How much does Microsoft pay you to spread this FUD Roy
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| tracyanne Sep 14, 2008 8:24 AM EDT |
nt |
| dinotrac Sep 14, 2008 11:32 AM EDT |
I am at a loss to match the headline with the story. Did roy leave out the body of his rant, or is it really that short and empty? |
| schestowitz Sep 14, 2008 2:23 PM EDT |
If a company threatens another and someone reports it, how it that FUD? |
| tracyanne Sep 14, 2008 4:58 PM EDT |
Do you always answer a question with a question? or is this how you avoid answering the first question? |
| schestowitz Sep 14, 2008 5:08 PM EDT |
The questions that's too ridiculous to be addressed because it's rhetorical? |
| tracyanne Sep 14, 2008 5:29 PM EDT |
So you are being paid by Microsoft to spread their FUD? |
| schestowitz Sep 14, 2008 5:54 PM EDT |
No. I expose Microsoft corruptions. That serves them better. |
| tuxchick Sep 14, 2008 8:02 PM EDT |
There has been a lot of hand-waving and dirt-kicking, but the longer it goes on the smaller the legal basis for any kind of patent suit. It's looking more like yet another bit of propaganda to scare the PHBs into ponying up for Novell SUSE instead of Red Hat or something else. And who would MS sue? Red Hat, Canonical, Mandriva? None of them have the kind of deep pockets that would make a suit financially worthwhile, and I think even MS recognizes that the backlash would be big enough to hurt. That's why they fund all these backdoor attacks on FOSS, like the SCO lawsuits, propping up Apple, all the astroturfing and trolling, going full-bore into DRM. I think they're getting spread thin from fighting on so many fronts, and all that's keeping MS hostile to FOSS is the old guard leadership. I predict un-dramatic but significant changes in the years ahead. What amazes me is how tolerant the stockholders and board of directors are for all the years of poor performance. Sales are not that great, and the stock value has been staggering along in the gutter for years. I think that paying a dividend has kept the peasants from rioting. I don't have the patience to analyze SEC reports in any kind of depth, but I'll bet a six-pack of my fave beer that MS have been coasting on their cash hoard and outside investments for years now. And even those are not bottomless. |
| schestowitz Sep 14, 2008 8:07 PM EDT |
I hope you're right, Carla. PJ is pretty certain that Microsoft will sue at one stage. |
| tuxchick Sep 14, 2008 8:13 PM EDT |
PJ is pretty smart- if MS does launch a patent war, I think it will severely hurt MS. It will unify the FOSS cat herd and everyone else who thinks they're the next potential target, and the PR hit will be huge. SCO is a nobody, and always has been. But MS touches almost everybody. |
| gus3 Sep 14, 2008 9:49 PM EDT |
Eeewwwwwww... |
| tuxchick Sep 15, 2008 12:12 AM EDT |
Sorry gus3, that does sound pervy! |
| gus3 Sep 15, 2008 1:39 AM EDT |
Not to mention the nasty viruses it carries. |
| schestowitz Sep 15, 2008 2:33 AM EDT |
@tuxchick: yes, that's why I approach this assessment with caution. |
| schestowitz Sep 15, 2008 3:10 AM EDT |
I'd better mention what PJ wrote. just in case: “I think it’s dangerous to let them anywhere near anything that matters until they pledge not to sue FOSS over patent infringement. All they are doing now is taking notes, I believe, and I am confident it will use what it learns against the community when it feels like it. And I wish everyone would get a bit smarter, so we at Groklaw and the legal contingent of the FOSS community don’t have to fix the mess you make. Yes. Seriously. I would suggest treating Microsoft as if they were already suing you personally. Because I believe they will.” http://www.heise-online.co.uk/features/SCO-vs-Linux-mixed-re... 'From hackers to financial analysts, the question of what happens next is occupying the minds of many in the IT industry – not all of them as well-informed as Pamela Jones, the good fairy behind Groklaw, a website which follows such cases. She has told Infoworld that Microsoft will be the next SCO Group; the company has been loudly rattling its patent sabres, claiming earlier this year that Linux violated mote than 235 Microsoft patents. Whether Microsoft goes beyond mere sabre rattling and whether SCO manages anything more than a last gasp is also a question of how you evaluate the course of court proceedings so far. ' |
| tracyanne Sep 15, 2008 4:41 AM EDT |
Quoting:I think it’s dangerous to let them anywhere near anything that matters until they pledge not to sue FOSS over patent infringement. All they are doing now is taking notes, I believe, and I am confident it will use what it learns against the community when it feels like it. No it's using the perception that it can sue, to stop the use of..... |
| phsolide Sep 15, 2008 9:04 AM EDT |
Does any hard evidence exist for MSFT-sponsored trollers? Astroturfing I believe, that's come out in the press over and over. |
| schestowitz Sep 15, 2008 9:06 AM EDT |
phsolide, Yes, I have examples here: http://boycottnovell.com/2007/11/23/astroturfing-microsoft-e... Also see: Newspaper exposes "Steve Barkto" as MS agent Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy From: jmur...@shell.portal.com (John - Murphy) Date: Sun, 20 Mar 1994 18:49:10 GMT Local: Sun, Mar 20 1994 6:49 pm Subject: Newspaper exposes "Steve Barkto" as MS agent Reply to author | Forward | Print | Individual message | Show original | Report this message | Find messages by this author Sunday, March 20, the San Jose Mercury News published a front page article on the agent provocatour, alias, Steve Barkto. The article quotes William Zachmann as saying he tracked down Mr. "Barkto" on his Compuserve forum, after this new member made disparaging remarks about IBM, and in particular, OS/2. Mr. "Barkto" is not a major customer of IBM, but an employee or agent of Microsoft. The account which this mole used, was paid for by the good old folks at MS. I wrote an letter to Congressman Norm Mineta (D-San Jose) asking that the U.S. Dept. of Justice look into unfair trade practices of MS. In particular, the relationship between computer system manufactures, and MS. I wonder how many messages we get on this USENET and others, that originate from the corporate headquarters of Microsoft? John Murphy Commerical Brokers Insurance San Jose, CA http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.os2.advocacy/browse_t... |
| hkwint Sep 15, 2008 11:26 AM EDT |
Tracyanne: You'd spend your time much better fighting against software patents compared to fighting against Roy. Probably I told this before, but it can't hurt to tell it again. Here's the problem: http://www.killsoftwarepatents.com/ And here the solution: http://eupat.ffii.org/07/p2parl/exam/ Instead of blaming Roy, may I ask what _you_ have done against software patents? Did you contact members of parliament yet? Arguing whether Mono infringes patents and if MS is going to enforce them is wasted time. Especially whan you can use that time to get rid of software patents all together. |
| tracyanne Sep 15, 2008 4:38 PM EDT |
I agree. I just get annoyed when people continue to spread FUD. |
| hkwint Sep 15, 2008 4:56 PM EDT |
Oh, that's OK, I understand. I wish it was easier to change the patent system, that would make it easier to stop this particular FUD (not Roy's one, but all patent-FUD). However, it will probably make a bigger impression if Merck or Pfizer give comments about it to the EU-politicians than if I do. At least I tried though. |
| schestowitz Sep 16, 2008 5:58 AM EDT |
I've written literally hundreds of posts denouncing software patents and I continue to do so. I apologise, trcyanne, if I wrote something that bothered you. I don't write to provoke. I try to understand where we all stand. |
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