Comments on: Summit 2007: Eben Moglen on Microsoft’s ‘be very afraid tour’

by: VirtualEntity

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:24:01 +0000

After all, if you strip away all the reasons, the social movements, etc., however legitimate, ultimately, the reason for Linux’s (and the OpenSource movement in general’s) increasing success and the ever more rapidly increasing noise pollution from Micro$oft is the bare fact that Micro$oft’s products are, at best, an exercise in closed-source mediocrity, and, at worst, down right dangerous in their failures, bugs, and security issues. Evidently, as Micro$oft has figured out that they cannot ‘build a better mousetrap’, they have fallen back to the position of trying to use FUD (Fear, Unrest and Desparagement) tactics to frighten people into choosing to become their customers.

But, ugly as it may be, the truth is the truth. Vista needs 1 GB RAM to function properly, and as much as 40 GB hard disk space–and that’s before one installs any applications. It runs most popular gaming software 10 to 20% slower than the already increasingly patch-bloated XP, if it runs the games at all, and it still has security issues, stability issues, and performance issues.

On the other hand, my wife’s slow laptop has become a whole new speed-daemon now that I’ve installed Ubuntu on it–we have only used her copy of Windows once in the past five weeks–and that was to download video from a proprietary camera.

Micro$oft, either produce a quality product that we WANT to use, or get out of the way, or just close up the software shop and go into the legal and marketing business, since those two things are what you still ACTUALLY good at.

by: Marc

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:19:39 +0000

I agree with Henk. Regardless of whether one is a linux user or not (maybe not even a computer user) - any U.S. citizen should care about these gestapo Mafioso attacks on our freedom s and liberties. The U.S. Constitution grants me the right to do whatever I want with my computer within certain parameters. Those parameters do not include business decisions made under the duress of intimidation and fear tactics. The fear is basically an intimidation tactic all by itself.

To answer the question of when something will be done:

1. When a prosecutor and/or legal team decides to pursue RICO charges against Microsoft (Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization). The FBI can use many of the same charges and talking points that were used with the Mafia. The only differrences is that of the mafia using an AK-47 and Microsoft using sw patents, licensing, press releases, etc.

2. If there aren’t enough people in the legal community who have the guts and moral courage to undertake this, then those of us in the tech community may have to do so, hiring good lawyers to help file the paperwork etc. Surely there are a few good lawyers around who want to fight the good fight.

by: FizzyCyst

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:04:49 +0000

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

We went through all of this with the OS/2 shenanigans.

The corporate world is far more computer literate nowadays.

Besides, nobody likes bullies and once they become old and toothless…

by: Chuck Y

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:05:44 +0000

Microsoft doesn’t need to sue. For most corporate types, just the threat will do the job. And, thanks to the RIAA litigation, potential home users are feeling a bit sensitive to technology that is exposed to the threat of law suits as well. More proactive press for Linux would help.

by: DanO

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:48:04 +0000

What was the answer to “what are we going to do about it?”

by: Dana

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:19:28 +0000

Polywog;

Actually, if Windows IP is found to exist in Linux, that is probably where M$ got it from.

by: Choky

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:10:15 +0000

Due to the technological evolution mankind is going through, the world society is about to realize that their social, cultural and economical order is on the brink of total change. They will learn that intellectual property in terms of earning money is of no value anymore. We are going to get rid of author rights, patents, drm and many more. We need to drmatically change our laws. People will realize there is an urge of sharing the earth’s resources in a different way by changing our ideas of sharing knowledge, earning money. Share the resources in a more acceptable way and fight the immense differences between the continents.
As Cicero said ages ago: ‘it is an honor to be copied’.
I add saying: And it is the way to improve the knowledge of mankind and creating solutions for future questions.
Open Source is an early step towards total social, cultural and economical change.

by: Henk

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 03:14:00 +0000

Eben just stopped short, but I won’t. A group of people that constantly tell you you are at risk of loosing your business, that it could all of a sudden burn down, or could get infected with some bug… People that then tell you that they can protect you from all that.., that nothing will happen to you… if only you pay them a little money for this protection… Those people are known as the Mob, the Maffia, the Cosa Nostra. That practice was found illegal and criminal and was dealt with 80 years ago. When is the FBI going to roll up this gang?

by: Marc

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:15:29 +0000

Make that Judas Novell and Judas Xandros. There are large customers who will do what Eben says. Eben is a better ’spokesman’ for the OSS community than Richard Stallman who looks like a homeless person (somebody needs to say it). Unfortunately looks are important to win over hearts and minds to our rational, persecuted, and moral point of view. (Tank, load the jump program). :)

The OSS community at large needs to unify somewhat, at least enough to identify a large common enemy, and to start a retaliatory ’sue me’ movement. Think the software is not valid? SUE ME! Put your money where your mouth is Microsoft! How about a million bumper stickers that all say, ‘SUE WHAT’? ???????? I could see it!

Then for every month it goes by, someone should start counting some sort of lost monetary compensation (lost potential sales for example). Same goes for frivolous lawsuits - have them add up to some sort of class action lawsuit against MS (including NOVELL, XANDROS, and whoever else has CAVED).

Don’t be a caveman!

by: Tom Witko

Sat, 26 May 2007 23:45:32 +0000

We have a powerful voice. We need to learn how to use it.
Its funny as I was doing a lot of thinking on this before seeing this video and had a post on the Ubuntu forum a long time ago about a legal scare in that they had more money to throw around and use it as leverage.

This is a serios issue and needs to be nipped on the but once and for all as a president that will close the doors to future leverage problems. Europe seems to be doing this and we need to follow suit.

If we can close the door with president for the future this would shrink this issue to a managable levels for Open source.