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Microsoft Fakes Citizen Letters of Support

An Anonymous Coward writes: "According to this Seattle Times article, Microsoft is sending letters to Utah's Attorney General in support of the company, but with fake signatures of citizens (some of whom are dead!). The article says: "Letters sent in the last month are on personalized stationery using different wording, color and typefaces, details that distinguish Microsoft's efforts from lobbying tactics that go on in politics every day. State law-enforcement officials became suspicious after noticing that the same sentences appear in the letters and that some return addresses appeared invalid."" The original source appears to be this story in the LA Times today. We here at Slashdot would like to take the time to say that strong competition and innovation have been the twin hallmarks of the technology industry, and if the future is going to be as successful as the recent past, the technology sector must remain free from excess regulation.

15 of 603 comments (clear)

  1. fr1st ps0t by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    As always, props to my SFI homiez, dead and alive. Here's to you, fools.

    1. Re:fr1st ps0t by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Execelent goat

  2. fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    fp

  3. IT'S GOATSE.CX, THE SIG IMPERSONATES LINK HELPER. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I must say it's quite smart.

  4. Re:once again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Yeah.. and all Your base are belong to us, too.

    If You're going to flame, at least do it proper English.

  5. Re:\. Hypocritical? Here is the evidence! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ...you didn't read the article, did you?

  6. Ignorant McCarthy-ite by SubtleNuance · · Score: 2, Offtopic

    Why is it that when it comes to anything that has to do with society, the \. editors (yes, the slash leans left on purpose) push forward an authoritarian and often socialist view of government regulation and initiative

    Why do you believe extreme authoritarianism is socialism? This is *NOT* true at all. Social Democratic and Communist principles have nothing to do with authoritarianism or Fascism. Stalin may have been a tyrant - but so are plenty of leaders when given an opportunity.

    Think Nixon, Think about the AstroTurfing MS is doing in this article, Think about your Government, think about the *REALITY* of American McCarthyism.. (which is alive and well btw) and what *that* really means about America.

    Id say that you have a very healthy Authoritarian-Capitalist system in America. You have a body, governing with the tact of Il Duce.

    When you ignorantly berate socialism, by insinuating it is an 'extreme form of authoritarianism' is, at best, ignorant and misguided.

    Would it surprise you to believe that Socialists have 'personal freedom' as one of its major goals? You do understand that being A Slave to the Bosses vs. A slave to the State vs A slave to the King still leaves you a slave. One of the tenants of Socialism (and Communism) is that the 'economy' and 'means of production' are controlled democratically - by citizens... they are given the additional Civic Right of helping guide their economic destiny, they are given the right to participate in the shaping of their economy.

    American Dogma has convinced its people that "economic freedom and free markets mean real freedom, Socialist who seek to heavily regulate and direct the economy are really trying to take away your property && freedom". This is untrue - what Socialists mostly assert is that BOSSES (Capital 'owners') will not be permitted to rule the economy without the input of the citizenry... Everyone must work for a living, and Capital owners, when allowed run freely will incarnate themselves kings and rulers.

    What does this have to do with the article? Well, when you think about it, M$, now completely so out of control - seemingly above the law - that it will now replace the political will of * real * people with its own.. you see the final step of Capitalism out of control - the inevitable end of Free Market Capitalism: Plutocracy

    This is why people goto Seattle, Genova, Quebec and Washington, D.C. this September.

  7. MODERATORS: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Please moderate down this troll. Claiming a goatsex link when there's NO FUCKING LINK IN THE ARTICLE.

    Jesus christ, do you just have a script or something?

  8. Microsoft is sucks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Microsoft is sucks!

    viva Brasil.

  9. Re:Mistake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Bahahahahahahahahahahah
    hahahahahahahahahhahaha!

    Holy SHIT, you KILL me.

  10. WTF?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    What fscking "astroturf" link? I'm incredibly offended that you would suggest I would put a link to that vile site in my comment. How DARE you? Man, that is lame...

  11. Re:once again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    what???

  12. Re:You clearly DON'T read these articles! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    And yet you hypocritically accuse someone, who accused someone of not reading the articles, of being a hypocrite by not reading the articles! Just because you read the headline doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. The *cough* text of both articles *cough* clearly explained that the letters from dead people were sent by relatives who signed for them: "Utah officials found two of the pre-fab letters bore the typed names of dead people. Those names had been crossed out by family members who signed for them."
    And just who typed the names of the *DEAD* people in the 1st place, hmmm?
  13. names of dead people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    My name is the same as my great-grandfather. He's dead.


    So if I sign my name, do I get confused for a dead guy ?

  14. Jesus Christ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Grow up. Are you in high school or something?