the US population is consuming psuedo-intellectual 'junk food' if not complete trash. Mention PBS to anybody and they think you're using an acronym to describe some new fashion concept. So the audience that would actually view a program about a subject like this would be small. One thing is for sure... It would be worth a shot to get this stuff to whomever is still trying to prosecute micro$oft. And I don't mean Kollar-kollar-kotelly... komana-mana-kotelly... fee-fi-fotelly. (For you young folk out there, that's a pretty weak homage to the song 'The Name Game.') Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Microsoft are evidence that at least some of us evolved from 'primeval slime.' |
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