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Old 08-09-2002, 07:13 PM   #1 (permalink)
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MS Software Choice...

Here's an article I found regarding the latest from MS.

Basically MS has started a program that would/could be used to undermine the GPL/LGPL licenses. By useing this program to alter the industry standards to include imbedded patents (basically requiring patented material to be used as the standard) MS would force the Free Software Community (Linux) to have to pay on a per copy basis.

The writer gives a breakdown of the clauses used by the "Software Choice" program, as well as an alternate program.

Hoping for some of you to give me your views on this, as I see this and similar moves by industry to be getting out of hand.

Here's the article:
http://www.theregus.com/content/4/25931.html

And here's the authors site (regarding this issue):
http://sincerechoice.org/

Happy reading...

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Old 08-09-2002, 07:50 PM   #2 (permalink)
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ehh, i stopped getting really pissed off at stuff the government/microsoft does a while ago. by now i'm starting to accept that the government doesn't really listen to it's citizens on these issues, but instead to who lines its pockets, therefore we can't do anything and are doomed to enslavement w/o any rights invlovking technology at all.

but this still sucks
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Old 08-09-2002, 08:02 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Maybe you are right (about goverment) but here in Michigan we at least have one way to circomvent the normal goverment methods. One of the ballot proposals would make the salaries of elected officials public in a big way. First it would require that any changes to budget or pay be voted into effect publicly and by a majority (currently voting on this is private and requires a majority to prevent it taking effect. Just put off the vote long enough and the change is automatic). The second change is even more pointed, any approved changes can not go into effect until after the next election for the effected office.

Thus an elected officail cannot be elected, then give themselves a 300% pay increase and still campaign on the basis that they are not the one voting FOR higher goverment spending... (they only failed to vote against, and anyway the actual vote is sealed and not for the public to know... Why is that???)

Any way, the article is supposed to be about how MS is hijacking open source under the flag of "Choice".

Another thing in the article is the Peru/Open Source argument (Peru is currently comtemplating a law that would basically require the goverment to use all open source or GPL software).

Any comments on this angle?
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Old 08-09-2002, 08:05 PM   #4 (permalink)
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yeah i think it's total BS on microsoft's part. i think that they should have the choice to choose whatever they want. it's no business of M$ what they choose. if they wanna go all open-source, great. if they wanna go all proprietary, great. they shouldn't be required to have a "mix". it's M$ trying make even more money and put down the competition.
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Old 08-10-2002, 09:36 PM   #5 (permalink)
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On another site today I saw a purported e-mail from someone at Dell to another someone at Dell. It was regarding the license change for MS OS's and that after september 1st (i think) they would not be allowed to offer the same systems with both MS OS and no OS options. The added expense of this is expected to increase the cost of no OS systems out of reason...

Just another way that MS is pushing "choice"...
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Old 08-12-2002, 08:46 AM   #6 (permalink)
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I AM F'ING FURIOUS! Using MY tax dollars to send one of OUR Ambassadors to LOBBY MICROSOFT SOFTWARE in another country. I hope all you crooked b'stards die of a slow cancerous death, much like what you inflict on so much of society. I will NEVER truely be able to just say "eh" (though, I must admit, there are days I will say it, not truely meaning it, but not being in the mood to deal with it at that particular moment).

Please spread this news like a wild fire. Society is just to ingnorant of so many things that are truely important to us. Some are ignorant by choice, hoping that ignorance will give them a break from their responsibility, and others are just ignorant because of the lack of information being put in their face during their busy [or just out of touch] lives. And if ANY of you feel this isn't important to you, then you, too, are out of touch. After all, there's no way you're reading this and can claim that the software development world is irrelevant to your activities.

As a new entry to the IT world (professionally, anyway), I hereby vow to do my best in ensuring the success of ANY softwares not endorsed or created by Microsoft. I realize I can not do much as one man, but with my peers, I can join the revolution. I will help see to it that Mr. Gates will be on his knees (figuratively, though a literall occurance would be nice as well).

If you want to persuade an entire government to use your software, I would have hoped you had the decency to use a salesman of your own employment. Ambassadors are for much higher purposes than a Software Consultant. You, too, Ambassador, have insulted the country for whom you represent. And we will continue to see such insanity until the public accepts their responsibility for spreading such news, and voicing their opinions on such.

If I were a politician, you would all accept my words as set in stone. After all, politicians are omniscient, or didn't you know?

Last edited by DangerSeeker; 08-12-2002 at 12:42 PM.
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Old 08-14-2002, 09:45 AM   #7 (permalink)
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How can anyone undermine the GPL license? Who's to stop you from putting programs and source for free on the internet? After all it's YOUR program and YOUR source and there's nothing MS or the goverment can do about it. You're telling me the government is going to make open source illegal and stick a price tag on Linux?
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Old 08-14-2002, 11:00 AM   #8 (permalink)
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The article said something about setting the standards used in programing so that they (the standards) required the use of copyrighted/patented technology. Something along those lines...

And yes, someone would probably be able to write a program that avoided the use of the technology, but it would become pretty rare. They were talking about that level of basic tech...
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