[Fsf-friends] Re: DotNet

Joe Steeve joe_steeve@gmx.net
Thu Oct 28 12:09:35 IST 2004


KG Kumar <kgkumar@gmail.com> writes:
> I am not sure that is the "best" way. It is certainly one way --
> and, unfortunately, also one that could easily be labelled
> bigoted or even fascist. Another way would be to engage the
> "enemy" in debate on the ethical issues involved -- even, if
> necessary, on their own terms.  Winning an intellectual debate
> on a platform shared by believers and non-believers alike would
> be a far greater morale booster to lovers of freedom than
> continuing to preach to the converted.

Hmm. The strategy used by M$ for DotNET is something like an
Injection. The needle drives smoothly inside and then the poison
is injected in. They are hitting on the academic circles. Students
are being targetted. M$ through its Micro$oft Student Ambassadors
is doing a large scale mobilisation in colleges amongst the
student community. They wrap their stuff under labels such as "M$s
Open Source venture", "Open Technology", etc.. They are forming
student groups in colleges. These groups get special attention
from M$ in terms of CDs, magazines, books, etc.. This way they are
popularizing their technology among the student community. In
effect there could soon be a monopoly of the technology. 

In these student groups., M$ employees/ambassadors act as if they
are greatly interested in Open Source (I've never heard of them
talk about Free Software) and slowly bring in proprietary
software. They instill an idea in the students that its after all
not wrong to produce "proprietary software". These students get to
the thinking that respecting "Intellectual Property rights" and
such is humanely just., and that Open Source / Free Software is
just charity work. I've seen this happen right before me. 

I heard that when M$ tried infiltrating into the syllabi of MIT,
it had a stiff resistance from the students and other
academicians. However here in India, the staff/management of
educational institutions are actually loving this. They are happy
to be associated with a Corporate. They are happy to lend their
syllabus to the corporate to be modified to their own taste. They
dont give a damn about what we strive for. This is mostly because
they are not aware and do not realize the need for ethics in the
software industry.

A MSA who was pestering me for a DotNET session at GLUG-Madurai
argued that DotNET being an Open Standard, I should not object him
promoting it in the GLUG. Once when I gave him a session (before I
came to know about the problems associated with this), it ended up
with how "M$ is not such a bad company after all., they just dont
want the hard work of their programmers to be stolen". 

The lesson that I learn from these people is to outrightly reject
their requests. They are not worth the trouble.

Cheers,
Joe

-- 
A proud GNU user
http://www.joesteeve.tk/ | http://gnukid.shyper.com/



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