Is Microsoft Engaged in an Information War Against Open Source or IBM?

[Sensei]

Thanks to an anon for this:

"The Linux community eats Microsoft disinformation like an addict hooked on Mountain Dew. Evidence abounds that Redmond's brainwashing took hold and few even know it or understand it. Microsoft's disinformation during the Netscape wars demoralized that Company. Now, the same kind of effect has taken hold of the Linux project teams and companies.

I view this as an opportunity in which Linux advocates can discover the fine art of propaganda and how to defeat it. Using this information, let's break the back of the villain. First, of course, you'll need to wake up from your trance like state."
http://www.consultingtimes.com/ms_infowar.html

[bb77]

Hear Hear!

[YaRness]

bloody good read. every linux nazi (what, blood-crazed advocates here?!@ nah...) should read it. carefully.

[knaapie]

Very nice that we Linux fans all agree on M$ talking nonsense, but in the meanwhile this kind of FUD has worked for M$ in the past.
The Linux community must have an appropriate answer to convince the average manager in charge of the IT budgets.
That'll be a hard one.

[Boris]

Originally spoken by Commander Picard:
The line must be drawn here!

Excellent, thought-provoking piece. :)

[Crackmaster]

Hot damn! That was a great article. I haven't read anything so moving in years.

[KiTA]

This is well and good, and it is important not to fall for their tricks, but you also must remember that if NO ONE replies at all to their FUD, then the PHBs in the IT industry are just going to swallow it like candy.

We must all learn to respond to their lies, not react to them. And we also must all remember that they're inherently full of ****, and not to "get ourselves down" when those goobers try their pointless chest-thumping.

[Dangerboy]

M$ knows that the OSS is going to put them out of business, so they are trying other areas. Usually they make smart moves, but this .NET thing is rediculous!

M$ has never been innovative, they just take what's out there and do an excellent job of selling it. See what happens when they try to innovate! hehe I think they should stick to selling other peoples ideas, and try not to come up with any new ones.

[viscia]

I'm thinking what he meant about not responding to MS FUD makes sense. Skip the talks about how MS is wrong/lying about Linux solutions and talk specifically about what can and is being done well with Linux - at least when you're talking to the "unconverted."

The critical stuff is good for keeping the Linux community informed and morale up, but people who are just trying to find systems that work will be more easily convinced if MS is left out of the explanation of what Linux can do for them.

I'm a complete newbie. Yeah the evil of MS got me supporting the theory of Linux, but the bottom line was that my little PC is running, I can do what I need with it, and it's works well with my budget and time constraints.

[wrig777]

I currently teach a class (for law enforcement) on how to detect and interpret verbal and written deception cues as well as comprehensive profiling. Perhaps I could put this in a simpler context.

Fear not. They (MS) are using some of the oldest control set methods, and are utilizing them poorly. Don't get me started on profiling politicians, it would just make you mad (or happy).

In English, they are using an "extented yes set technique". That's all it really is.

Let me put your mind at ease in plain English. I have profiled MS folks on T.V. and in person many times in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and they are running scared.
The things they say and do when I inquire about Linux leave no doubt in my mind. In fact, their responses completely convinced me to make the switch to Linux (the switch is going terribly, but that's another forum).

One of the most telling things to me was Steve (Mr. Functionality) Ballmer's comment on Linux being "threat #1". In my experience, if they are saying that kind of thing in public, their private meetings must be tense at best.

That doesn't mean that the Linux community cannot shoot themselves in the foot on this one. We need to be careful as to what we say to anybody at any level that we might wish to convert.

Just remember, anytime someone (MS) tries to make a claim that they are better than another (Linux) based only on their (MS) opinions of the unsuitability of the other group, the group making the claim (MS) is reacting to their own self-doubt and uncertainty. Translation: MS can't win in a fair fight with Linux and the open source concept and it shows by what they say and do (if you know what to look for).

Press on......

[TaeShadow]

Originally posted by Sensei:
<STRONG>
http://www.consultingtimes.com/ms_infowar.html</STRONG>

Amen.

[Tyr-7BE]

This article should really be spread around. I encourage all who read it to submit it to as many news sites as possible, linux-related and non-linux-related. Get it out in the open. The more people seeing this article there are, the greater chance that someone in a position of power will fight back. You NEVER see FUD coming out of the linux community. I believe that it's because of the fragmentation. M$ is one big entity bent on selling its product. Linux is an OS which is sold by many distributors. None of those distributors are nearly powerful enough to take on M$. I just wish that IBM would completely embrace linux and start shooting some FUD back.
Regardless of whether we have IBM or not, I totally agree with the article (his dissection skills really suck when it comes to quotes, but the rest of it is wonderful). Your mission as linux advocates is to advocate linux. Whenever someone complains about a problem with windows, bring up the fact that you don't use it and that you use linux. To date, I've had 3 other successful conversions because of me, and I've only been using the OS for a few months. Write papers...make linux available to the public...attempt to get linux displayed in a public place. Anything that can be done to promote the idea of linux should be done. If everyone does their part, we'll be out of this Wintel world and into a LinAMD one :D

[Lorithar]

*sniffs*

wonderful ....
couldn'ta said it better m'self.

I think that everyone should send the URL to every newspaper in their town/city/borough/county/ward/....... I just wonder what the editorial fume would be like as a result ...

[rocketman]

"Microsoft feels no threat from the Linux community"

I respectfully disagree. :eek:

[Boris]

Hey, where can I read more about this profiling technique that law enforcement uses? That sounded interesting...

[david]

Originally posted by Boris:
<STRONG>Hey, where can I read more about this profiling technique that law enforcement uses? That sounded interesting...</STRONG>


Ditto :)

[Sweede]

How would the Open Source Software put MS out of business when Open Source idea's have put eazel, VA Linux, RedHat, Indromea (sp?), and a dozen or so others out of business or damn close to it ?

[rch-tech]

Originally posted by Dangerboy:
<STRONG>
M$ has never been innovative, they just take what's out there and do an excellent job of selling it. See what happens when they try to innovate! hehe I think they should stick to selling other peoples ideas, and try not to come up with any new ones.</STRONG>

Amen brother, first there was the whole "windows" concept. Developed at Xerox, used and perfected by Apple, stolen by Bill.
Then, Active Directory, developed by Novell (NDS) and been proven and in use for over 6 years.
Now, C# and VB.Net, if anyone has seen C# code...hmmm looks like JAVA with a new name. VB.Net looks absolutely pitiful, like a PRIMTIVE version of JAVA. C# at least looks more like Java, but once again, technology stolen. M$ is a marketing giant, not a tech company...
Here's the question...can IBM and their linux initiative do enough damage or will it hurt Linux in the long run...my vote and hope is with IBM.

[Unruly]

Originally posted by Sweede:
<STRONG>How would the Open Source Software put MS out of business when Open Source idea's have put eazel, VA Linux, RedHat, Indromea (sp?), and a dozen or so others out of business or damn close to it ?</STRONG>

So, a concept, or idea, or licence (GPL) is what is putting these companies close to, if not out of business? Strange, I thought it was poor management, and poor ideas for making money... I mean, if that's so, why is SuSE doing so good, or why is the debian project STILL working. Hell, why are any of the hundreds of (more) companies out there running/supporting linux still going strong?

Sweede, I respect you, but I have to say, you're pulling a mundie... You are right that some linux companies haven't done well in recent years, but to blame all that on some set of ideas and licencing... I thought you'd be able to come up with more than that.

I will say no more, you've only further proven yourself in microsoft's control.

[Sweede]

SuSe and Debians business models are not the same as RedHat.

SuSe and Debian didnt flood the market and our economy by entering the public market (i.e. sell stock).

search the EDGAR reports for any company thats involved in Open Source software and see how well they are doing.
www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov)

[Unruly]

Originally posted by Sweede:
<STRONG>SuSe and Debians business models are not the same as RedHat.

SuSe and Debian didnt flood the market and our economy by entering the public market (i.e. sell stock).

search the EDGAR reports for any company thats involved in Open Source software and see how well they are doing.
www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov)</STRONG>

So, bascially, your proving my point. It's business models (ie how they ran the company) not some open source ideals or licencing &lt;sp&gt;.

It's all a state of mind Sweede, people are buying up this microsoft fud and all the programs to go with it, because they don't know any better.

[Sweede]

i said that MS is against the open source business model, not against the open source software model, which im sure they dont care for that much.

[JasonC]

Originally posted by Sweede:
<STRONG>How would the Open Source Software put MS out of business when Open Source idea's have put eazel, VA Linux, RedHat, Indromea (sp?), and a dozen or so others out of business or damn close to it ?</STRONG>

With the exception of Red Hat, the majority of people don't even know these companies exist. Let's see, how could a free OS hurt one that costs money, hmmm. Microsoft makes money, I can't argue that but I can argue that they no longer make MY money. They no longer make alot of peoples money. Linux is gaining support of younger people, students who will become business and IT employees/managers who will make decisions based on fact and experience, not myth and perception. This is how open source will impact M$. The world is changing and Microsoft is becoming less a part of it.