Requiring Software Freedom

An Anonymous Coward writes: "CNET is carrying a story about the increasing momentum that Open Source software and 'Software Libre' are gaining in Latin and South America and Europe. A certain company from Redmond WA USA is mentioned several times in the article as the impetus to free foreign governments from certain onerous licensing agreements (not to mention the cost savings involved). It is interesting that some of these governmental entities are actually requiring the use of Software Libre, not just encouraging it. Maybe it's time to visit Rio?"

Comments

Brazil...

[Knunov]

Don't fool yourself about Central/South Americans.

I was born and raised in Miami. I've seen first-hand what Latin influence can do. As a group they are, hands down, the most corrupt people I've ever encountered. Since I wasa child, I watched Miami go from a really nice place to live in the 70's (until I was 16 years old, we NEVER locked the doors in our house or on our cars; now I wouldn't even walk inside my house without setting the alarm on my car) to the crime-infested political laughing stock of the nation shithole city it is now. And yes, most of this is due to Latin influence. They run Miami like they would run Managua. It's their way.

When I worked independently installing networks, EVERY Latin customer I had, and this was over 100, refused to pay the normal licensing fees for software. And before you go nutty about Windows, I don't mean only Windows. Anti-Virus software, proprietary software specific to their business, ANYTHING. Literally 100% of them refused to pay for their software. When I explained it was illegal, they explained they didn't care.

I've gone to school with Latins. I've dated Latins. I've grown up and worked intimately with Latins. Some of my best friends are Latins. But as a group, they are fuckheads.

Yes, the girls are hot. Half the girls I've dated have been Latin. Incindentally, the last 3 I've dated were Brazilian. But that might be their strongest virtue.

One of the greatest flaws inherent in most smart people is their know-it-all attitude. Most of the opinions towards Central/South America are written by Middle Americans that have had about as much exposure to Latins as I've had to Nepalese. So please, before you, yes YOU, the dork hacker cunt sitting in Ohio at the keyboard who has never so much as seen a Latin eye-to-eye aside from jerking off to a Jennifer Lopez video, tell me how wrong I am, consider the source.

There is a reason Latins are flocking to America. They are fleeing a gigantic shithole. The novelty of the hot chicks walking around topless will quickly fade when they tax your income at 40% and you have to pay someone to be your security/body guard so no one kidnaps/kills/mugs you or cleans out your house. The fact that your computer is running Linux will mean fuckall to the glue-sniffer carrying it out of your backdoor.

I still can't figure out why Americans are so down on themselves. We're not bad folks. If you compare us to other cultures, we're pretty good people. Perhaps not compared to Tibetans, but compared to Latins we are angels. I think self-hate is trendy in America right now. Hopefully we'll snap out of it in the next decade or so. It's a shame to live in a country with all the opportunity we have and not be happy about it.

Knunov